Students will explore the work of Brecht.
Ongoing formative assessment.
Characterisation
The way the author paints a picture of what a certain character is like. Details of characterisation might include descriptions of what a certain character wears, looks like, does, speaks like, smells like, walks like, eats, where he/she lives.
Expression
The action of making known one's thoughts or feelings.
Mark the Moment
Marking the Moment is a dramatic technique used to highlight a key moment in a scene or improvisation. This can be done in a number of different ways: for example through slow-motion, a freeze-frame, narration, thought-tracking or music.
Freeze Frame
A single frame forming a motionless image from a film or videotape.
Slow Motion
The action of showing film or playing back video more slowly than it was made or recorded, so that the action appears much slower than in real life.
Hot Seating
Hot seating is where people take on the role of characters from a story and other people ask them questions. The characters have to answer the questions in as much detail as possible.
Structure
The arrangement of and relations between the parts or elements of something complex.
Stylised Performance
To represent in or make conform to a particular style, especially when highly conventionalised or artistic rather than naturalistic.
Develop the individual:
Students explore the ethical/moral issues around the story and different characters' points of view. Students will have to consider language, register and setting.
Create a supportive community:
Students work in a collaborative way, developing teamwork skills, confidence and communication skills as well as sharing and celebrating their work
Students will be introduced to the work of Constantin Stanislavski. They will experiment with elements of his system and use them when rehearsing a short play, 'Grounded'.
Students will take part in a short scripted performance in groups.
Archetypes
A very typical example of a certain person or thing.
Illusion
A deceptive appearance or impression.
The Fool
A person who acts unwisely or imprudently; a silly person.
The Trickster
A person who cheats or deceives people.
The Hero
A person, typically a man, who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.
Purposeful Movement
The act or an instance of moving; a change in place or position.
Atmosphere
The pervading tone or mood of a place, situation, or creative work.
Subtleties
Small details of character or movement.
Direction
The management or guidance of someone or something.
Clocking
Notice or watch
Develop the individual:
Develops non-verbal communication skills and the ability to empathise and create characters from a different background.
Create a supportive community:
Students work in a collaborative way, developing teamwork skills, confidence and communication skills as well as sharing and celebrating their work.
Students will explore the true story of Lizzie Borden and devise their own piece based on an aspect of the story. They will be encouraged to use a variety of techniques as they would at GCSE.
Ongoing formative assessment.
Inner Justification
All action on the stage must have an inner justification, be logical, coherent and real.
Vocal Expression
Pitch, volume, speed, accent and articulation of speech.
Bodily Expression
Use of gesture and movement to convey messages.
Logical Movement
Movement that is natural and makes sense.
Coherent
Logical and consistent.
Moscow Arts Theatre
A theatre company in Moscow that the seminal Russian theatre practitioner Konstantin Stanislavski, together with the playwright and director Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, founded in 1898. It was conceived as a venue for naturalistic theatre, in contrast
'The System'
Stanislavski's system is a progression of techniques used to train actors and actresses to draw believable emotions to their performances.
Imagination
The faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses.
Develop the individual:
Empathising with other characters. Exploring different issues and experiences. Building confidence and communication skills.
Create a supportive community:
Students work in a collaborative way, developing teamwork skills, confidence and communication skills as well as sharing and celebrating their work.
This scheme challenges and stretches Year 9 students’ understanding of Shakespeare’s language which can seem daunting. It helps students overcome the lack of confidence by experiencing Shakespeare’s language through a variety of means. Its main aim is to have fun and to experiment with ways of performing language.
Iambic Pentameter
A line of verse with five metrical feet, each consisting of one short (or unstressed) syllable followed by one long (or stressed) syllable, for example Two households, both alike in dignity.
Prose
Written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure; continuous text.
Rhythm
He measured flow of words and phrases in verse or prose as determined by the relation of long and short or stressed and unstressed syllables.
Character
An actor's part.
Story
A tale.
Tragedy
A play dealing with tragic events and having an unhappy ending, especially one concerning the downfall of the main character.
Historical Context
The time that something is written or happened will influence it.
Influence
Impact; have an effect upon.
Staging
The method of presenting a play or other dramatic performance.
Lighting
The arrangement or effect of lights.
Direction
Course of travel; to be in charge of actors.
Develop the individual:
Students experience a different period in theatre history and explore how to speak the language of Shakespeare. Depending on the play studied, students will explore the moral and social issues ( 'The Tempest', 'Macbeth', 'Romeo and Juliet').
Create a supportive community:
Students work in a collaborative way, developing teamwork skills, confidence and communication skills as well as sharing and celebrating their work.
Students will look at Teechers by Godber as a starting point for developing their own characters.
Performance
Complex
Complicated; intricate; detailed; not simple.
Metaphor
When one thing is used to represent another e.g. the eyes of the car.
Colourful
Filled with colour.
Purity
Innocence; naturalistic.
Vision
Sight; focus; long term plan.
Observation
To watch closely for detail and performance.
Abstraction
The quality of dealing with ideas rather than events.
Image
Visual stimulus.
Reality
The state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them.
Effect
Emotional impact.
Develop the individual:
Empathy. Tolerance. Diversity.
Create a supportive community:
Students work in a collaborative way, developing teamwork skills, confidence and communication skills as well as sharing and celebrating their work.
Students will explore design aspects of 'Blood Brothers' and have the opportunity to perform and direct extracts of the play.
They will receive a final grade based on the work over the course of the final weeks.
Text
The written word.
Stimuli
A thing that arouses activity or energy in someone or something; a spur or incentive.
Prose
Written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure; continuous text.
Poetry
Literary work in which the expression of feelings and ideas is given intensity by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; poems collectively or as a genre of literature.
Music
Vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion.
Visual
Relating to vision and what can be seen.
Photograph
A picture made using a camera, in which an image is focused on to light-sensitive material and then made visible and permanent by chemical treatment, or stored digitally.
Artefact
An object made by a human being, typically one of cultural or historical interest.
Painting
The action or skill of using paint, either in a picture or as decoration.
Sculpture
The art of making two- or three-dimensional representative or abstract forms, especially by carving stone or wood or by casting metal or plaster.
Reaction
Something done, felt, or thought in response to a situation or event.
Develop the individual:
Exploration of a different aspect of theatre.
Create a supportive community:
Students work in a collaborative way, developing teamwork skills, confidence and communication skills as well as sharing and celebrating their work.