Year 10 GCSE Drama revision pack

Practical Performance Tips:

• Get to know your character (rehearsal techniques)

• Find out the motivation of character

• Learn your lines (stating the obvious!)

• Concentration and involvement

• No fidgeting – unless it’s in character

• Not to ask for a ‘prompt’

• Variety

• Movement and space

Dramatic devices

The dramatic devices listed below are to make your devised dramas more interesting:

• Freeze-frame

• Monologue

• Slow motion

• Pause

• Cross-cutting

• Mime

• Symbols

• Thought tracking

• Choral speaking

• Flashback

• Narrative

• Direct address

• Multi-roling

• Masks

Technical aspects

• Lighting – enhancing performance and structure

• Sound – creating atmosphere and linking scenes

• Choice of acting area / stage

• Choice of set and props

• Costume

• Make-up

Brecht

Brecht was heavily influenced by Marxist ideas and he saw theatre as a way to spread political messages about class struggle.

His style can be summed up in 3 words: alienation, didactic, gestus.

Brecht's techniques

• Direct address

• Narrator

• Multi-roling

• Ensemble

• Gestus

• Music/song

• Placards

• Speaking stage directions

• Shock tactics

• Screen/PowerPoint presentations

One must not forget some of his more technical techniques:

Stage: bare stage where all the workings could be seen and any changes to the scenery were made in full view of the audience.

Costumes: often a single item of clothing or prop was all that he used.

Lighting: the stage was flooded with bright white light the entire time regardless of whether the scene was a summer day or a winter evening.

Stanislavski

Stanislavski viewed theatre as a means of artistically expressing things, and that the audience’s role was to ‘look in’ on action on the stage. He favoured the idea of the ‘fourth wall’ which separated the audience and the actors, to re-create total realism on the stage.

Stanislavski's techniques (Internal)

• Concentration of attention

• Relaxation of muscles

• Units and objectives

• Emotional memory

• The magic ‘if’

• Feeling of truth

Stanislavski's techniques (External)

• Tempo-rhythm and movement

• Diction and singing

• Intonation and pauses

• Restraint and control

• Accentuation

• Making the body expressive

• Naturalistic set, costume, lighting and sound

Berkoff

Introduction to Berkoff

Berkoff is a British practitioner whose career has

spanned from 1965 to today. He has directed

and/or performed in his own unique style all over

the world, both on stage and in films. His style of

theatre is physical and exaggerated and is both

popular and controversial, defying the norms of

naturalistic theatre.

Berkoff’s work is a mixture of adaptations of short stories and novels, for example The Trial, Metamorphosis and In The Penal Colony by Kafka – and interpretations of classic works, for example Hamlet, Coriolanus, Salome and Greek – as well as other original theatrical pieces, for example Decadence, West, Sink the Belgrano and East.

Some of the influences on Berkoff are LeCoq and Artaud, e.g. LeCoq’s mime movement, masks and ensemble acting are all characteristic of Berkoff

Berkoff's techniques

• Stylised movement (slow motion/robotic)

• Exaggerated facial expressions

• Direct address

• Exaggerated vocal work

• Tableaux

• Mask

• Ensemble playing

• Minimalistic set

• Exaggerated and stylised mime

• Non-naturalistic set and lighting

Emma Rice

Introduction to Emma Rice

Emma Rice became well known as the artistic director of the Cornwall-

based theatre company Kneehigh, but was later appointed as the new

director of Shakespeare's Globe in London, starting in April 2016.

Her fame lies in her ability to find new ways of staging well-known plays,

legends or films, such as Tristan and Yseult and Brief Encounter.

In her adaptations she specialised in fusing together music, circus tricks and old-fashioned

storytelling skills.

In one of her interviews, Emma Rice said, 'I always have – and I always will – call myself a

storyteller. We use a number of different elements – acting, music, film, design – to tell the

story and we stitch together a great big tapestry of ideas.'

Rice's techniques

• Community theatre

• Mixed performance styles

• Music/songs

• Comedy

• Circus tricks

• Physical theatre

• Ensemble work

• Storytelling

• Colourful, symbolic set

• Non-naturalistic set

Introduction to Theatre in Education

Theatre in Education (TIE) starts with an educational topic or debate and develops a show around it. It is more than simply a drama performance, because it may turn into a programme of events that can include a performance supported by active audience participation.

Six steps learners should take when devising their own TIE production

1. Deciding on the target audience

2. Deciding on the topic of the scene

3. Researching the topic

4. Writing the devised scene

5. Audience participation

6. Evaluation

Techniques

• Episodic nature of the play • Use of narrator • Multi-roling • Characters who are stereotypical or caricatures in order to make an immediate point to

the audience • Monologues • Song and dance • Visual technical elements to emphasise message, e.g. PowerPoint presentations,

placards • Use of basic sets and technical elements • Reliance on symbolism

Highly subject-specific (often nouns)

• character

• performance

• expression

• physical

• movement

• gesture

• script

• interaction

Subject-specific but not uniquely (often adjectives and adverbs)

• motivation

• consistent

• controlled

• balanced

• coordinated

• considered • relevant

• contrasting

• dramatic

Frames for evaluation

• It would be better if…

• I could improve by…

• If you…you would…

• When you…you should…

• It is better because…

• This means that…

• In order to…

• Changing the…would… • What worked quite well was...

• We chose to...

Proscenium

The audience is positioned in front of the stage, and the stage can be looked upon like a picture frame. The ‘frame’ itself is called the Proscenium Arch. This is the style of most traditional theatres.

In some proscenium theatres, the stage extends forward in front of the proscenium arch. This is called an apron stage.

End on Stage or Open Stage

Similar audience layout to a proscenium theatre, but without the arch. The audience is positioned in rows facing the stage.

Thrust

The audience is on three sides of the stage as if the stage has been ‘thrust’ forward. This can be very apparent, like a catwalk, or more like an extended apron stage. A backdrop must be included in a Thrust Stage.

In-the-Round

As the name suggests, the audience is seated all around the stage on four sides. A few theatres in the country are permanently arranged like this. The stage itself can be round, square or rectangle (as in the image below). Sometimes it is referred to as an Arena stage.

Traverse

In this more unusual style, the audience is seated on either side of the stage, facing each other. The acting takes place between.

Traverse Stage

Vocal Skills

Theatre In the Round (sometimes referred to as Arena)

EMPHASISWHEN SOUNDS OR WORDS ARE STRESSED TO HIGHLIGHT THEIR MEANING.

PAUSETO DELAY TALKING FOR A MOMENT. OFTEN USED TO CREATE TENSION

PITCHHEIGHT OR DEPTH OF THE VOICE (HOW HIGH OR LOW IT IS).

REGISTERTHE WAY IN WHICH SPEECH IS ALTERED DEPENDING ON WHO IS BEING SPOKEN TO.

TONETHE EMOTIONAL QUALITY IN THE VOICE THAT EXPRESSES THE SPEAKERS FEELINGS OR THOUGHTS.

INTONATIONTHE RISE AND FALL OF THE VOICE DURING OR AT THE END OF THE SENTENCE.

ACCENTTHE SPECIFIC SOUND QUALITIES OF THE SPEECH OF A REGION. (WHERE YOU ARE FROM).

ARTICULATIONTHE CLEAR PRONUNCIATION OF WORDS.

PACESPEED AT WHICH YOU TALK (FAST, SLOW, EVEN).

VOLUME/PROJECTIONHOW LOUD OR QUIET THE VOICE IS.

CLARITYHOW CLEAR THE VOICE IS.

FLUENCYTO SPEAK WITHOUT HESITATION, PAUSE OR UNCERTAINTY.

Physical Skills

Naturalistic movement - This is used for characterisation

Stylised Movement - This is used when creating abstract ideas.

Body Language - Naturalistic movement. Messages given by the position of the body.

Facial expression - Look on face which shows emotion

Gesture - Movement of the hand or arm which communicates a meaning or emotion.

Eye contact - The way in which characters look at each other and who they look at in the eye.

Posture - Position of the body - how it is held.

Use of space - How your character uses the performance space. I.e. Do they stay in one area?

Balance - Stylised Movement. keeping an even distribution of weight.

Timing - Speaking, moving or pausing at exactly the right moment

Positioning - Your position at a certain point within the drama.

Use of levels - The level you are standing, moving or sitting at during a scene. (can suggest status)

Rhythm - Stylised Movement. Movements which follow a certain pattern or beat.

Stance - Attitude or position of the body.

Proxemics – The space between characters which suggests relationships

Lighting

GOBOS

Some lanterns can also be fitted with what is known as a gobo. This is a sheet inserted on a frame at the front of the light with a design cut into it. It filters the light, creating a picture effect on the stage. For example, a gobo

could be used to create a dappled lighting effect to look like the leaves of a forest, or could be cut to create strips of light onstage which look like the bars of a prison.

Coloured Gels

Coloured gels are coloured thin sheets of heat-resistant plastic placed at the front of a light (flood, Fresnel or profile).

Barn Doors

Barn doors are light modifiers that shape and direct light. They are flexible to use and can create focused light. They also make a variety of shapes. Barn doors are fixed onto the front of studio or theatre lights.

SOUND

Functions of Sound design

Establish time of day, season and weather Create mood and atmosphere Locate the action in a specific place/location Provide information about the character(s) Build transitions between scenes

Mediums of Sound

All can be either performed live on stage, off stage or be pre-recorded.

Music Sound Effects Voice overs