Our Drama students are dynamic, independent and entrepreneurial – confident in performing, creating, directing, designing, teaching and producing performances for a wide range of contexts. Our lessons are varied, exciting and involve acting and research.
We have a history of outstanding results in Drama. In 2023 students achieved some of the best results in the school, with 50% of A Level students achieving an A or A* grade and 55% of GCSE students achieving a grade 7-9.
Annually the Drama department stages a school production at the local theatre.
Key Stage 3
Course Content
Year 7
- Darkwood Manor – role play, sound & atmosphere
- Stimuli & Stories – devising skills, empathy, response to a stimulus, movement, storytelling, theatre design
- Greek Theatre – ensemble movement, mask work, chorus & staging
- Commedia Dell 'Arte - characterisation, comedy and improvisation
- Live Theatre Analysis - understanding theatre design and analysing live performance
Year 8
- The Truth is Out There – comedy, script work, characterisation & physical theatre
- Romeo and Juliet - character motivation, stage fighting, performance structure & sound design
- Treasure Island - rehearsal techniques, chorus & set design
- Joyriders – movement, character and monologues
- Live Theatre Analysis - Understanding theatre design and analysing live performance
Year 9
- Leadership & Power - ensemble movement, physical theatre, text work, response to stimulus, devising skills
- Frantic Assembly – movement, choreography, physical theatre & intention
- Script - how to explore and perform a scripted play, sub text, before time, character objectives & theatre design
- Live Theatre Analysis - understanding theatre design and analysing live performance
How can I support my child through KS3 Drama?
- Ensuring homework is complete
- Taking them to the theatre
- Watching Drama on television
- Looking at their assessment work on Google Classroom
- Talking to them about what they are studying in Drama and their Drama targets
Assessment
Assessment of students' practical work takes place with every topic. Students receive both formative and summative assessment through teacher questioning, their progress with individual and group activities, their devising and directing skills and through regular in class feedback. Homework may consist of development tasks on work completed in lessons, writing up evaluations, reading a script extract or rehearsing for assessments.
Key Stage 4 - GCSE
Exam board: WJEC
Qualification: GCSE
Specification: EDUQAS
Course Content
Students study theatre styles such as Physical Theatre and Brecht’s Epic Theatre to influence their own devised work in preparation for Component 1.
For Component 2 students will perform from a wide range of different plays.
In Component 3 we study the play Refugee Boy by Benjamin Zephaniah, adapted by Lemn Sissay. This component looks at all aspects of production from acting and rehearsing to theatre design. Studying Refugee Boy has diversified and expanded our Drama curriculum. The students also study Live Theatre Analysis and evaluate a live performance as part of their exam.
Assessment
Component 1 – Devising Theatre
Non-exam assessment: internally assessed, externally moderated 40% of qualification.
Learners will be assessed on either acting or design.
Learners participate in the creation, development and performance of a piece of devised theatre using either the techniques of an influential theatre practitioner or a genre, in response to a stimulus set by WJEC and produce:
- a realisation of their piece of devised theatre
- a portfolio of supporting evidence
- an evaluation of the final performance or design.
Component 2 – Performing from a Text
Non-exam assessment: externally assessed by a visiting examiner 20% of qualification
Learners will be assessed on either acting or design.
Learners study two extracts from the same performance text chosen by the centre. Learners participate in one performance using sections of text from both extracts.
Examples of previous plays we have used for Performing from a Text:
- The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams
- Once a Catholic, Mary O’Malley
- The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde
- Educating Rita, Willy Russell
- My Mother Said I Never Should, Charlotte Keatley
- The Crucible, Arthur Miller
- Three Sisters, Anton Chekhov
- Private Lives, Noël Coward
- Shakers, John Godber and Jane Thornton
- Be My Baby, Amanda Whittington
- The Woman Who Cooked her Husband, Debbie Isitt
Component 3 – Interpreting Theatre
Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutes 40% of qualification
Section A:
Set Text for assessment from 2024 onwards. A series of questions on one set text from a choice of seven. We have chosen, Refugee Boy by Benjamin Zephaniah.
Section B:
Live Theatre Review . One question, from a choice of two, requiring analysis and evaluation of a given aspect of a live theatre production seen during the course.
Recommended websites
http://www.eduqas.co.uk/qualifications/drama-and-theatre/
https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/learning
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=national+theatre+discover
https://www.franticassembly.co.uk/resources
https://www.bbc.com/education/subjects/zbckjxs
Students will need to bring the correct equipment to all their Drama lessons: Pen, pencil, exercise book, Chromebook and any scripts they are currently studying.
ENRICHMENT AND EXTRA-CURRICULAR
There is a strong tradition of fantastic theatre visits, workshops and extra curricular opportunities across the department. Drama Clubs take place at break, lunch and after school. Rehearsals take place at lunch and after school. The department hosts an annual House Drama Competition open to anyone who wishes to compete. The Drama department annually stages a school production and these are positively received by the school and the community of Tring.
The Drama department annually stages a school production at the local theatre; these are positively received by the school and the community of Tring.
Workshops & Theatre Visits
- Gecko Theatre Company Workshop (February 2024)
- Ķīn, The National Theatre (January 2024)
- The House of Bernarda Alba, The National Theatre (December 2023)
- Workshop/Talk in Theatre from the University of Portsmouth (December 2023)
- The Ocean At The End Of The Lane, Noël Coward (November 2023)
- Life of Pi, Milton Keynes Theatre (September 2023)
- The Ocean At The End Of The Lane, Milton Keynes Theatre (June 2023)
- Dancing at Lughnasa, The National Theatre (May 2023)
- Woman, Beware the Devil, Almeida (March 2023)
- Phaedra, The National Theatre (March 2023)
- Best of Enemies (January 2023)
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (December 2021)
- East is East, The National Theatre (October 2021)
- I Think We Are Alone, The Oxford Playhouse (May 2020)
- Nora: A Doll’s House, The Young Vic (February 2020)
School Production 2024 Little Shop of Horrors
School Production 2023 Shakespeare in Love
Details of our production to follow
School Production 2021 The Arsonists
In December 2021, students performed in The Arsonists, written in 1958 by Max Frisch.
School Production 2020 Emil and the Detectives
In January 2020 our Drama students (Year 10 to Year 13) performed Emil and the Detectives written in 1929 by Erich Kastner.
DRAMA DEPARTMENT
| Subject Leader | Mrs F Langley |
| Miss K Dolder | |
| Mrs K Scuri | |
| Performing Arts Technician | Miss M Storey |