Aims of the course
To work on basic drama skills; use technical drama vocabulary; show a developing ability to devise and create characterization; learn a range of drama techniques.
Summary overview of the programme: Core texts
In Year 9 you will be developing the skills that you have gained in Years 7 and 8, and building towards a GCSE standard of work. Evaluation will be important in building your skills so make sure you take pride in your written work. This year the work you cover will include:
Greek Theatre looks at the history of theatre and its origins. Students learn about the classic playwrights and also work on extracts from Antigone, Oedipus and the Trojan Women by Euripides. They then go on to create their own mini-Greek tragedy using the conventions of Classic Greek Theatre but with modern tragic stories.
Rites of Passage is a scheme of work that explores the idea of growing up and what it means to be a responsible adult. Students create a ceremony to celebrate an event that is not currently celebrated but they think should be. They also explore Shakespeare’s Seven Ages of Man speech from As You Like It from a modern perspective.
Abstract Theatre techniques are explored when looking at the Rosa Parks story. Students are encouraged to create interesting interpretations of the moment of choice for Rosa on the bus in 1955. They use the witness statements and her own words to create a symbolic rendering of this moment of civil rights history. A scheme on War allows students to explore in a practical way some of the conflicts of the 20th Century through dramatic readings of poems and images. They also do script work on extracts from Oh What a Lovely War! Students also improvise scenes that involve elements of propaganda and peer pressure.
Towards the end of the year students explore a play practically and do scenes from it. These have been Legal Weapon – about reckless driving and Our Day Out by Willy Russell. But these texts can change depending on the teacher or group.
Assessment
Students are assessed according to the following framework:
• Informal assessment during lessons
• Formal assessment written pieces after some performances
• Formal assessed performance pieces shown to class