Year 8 Drama have been exploring approaches to devising through improvisation. They have focused on collaboration skills and how to work well in a group as well as continuing to explore a range of Drama strategies such as Still Images, Narration, Thought-Tracking and Transitions.  Students will have opportunity to create small performances, based on a variety of roles and situations (scenarios), in pairs and small groups to build up their confidence using these strategies’ to develop their storytelling.

Year 9 Drama have been exploring approaches to creating performances and exploring a stimulus (The Island by Armin Greder) through a range of Drama strategies such as Still Images, Narration, Thought-Tracking and Conscience Corridor focusing on a non-naturalistic style to create a performance using Physical Theatre, Chorus Skills and Monologues.

Year 10 GCSE Drama students are currently working towards a devised performance that is worth 40% of their final GCSE grade. Students are working collaboratively in a group as a designer or performer to create a performance based on a stimulus of their own choosing. Initial ideas range from:

• Project Mincemeat (WW2) - to explore the 1943 British elaborate plan to mislead Germany about UK invasion plans
• To explore stories that reflect the role of women at the heart of conflict around the world
• To share stories of those impacted by county lines
• To demonstrate how women are constantly pressured by societal standards and social media ideals to present themselves in a certain way

Students will be performing in the Spring Term and have a rehearsal set as a homework each week.

Year 11 GCSE Drama students are revising Component 3 Theatre Makers in Practice (Written Exam)  - There are two areas of focus.  
1. Study of one complete performance text. (An Inspector Calls by JB Priestly) 
2. A live theatre evaluation. (Noughts and Crosses)                   

This half term students have revised Section A of the written exam. In the exam students will be given an extract from the play and they will need to answer questions from the perspective of:

• Performer (4 Mark and 6 Mark Question)
• Director (9 Mark Design Focus, 12 Mark Performer Focus)
• Designer (14 Mark)

Students used the checklists for each question to identify what they need to revise. This included exploring the plot, characters and themes and focus on the Drama terminology needed
in the written responses for both Performers and Designers. They also revised the Context of when the play is set (1912) and the context of when the play was first performed (1945) and had the opportunity to practice some exam style questions. 
For homework this half term Year 11 have been rehearsing for their Component 2 Performance exam in the Spring term.

Year 12 A Level Drama & Theatre
Year 12 students have started exploring their Component 3 - Set Text exploration of Colder than Here by Laura Wade. This unit of work focuses on preparing students for Section B of the written exam. In the exam students will be given an extract from the play and they will need to answer two questions from the perspective of a:

• Performer (18 Mark)
• Designer (18 Mark)

Students have read the play and explored the plot, characters and themes with a focus on the Drama terminology needed in the written responses for both Performers and Designers. They will also explore the context of when the play was first performed and created and study practitioners such as Stanislavski and Laban to explore their ideas for the play. Students will have the opportunity to practice some exam style questions.

Year 13 A Level Drama & Theatre
Students have started to explore the text Lysistrata by Aristophanes in relation to the Drama practitioner, Bertolt Brecht in order to outline and justify their ideas for a production concept as a Director for a contemporary audience (a 21st-century audience). Students will assume the role of a director and will need to outline and justify how different theatre makers and theatrical elements work alongside the methodologies of Brecht. In the exam students will be given a key extract form the play in which to apply their Director’s ideas.

Extra-Curricular in Drama

This half term students in Year 9, 10 and 11 have undertaken a Drama Leader Training programme for six weeks after school on a Tuesday in preparation for launching the Year 7 and 8 Vibe Drama Clubs after half term. The Drama Leaders also have the opportunity to complete their Bronze or Silver Arts Award. Students work independently on their portfolios with the support of an Arts Award Advisor; Mrs Hill and Mrs Clarke are qualified Arts Award Advisors.

RSC Associate School Events
Four Drama Leaders had the opportunity to form a regional group of RSC Shakespeare Ambassadors and had a training session with an RSC practitioner on Wednesday 4th October. The group will meet termly in school and work alongside Drama leaders collaboratively on a project focusing on ideas linked to promoting Shakespeare in school.

   

Rehearsal Space