CHARACTERISATION

Part played by an actor/attitude adopted

i.e. The witch

ROLE

The process of fullyDeveloping a Character

= characterisation

CHARACTERISATIONKnowing your character inside and out

will help you be a better actor!

YOU MUSTConsider and Decide

EVERY POSSIBLE DETAIL ABOUT

YOUR CHARACTER.told to you by the script or not

STATUS

LANGUAGE

RELATIONSHIPS

BACKGROUND

SOCIAL LIFE

characterisationwill help us investigate

The following are Characterisation

Techniques

Character card

• Name• Age

• nationality• occupation• personality• appearance• relationships

• hobbies/interests

“I wonder what type of relationship the Evil Queen had

with her parents? Let’s re-enact her 6th birthday

to see what that was like.”

Improvisation

a means of exploring attitudes

and beliefs

ROLE PLAY

Like you did with the magic book

Questioning a character in role

HOT SEATING

VOICES IN THE HEAD

Dear Anna,I miss you so much since you left me. I can barely eat, I can’t work I can’t talk to anyone at all. Say you love me and come back to me. Please. I beg you.Yours always. Ricardo

WRITING IN ROLE

LETS FREEZE THE ACTION RIGHT HERE.

MAXIMUS IS SAYING LET’S FIGHTBut

LET’S ASK HIM WHAT IS HE THINKING?

the character speaks their thoughts out loud

THOUGHT TRACKING

THOUGHT TUNNEL

NOT IN CHARACTER

IN CHARACTER

STATUS

LANGUAGE

RELATIONSHIPS

BACKGROUND

SOCIAL LIFE

characterisationwill help us investigate

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

• Think back to a character that you successfully portrayed on your Drama Course. Describe that character.

(3marks)

• List five characterisation techniques you used, or could have used, to develop this character.

(5 marks)

• Choose one from the list above and say how this technique helped you, or might have helped you, to develop a greater understanding of this character

(4 marks)

• Candidates may include standard character card details such as name, age, occupation, personality, appearance, relationships, hobbies/interests etc.

• 3 marks for a description which summarises the character succinctly but fully.• 2 marks for a description which gives basic information but is not fully

informative.• 1 mark for a brief, unhelpful, fairly superficial description.

Techniques listed in the lexicon are:• character cards• improvisation• role-play• hot seating• voices in the head• writing in role• thought tracking• thought tunnel.• 1 mark for each correct technique. Accept no others. Be alert to inclusions

that are not on this list eg angel and devil, and to confusion with conventions. Do not give marks for any technique not on the list above.

No mark for choice. If more than one is selected, mark the better response.• 1 mark for each valid point made about how the chosen technique helped

develop a better understanding of the character.