Drama
I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.
- Oscar Wilde.
Contact
Head of Drama: Mrs A Thorp
Email: thorpa@harpergreen.net
Subject overview
The performing arts department has worked hard to put together a broad, coherent and rigorous course of study across drama. Our purpose is to inspire creativity in students. We want our young people to make and understand drama, recognising them as a practical art form in which ideas and meaning are communicated to an audience through choices of form, style and convention.
Students will study drama throughout years 7-9, and there is the option for students to deepen their study at KS4.
Key Stage 3 Drama overview
Year 7 Students will learn a selection of Acting Skills and Techniques through the exploration of a variety of stimuli, whilst also learning how to review and evaluate both their own work and the work of others. In the Autumn Term, lessons will centre around exploring and experimenting key Acting Skills & Techniques to enable the development of their performance skills. In the Spring Term, students will develop a knowledge and understanding of the British Drama practitioner, Steven Berkoff and his non- naturalistic theatrical style. By the Summer Term, students’ will consolidate their prior learning whilst refining their characterisation and performance skills through the exploration of Roald Dahl’s George’s Marvellous Medicine.
Year 8 Now that students have the basic toolkit of drama they will move on to develop these skills to a more detailed level. In the Autumn Term, lessons focus on how Greek Theatre inspired Berkoff’s methodology, with emphasis on exaggerated choral and ensemble work. In the Spring Term students will examine Stanislavski’s Methods of Acting and apply them to rehearsals to create believability of a character. In the Summer Term, students will explore the role of Shakespeare as a playwright, analysing, interpreting and performing scenes of a relevant, modern context.
Year 9 The emphasis in Year 9 is on encouraging students to a broader and more sophisticated application of Acting Skills & Techniques. In the Autumn Term, students will explore the Non-Naturalistic methodologies of theatre practitioner Bertolt Brecht. In the Spring Term, students will explore a range of devising techniques to encourage empathy for and understanding of a real-life social issues: homelessness. In the Summer Term, students will spend time working from the scripts ‘Bouncers and Shakers’ by John Godber; applying their previously learnt knowledge of non-naturalism to communicate the playwright’s intentions to an audience.
Year 7
|
Term 1 |
Term 2 |
Term 3 |
|
Acting skills & techniques |
Introduction to Berkoff |
George’s Marvellous Medicine |
|
Students will develop an understanding of a variety of Acting skills & techniques through the exploration and experimentation of a variety of stimuli.
Students will explore and develop their vocal and physical skills to enhance their role as a performer. |
Students will explore the techniques of physical theatre through the study of theatre practitioner, Stephen Berkoff.
Students will develop an understanding of how physical theatre and physicalised action can be used to create non-naturalistic drama performances.
Students will use Berkovian techniques to tell dramatic stories. |
Key Ideas, Skills and Knowledge: Students will develop their understanding of how vocal and physical skills can be applied to create a character.
Students will explore the characters’ intentions and apply their acting skills to bring their written character to life on stage.
Students will develop an understanding of how relationships between different characters can be presented on stage. |
Year 8
|
Term 1 |
Term 2 |
Term 3 |
|
Greek Theatre |
Introduction to Stanislavski |
Setting Shakespeare to a modern setting |
|
Students will develop a knowledge and understanding of how Greek Theatre continues to influence theatre today.
Students will explore and experiment with choral work, implementing the exaggerated acting style of Greek Theatre to their drama work.
Students will consider choral work, acting skills and staging in their performance of the Greek Myth, Antigone. |
Students will develop an understanding of why Stanislavski developed his actor training system.
Students will explore practically a variety of techniques/methods from Stanislavski’s system.
Students will apply selected techniques to create believable characters, helping them to put themselves in the place of a character
Students will create and develop work within a naturalistic style. |
Students will develop an understanding of how Shakespearian plays should be performed, exploring the language in a practical way to develop meaning.
Students will develop effective storytelling skills through their chosen style and acting skills and techniques.
Students will interpret a well-known Shakespearean play into a modern day setting. |
Year 9
|
Term 1 |
Term 2 |
Term 3 |
|
Introduction to Brecht |
Danny’s Story |
John Godber: Bouncers/Shakers |
|
Students will explore Brechtian style theatre, developing an understanding of the different techniques of Brechtian Theatre and the impact Brecht has had on the theatre.
Students will apply Brechtian techniques to their repertoire, demonstrating an awareness of socio-political theatre. |
Students will explore the stimulus ‘Danny’s Story’ devising a piece of drama that considers a range of styles suitable to a chosen genre.
Students will apply a plethora of acting skills and techniques to communicate their intentions to an audience.
Students will incorporate Practitioners Work to create a Professional piece of drama. |
Students will explore scenes from the professional works ‘Bouncers’ and ‘Shakers’, considering its’ contextual intentions and influences.
Students will incorporate the techniques of Berkoff, Stanislavski and Brecht by interweaving them into the interpretation and performance of selected scenes.
Students will apply a variety of acting skills and techniques to communicate the playwright’s and actors’ intentions. |
Key Stage 4 Performing Arts overview
The Pearson BTEC Level 1/Level 2 Tech Award in Performing Arts: Acting Pathway, will give students the opportunity to study professionals’ work and processes used, the skills and techniques used in different roles, and how to contribute to the creation of a performance in a performance role. The qualification enables learners to develop their sector-specific skills, such as refining work and applying skills for a performance using realistic vocational contexts, and personal skills, such as working with others, working to deadlines, and responding to feedback through a practical and skills-based approach to learning and assessment. Students will study three components, covering the following content areas:
- Exploring the Performing Arts - developing an understanding of the performing arts by examining the work of performing arts professionals and the processes used to create performance.
- Developing Skills and Techniques in the Performing Arts - development of performing arts skills and techniques through the reproduction of acting repertoire as performers.
- Responding to a Brief - contributing to a workshop performance as a performer in response to a given brief and stimulus.
Year 10
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 |
|
Component 1: Exploring the Performing Arts |
Component 1: Exploring the Performing Arts |
Component 2: Developing Skills and Techniques |
|
Students will develop their understanding of the performing arts by examining the work of performing arts professionals and the processes used to create performance.
Students will develop a practical understanding of how performing arts work is created by exploring different roles, responsibilities.
Students will broaden their knowledge through observing existing repertoire and by learning about professional approaches and how they create and influence performance material. |
Students will complete two tasks from Pearson’s Set Assignment.
Task 1: Students will investigate an example of professional performing arts work, covering stylistic qualities, features, intentions and purpose of the work. Learners will also cover the skills and responsibilities required and the influences of other work.
Task 2, learners will actively explore the techniques, processes and approaches used in the creation of professional work from Task 1.
|
Students will develop their performing arts skills and techniques through the reproduction of acting repertoire as performers.
Students will take part in workshops and classes, developing their technical, practical and interpretative skills through the rehearsal and performance process.
Students will communicate intentions to an audience through performance.
Students will review their own progress and consider how to make improvements
|
Year 11
| Term 1 | Term 2 |
|
Component 2: Developing Skills and Techniques in the Performing Arts |
Component 3: Responding to a Brief |
|
Students will complete three tasks from Pearson’s Set Assignment.
Task 1: students will prepare for a performance of an existing repertoire.
Task 2: students will showcase performance for an audience.
Task 3: students will review the development and application of skills and techniques during the process and after. |
Students will have the opportunity to respond to a brief. Students will work as a group, developing ideas for a workshop performance.
Students will apply a variety of acting skills and techniques to communicate their creative intentions to a target audience.
Students will record their ideas on planning, development and effectiveness of the performance as written logs. |