2021 – 2022

LEVEL 3
INTRODUCTION TO PERFORMING ARTS
&
PRESSURE PROJECT

NAME: Tilly Ward

__________________________
 Welcome to Performing Arts!

This workbook along with your practical classes will provide evidence
towards your induction and the first project (‘Pressure Project’). Therefore it
is important that you complete ALL activities in your workbook to show your
understanding and knowledge.

It is important to keep up to date with activities, as your workbook will be

checked during induction and the first project. Please ensure that you write
clearly and that you use SPaG accurately and correctly throughout. Also
make sure that you provide references for all research you do to support
activities.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY:

‘PRESSURE PROJECT’ –

 23RD & 24TH NOVEMBER 2021 ROSE THEATRE, RUGELEY

SCREAMFEST (WORK EXPERIENCE)

 WORKSHOP DATE – TBC

 EVENT RUNS FROM 14th OCTOBER (PRESS/PREVIEW NIGHT)
 15TH 16TH 17TH OCTOBER
 22ND 23RD 24TH OCTOBER
 26TH 27TH 28TH 29TH 30TH 31ST OCTOBER

AUDITION WEEK (ROMEO & JOOLS)

 W/C 28TH FEB 2022

END OF YEAR SHOW (ROMEO & JOOLS)

 16TH – 18TH MAY 2022 PRINCE OF WALES THEATRE, CANNOCK

CONKERS – ‘WINTER WONDERLAND’ (WORK EXPERIENCE) – TBC

LICHFIELD BOWER - TBC

When your work is marked, these are the symbols that are used. Please
familiarise yourself with these symbols and what they mean:
 Introduc
Name: Tilly Ward
ing … Age: 16

you!
Previous School: The Hart School

In the box below, write about your previous experience of Performing Arts, whether this
was at school, outside of school such as a dance school or amateur group, etc. Please
make sure that you write continuously and use all the space given, showing correct use of
SPaG.

I have been doing performing arts since I was young. When in primary school, I was apart of the glee
club which we did multiple shows in all with acting, singing and dance. I also attended a dance school
for 4 years but had to leave due to back pain which has now healed. When in high school I took an
interest to dance and drama and then chose to do musical theatre as a GCSE option which I then got a
distinction in.
In the box below, write about what you want to achieve from doing this course. Consider
the different disciplines (drama, dance and singing) and consider other skills you might
want to develop. Again, fully complete the box and use accurate SPaG.

From this course I would like to achieve more skills in all 3 subjects. I feel more confident in dance then
acting then singing. By the end of this course, I would like to evenly be confident across all 3 subjects. I
would also like to achieve more confidence within myself. This is something I really struggle with, and I
fins it so frustrating at times that I’m not just able to do the things I know I am capable of because I
care to much about other people’s opinions. This is something I want to overcome by the end of this
course.

Finally, what is your long term goal? What is your reason for wanting to do the course?
And what are your career ambitions?

My reason for doing this course is I want to carry on doing it at university, It has also been a passion of
mine since I was young. My career ambitions are working in musical theatre or pantomimes as a dancer
or working in tv and film as an actor.
 SKILLS AUDIT

Date:

This skills audit is designed to establish your initial vocal and movement skills. Complete the
audit as accurately and honestly as possible.

1 = I am very confident in this skill and have much experience of using it.
2 = I am confident in this skill and can use it when required.
3 = I am able to use this skill with some assistance.
4 = I am unconfident using this skill and require more information / assistance.
5 = I do not know what this skill entails.
VOCAL SKILLS 1 2 3 4 5
Breath control *
Voice projection *
Articulating words *
Using pitch *
Using pace *
Using tone *
Using pause *
Using emphasis *
Learning lines *

Teacher Confirmation:

* I confirm this skills audit is accurate. I disagree with some elements of this
audit and have offered alternative
judgements by initial.

Signed:

MOVEMENT SKILLS 1 2 3 4 5
Balance / Weight placement *
Spatial awareness *
Control of movement *
Relaxation of muscles *
Energy *
Use of gesture *
Use of facial expression *
Use of pace *
Coordination / trust *
Teacher Confirmation:

* I confirm this skills audit is accurate. I disagree with some elements of this
 audit and have offered alternative
judgements by initial.

Signed:

GUIDE TO REFERENCING

WHAT IS REFERENCING?

Referencing is the process of acknowledging the work of other authors. When you have
used the words and ideas of another author in an assignment, referencing is the process of
acknowledging that use.

There are different referencing methods. This guide will focus on the ‘Harvard Refencing
System‘ as this is the most common for academic writing and is used in most UK
Universities.

WHY IS REFERENCING IMPORTANT?

 It demonstrates your wider reading and research

 It supports your ideas with reference to expert authors
 It enables the reader to follow up your reference
 It credits other authors’ ideas and thinking

When you reference texts and documents you have used to produce a piece of work, you
are showing that you have read widely around a topic and researched in detail. This will help
you to produce work which is more detailed and complex. Using references shows your
engagement with the ideas of others and can help your work to become more credible. If you
let your reader know where to find out more information, they can expand their own
knowledge too. It will also help them to understand your work and clarify any points if
necessary.

The ideas and thoughts of other authors can be seen as their ‘intellectual property’. This
intellectual property is not owned or purchased, but freely available to those who study. We
can build on the ideas of others in our work, but it is important to acknowledge their influence
on our thinking and credit the thinking of others.

REFERENCING HELPS TO AVOID PLAGIARISM!

Plagiarism is the practice of taking someone else’s work and passing it off as your own. It is a
serious offence because it can breach copyright. In the academic world it is also seen as theft of
intellectual property. The consequences for students are also serious. It can result in the failing of
a project, a whole course or expulsion from a course.
Copying whole documents and passing them off as your own are clearly plagiarism, but so is the
failure to acknowledge the ideas of others. This is why referencing is so important!

GET INTO GOOD HABITS

When you start to research, try to get into the habit of keeping a record of the sources you use.
This is important as you may need to return to the source at a later time but without the details of
the source, you can waste a lot of timing trying to re-find it.

For articles in newspapers, magazines, etc:

Make a note of the author’s name(s), the year of publication, the title of the article, the title of the
publication, the page number(s).

For electronic sources:

As above, plus - the date you accessed the electronic text, the website or email address and
identify the form of the resource (WWW page, email, blog etc). Making note of the date is really
important as the internet constantly changes and updates.

For Books:

Make a note of the author’s or editor’s name(s), the publication date, the title of the book, the city
the book was published in, the publisher’s name, the pages you have quoted or paraphrased
from.

HOW TO PRODUCE A REFERENCE LIST

You need to list all your references at the end of your assignment, under the heading of
‘Reference List’. Your references are the texts from which you have quoted or paraphrased in the
main body of your assessment.

Remember:

 List alphabetically by author’s or editor’s surname

 If the source’s author is unknown, use the title of the source instead of the author
When writing a reference for the source you have used, you must put your information in the
following order:

1. The author’s or editor’s surname and comma

2. Their initial

3. The year of publication, in brackets

4. Title of text, in italics or quotation marks

5. Place of publication

6. Name of publisher
Here is an example of how you would reference a quote which has been used in your written
work:

Price, J (2016) Modern Popular Theatre: London: Palgrave MacMillan

Author’s surname and comma / their initial / year of publication / title / place of publication / publisher

If you watch a film or TV programme for research, you must reference it like so:

Title. Year of release. (Medium). Full name of Director. Dir. Place of production. Production Company.

Here are two examples:

A Taste of Honey. 1961. (Film). Tony Richardson. Dir. UK: Woodfall Film.

The Greatest Showman. 2017. (Film). Michael Gracey. Dir. USA: 20th Century
Fox.

If you cite a website, DO NOT COPY AND PASTE THE URL AS A REFERENCE. You would
reference a website in this way:

Author or Company name: Year: Title: Date Accessed: Available from web address.

Here is an example:

University of Wolverhampton:2019: BA hons (Drama): Date Accessed 26/8/19: Available from:

wlv.ac.uk/courses/ba-hons-drama/

BIBLIOGRAPHY & REFERENCE LIST

A Bibliography is NOT the same as a Reference List.

A bibliography is a list of all the texts or resources you may have referred to, however briefly,
during the course of your study. You may have read some or all of a text, but not found it relevant
or useful to refer to, but you can still include it in your bibliography, to show your wider reading.
Record your bibliography in alphabetical order by the author’s surname on its own page at the
very end of your assignment, and after your referencing page.
HOW TO REFERENCE WITHIN TEXT

You need to reference when:

• you are quoting directly from another source

• you are paraphrasing ideas and work from another source

When you quote directly or ‘borrow’ the author’s words, it is important that you quote accurately
and use exactly the same words as the author. This includes exactly the same punctuation,
capitalisation etc. For example:

Mary Jackson (2002: 4) states that celebrity culture ‘has a powerful effect on all our lives’.

The words ‘has a powerful effect on all our lives’ are exactly the same as in the original text. You
can use the whole, or part of, a sentence, or even a single word from a text, but it must be copied
exactly. This means that you have to fit your own words around the text you want to borrow, to
make it make sense. You must never change the original text to suit you. Notice that the full stop
at the end comes after the quotation mark. The date in brackets refers to the date of publication,
which can be found on the first few pages of a book, along with the author’s name and a
copyright symbol ©.

Mary Jackson (2002) suggests that the cult of celebrity has significantly impacted on
society.

You don’t need to use quotation marks for this, as you have put the text into your own words. But
to acknowledge the idea has come from another author, you still need to indicate clearly the
name of the author and date of publication that you are referring to.

For newspaper and magazine articles, use the same system as above. If an author isn’t
indicated, format this way: The Telegraph reported in its article ‘Times are changing’ (2011), that
the number of prison sentences for fraud have increased.

From a website: The BBC website (www.bbc.co.uk/news/ health/ (accessed 13.3.13)) claims that
‘Scientists have identified a group of brain cells which have the power to control appetite and
could be a major cause of eating disorders such as obesity’.
 GUIDE TO USING FLIPGRID

Welcome to Flipgrid. Flipgrid is a video discussion tool which we use in lots of different
ways on the course. As a learner you can create videos to submit to your teacher in a few
easy steps.

STEP 1 – Locate the join information from your Teacher.

Your teacher will have given you one of these ways to join the discussion
- A username – this is likely to be your student ID (email)
OR
- A join code (e.g. FGrid3567, a591dc5d)
OR
- A join link (e.g. https://flipgrid.com/FGrid3567 or https://flipgrid.com/a591dc5d ) 
Flipgrid works on most web browsers and mobile devices. On mobile devices, download
the free Flipgrid App for iOS and Android devices.

STEP 2 – Join the discussion.

Get to your Teacher’s discussion by using the link or code provided by your Teacher in
‘step 1’
- You should be able to access Flipgrid from the tab on your Microsoft Office Performing
Arts Team. Click on the tab. You will then be prompted to add in your Username.
OR
- If you were given a Join Code, go to your web browser and enter https://flipgrid.com.
You’ll see an area to enter a Join Code. Type the Join Code and press enter on your
keyboard. On a mobile app, enter the code.
OR
- If you were given a join link, click on that link
 STEP 3 – Record and Submit
Once you’ve joined, you’ll see your Teacher’s Topic, or discussion prompt. Follow the
instructions and when you’re ready to record, click the red ‘Record a Response’ button or
the Flipgrid logo for the camera to start.

When you're in the Flipgrid camera, you can record a video in these 3 easy steps:

Tap to record - Tap the record button on the bottom to start. Add fun stickers,
filters, text, and more. Tap the arrow on the bottom right to advance.

Review your video. - Trim, split, rearrange, or add more. Tap the arrow in the
bottom right to advance.

Submit your video! - Edit your cover image, name, add a title, or attach a link. Then
submit!
The Flipgrid camera offers a lot of fun and creative ways for you to share your ideas and
voice!
 HOW TO USE WAKELET

WHAT IS ‘WAKELET’?
Wakelet is a digital platform that allows you to organise and collect online resources in one
place. It can be used in a number of ways but is particularly effective for collating research
sources. It is quick and easy to use and is also free. Wakelet can be used on a laptop, tablet
or downloaded onto mobile phones.

Wakelet allows you to create a ‘’collection’’ and you can create as many ‘’collections’ as you
like. In a ‘’collection’’ you can gather together and organise lots of different research
sources, so for example, if you were working on a project assignment and the theme was
‘’The Audition Process’’, then you would create a ‘’collection’’ which you would call ‘’The
Audition Process’’ and in that collection, gather together all of your research and sources to
support your project.

You can customise your collections by choosing a layout and cover image, and you can
choose to make your collections public or private. We would recommend that these are
kept private for educational purposes.

Wakelet allows you to upload a range of sources in your collection, such as images, PDF
documents, websites, videos, youtube, bookmarks, tweets, etc. It also allows you to add
your own text to a collection. This is brilliant for discussing specific pieces of research and
how it has supported your understanding or helped to develop your ideas. This facility is
really important in terms of your coursework.

How to Use Wakelet

 Go to www.wakelet.com
 Click ‘’sign up’’ for free
  You then have a choice of how to sign up, either through email, Google, Microsoft,
etc. We would recommend that you sign up with your student email account as you
will be using the wakelet platform to support your work on the course
 You will then be prompted to select the option which best describes you …’student’
and will be asked to identify afew different interests you have so that some of the
information on the platform can be customised just for you
 You should then be taken to ‘your’ homepage and from there, you can start to
create your first ‘’collection’’.
 On your homepage you can edit your profile, such as adding a profile image, cover
image, name, username and bio.

How to create a ‘’collection’’

 On your ‘’homepage’’ click the green circle where it says ‘’create a new collection’’

 You will then be prompted to pick a layout style

 Give your collection a title and a description

 You can add cover image for your collection

 To add your first item, you can simply paste a link from another website or
document into the box and press the ‘’+’’ icon
 You can also add your own text, so this is a great way of discussing some of the
research links you have added to your collection. To do this, you simply click the ‘add
text’ icon next to the ‘’+’’ button. A box will then appear for you to write your own
comments.
 Make sure that you click the ‘’save’’ button located in the top right hand corner of
the screen.
 There are other apps which also work with wakelet and lots of things you can do
with it so take some time to explore it in further detail.
 REFERENCING ACTIVITY

Using AT LEAST 6 references, answer the following question in as much detail

as you can.

WHAT IS THEATRE?
(this question is about theatre in its broadest terms, and not the building!)

Theatre is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses,
to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a
stage. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre

REFERENCES:
 HEALTH & SAFETY IN DANCE

Dance is a physical activity and all physical activities carry risk.

Providing you take pre-cautions and follow some important
considerations, then you will be going your best to minimise
injury to both yourself and others.

Before any type of Dance class or rehearsal, it is important to

check the space you will be working in, for potential hazards.
Below is a list of potential hazards. In the table explain WHY
each one is a hazard and WHAT action you should take to remove the hazard:

HAZARD REASON WHY THIS IS A HAZARD ACTION TO REMOVE HAZARD

TOO HOT - You can overheat - Open windows
- If already warm when doing a - Take off layers
warmup being too hot will make you - Breathing exercises
get tired easier. - Stay hydrated.
- You will feel dizzy or pass out.

DIRTY - Slipping hazard - Clean floor regularly

FLOOR - Tripping hazard - Visually check the floor
- Health hazard beefore each lesson and
clean up any mess.

CLUTTERED - Trip over things - Have designated areas

SPACE; - Slipping where your things go
BAGS, - Hurt yourself or others. - Tape cables down with
BOOKS, electrical tap or move them
CABLES, well out of the way.
ETC
Get NON- - You could injure yourself
SPRUNG - Gives you heavy landings
FLOOR - Has an impact on your body
- There’s no give so your body soaks
up all the impact of the land
- Can causse injuries such as shin
splints and achillies tendonitis.
TOO COLD - Not able to work to your maximum
potential.
- Could cause injury from not
warming up your muscles properly
- Out of focus.
REFERENCES:
- Get a spring floor
- Make sure your bending
your knees fully when your
landing.
- Wear layers to start with
- Warm up for longer
- Make sure you eat to keep
your body insulated.
 WARMING UP AND COOLING DOWN

Please answer the following questions on ‘Warming Up’. You may need to conduct some
additional research for this so ensure you add your references sources at the end of the
activity. When answering the questions on warming up, include the following terminology:

Injury blood oxygen muscles elastic exercise

Increase mental heart rate temperature raised

1. What is a ‘warm up’?

Warming up is a part of stretching and preparation for physical exertion or a
performance by exercising or practicing gently beforehand, usually undertaken
before a performance or practice. Athletes, singers, actors and others warm up
before stressing their muscles. It is widely believed to prepare the muscles for
vigorous actions and to prevent muscle cramps and injury due to overexertion.

2. What are the reasons for ‘warming up’?

It prevents injuries by loosening your joints, and improving blood flow to your
muscles.

3. What physical changes take place in the body during a ‘warm up’?
It raises the body temperature and heart rate, which helps to warm the muscles.
Muscles react and contract faster when they are warm.
It increases the blood supply to the working muscles (more oxygen getting to the
working muscles)
REFERENCES:

(Warming up - Wikipedia, 2021)

(Why Warming Up and Cooling Down is Important - Tri-City Medical Center, 2021)
(Warm up - One-off event - National 5 Physical Education Revision - BBC Bitesize, 2021)

Please answer the following questions on ‘cooling down’:

1. What is a ‘cool down’?

2. When does a ‘cool down’ take place?

3. What does a ‘cool down’ prevent?

4. What types of movement/activities do you do in a ‘cool down’?

 5. What happens to the body if you do not do a ‘cool down’?

REFERENCES:

A HEALTHY APPROACH TO LIFE

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can pro-long your career as a Performer.

Answer the questions in the table below. Ensure you relate your answers to the needs of a
Performer and try to use examples to support the points you make.

EXAMPLE EXPLANATION
Why should Performers A performer should consider what the drink because they
consider what they need to stay hydrated and energised throughout their whole
drink? performance. Drinks high in sugars and caffeine such as
energy drinks, sports drinks, coffee, etc, will cause the
performer to have a sugar rush which would later result in a
sugar crash which would mean all their energy is gone and
they have none left to perform. Water is needed as a
performer as it is the main component of our blood. It helps
regulate your body temperature which is important as a
performer as when performing it can increase your body
temperature which is why it is good to regulate it. Water also
helps lubricate the joints in your body which is good for
dancers as it helps them move more freely.

Performers should try and make sure they are getting there 5
Why should Performers a day. This is because it gives you the right vitamins, minerals,
consider what they and fibre to keep you going and keep you energised
eat? throughout your performance. They should also maintain a
 healthy balanced diet. This means eating the right food
groups in the right proportions to maintain your health and
wellbeing. A healthy balanced diet consists of carbohydrates,
which includes starch to maintain energy and increases your
fibre intake, dairy, which provides calcium which is good for
your bones, Protein, which provides you with vitamins and
minerals, and a few unsaturated fats. It is important to eat a
few hours before you perform so that your body has time to
digest and not to eat heavy meals after you perform because
you will not be burning the calories off.

Why is rest and sleep 8 hours of sleep helps your body recover, it's like pressing
important for a the restart button. It helps the body renew energy.
Performer?

 Smoking is bad for your lungs

Why could smoking  It effects your ability to breathe
have a detrimental  It effects your vocal cords
affect the needs of a  It effects your immune system
Performer?

Why is hydration  It is the main component of our blood

important for a  Water regulates your body temperature
Performer?  Cushions your vital organs
 Helps to lubricate the joints in your body.
REFERENCES:

NUTRITION

WHAT IS MEANT BY A ‘HEALTHY BALANCED DIET’?

Eating the right food groups in the right proportions to maintain your health and
wellbeing.

WHAT DOES IT CONSIST OF?

 Fruit and veg

 Carbohydrates
 Dairy
 Protein
 Unsaturated fats.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

So, your body is getting all the right nutrients that is needed from the different food types.
Each food type provides different nutrients.

REFERENCES:
PLACE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOOD IN THE CORRECT COLUMN:

FOOD GROUPS
CARBOHYDRATES PROTEIN FATS DAIRY VITAMINS & MINERALS
Rice Chicken Cake Cheese Spinach
Pasta Turkey Chocolate Milk Bananas
Potatoes Fish Crisps Yoghurt Apples
Bread Eggs Oranges
Beans

BREAD CHICKEN ORANGES CHEESE PASTA CAKE EGGS FISH

TURKEY CRISPS POTATOES RICE MILK SPINACH BEANS
CHOCOLATE YOGHURT APPLES BANANAS

REFERENCES:
Sarah Chang. (2021). Back to Basics: All About MyPlate Food Groups. Available: https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2017/09/26/back-
basics-all-about-myplate-food-groups. Last accessed 14th October 2021.
 SAFE PRACTICE IN DANCE

WHAT TYPE OF CLOTHING IS SUITABLE TO WEAR FOR DANCE CLASS?

Moveable clothing. Clothes that are not to baggy as then people will not be able to see
the moves you are making perfectly. Clothes that could get caught on other people such
as hoodie should not be worn as it can injure yourself and others. Suitable clothing for
dance would be leggings a sports bra and a t-shirt. This gives you freedom of movement
and allows people to see the moves you are making clearly.

WHY DO WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT OUR TROUSERS ARE NOT DRAGGING ON THE FLOOR?

Because if they are dragging on the floor, it could cause you to tread on them and fall
over. Again, this could result in injury for yourself and possibly others around you.

WHEN IS IT APPROPRIATE TO WEAR CLOTHING IN LAYERS?

WHAT FACTORS INFLUENCE THE CHOICE OF FOOTWEAR IN DANCE?

The style of dance influences choice of footwear. For example for contemporary you
would dance bare foot, for jazz jazz shoes, for ballet ballet slippers.

WHY SHOULD YOU NOT WEAR JEWELLERY IN DANCE?

WHAT IS AN APPROPRIATE HAIRSTYLE TO HAVE IN DANCE?

It is appropriate to have your hair up and out of your face. This will ensure that your face
can always be seen by audiences. It will also ensure that it does not get caught on
anything when you are dancing or hit anyone else in the face.

REFERENCES:
 BASIC INJURY TREATMENT

Sometimes in Dance, it is inevitable that you will sustain an injury. If this happens, then
you should always remember the acronym ‘’R.I.C.E’’. What does it mean?

R
= Rest
______________________________________________________________

I
= Ice___________________________________________________

C
=

E
Compression______________________________________________________________

=
Elevation_____________________________________________________________

Additional Notes:

Rest helps not to increase the injury

Ice helps reduce swelling

Compression helps stabilise the injury

Elevation helps encourage blood flow away from the injury.

REFERENCES:
 COMMON DANCE INJURIES

Here are some common dance injuries:

Pulled Hamstring Groin Strain

Shin Splints Achilles Tendonitis
Ankle Sprain Meniscus Tears

 Select TWO injuries from the lists above and conduct research to find out more
about them
 Complete the table below following your research
 After you have completed the table, identify your sources of research. Write them
using Harvard Referencing.

COMMON DANCE INJURIES

INJURY DESCRIPTION OF THE HOW THE INJURY RECOMMENDED
INJURY MIGHT HAVE TREATMENT
OCCURED
Pulled hamstring A hamstring injury
is a strain or tear to
the tendons or
large muscles at
the back of the
thigh.

REFERENCES (HARVARD FORMAT) :

CREATING CHARACTER THROUGH MOVEMENT
Just as speaking on stage needs practice, so too does movement.

Many of the same basic

principles apply to

movement as to voice.

MOVEMENT comes from:-

 An imaginative creation of the character and circumstances.

 A body which is trained and fit, and is therefore more flexible as an instrument for
expressing purposes and emotions.

Things you should consider when developing character are:

 Age
 Gender
 Occupation
 Social status
 Physical appearance
 Medical history

As well as this you should also consider the particular situation the
character is in which could affect their movement. (e.g Have they just
missed the bus? Are they guilty of something? Do they feel nervous
towards meeting someone? Are they being forced to do something
they don’t want to do?)
Read the following script. Annotate the text in red pen detailing HOW you would develop the
movement effectively. Think about GESTURE, POSTURE, FACIAL EXPRESSION,
WALKING, SPEED & PACE and ANGLE.

Scene: Jack’s Bedroom

Ryan’s mother is sitting on his bed. She is looking at

his diary. Enter Jack

Jack: What are you doing? Give that to me.

Mum: I….I….

Jack: Spit it out!

Mum: Don’t be cross. I was just tidying your bed

when…

Jack: It fell into your hands?

Mum: Yes…no, of course not. It’s just that…well,

I’ve been worried. Dad too.

Jack: So that gives you the right to go nosing

through my belongings?

Mum: No- of course not. It was wrong of me.

Jack: Yes.

Mum: Look, I’ll go. But...if you want to talk…

Answer the following questions regarding your ideas:

Jack: Shut the door on the way out
 What did your ideas for movement convey about the relationship between
the characters?

 How did your ideas for movement communicate the status between the
characters?

 What is the ‘objective’ of each character?

 What are the ‘given circumstances’ of the scene?

Developing Your Movement Skills.

To develop your movement skills, you should make yourself more flexible,
fitter and more aware of your body as an instrument.

The first thing you should do is warm-up your body effectively before
EVERY practical session. It is YOUR responsibility to do this.

Write down a 6 stage, physical warm-up routine:

Stage 1:

Stage 2:

Stage 3:

Stage 4:

Stage 5:

Stage 6:
 DANCE STYLES & TECHNIQUES

There are lots of different techniques in Dance and each one has its own style. Each technique has a
particular way of holding the body (posture), specific ways of using legs and feet, particular hand and
arm gestures and different ways of using the head and face. Each style has its own actions and you
should be aware of them for safety reasons and accuracy.

Use of space Dynamics

Use of spine and body

Use of head and face
weight

Style and
Use of arms Technique
Use of legs

Use of hands Use of feet

clothing Relationship to others

 RESEARCH A DANCE GENRE

CLASSICAL BALLET TAP DANCE JAZZ LINDY HOP

CONTEMPORARY STREET DANCE CAPOEIRA

1. SELECT ONE DANCE STYLE FROM THE BOX ABOVE.

2. READ THROUGH THE ACTIVITIES IN THE BOXES BELOW.

3. CARRY OUT RESEARCH IN RELATION TO THE ACTIVITIES AND YOUR CHOSEN DANCE
STYLE.

4. PRESENT YOUR INFORMATION. You may do this in the form of a fact sheet, poster,
blog, powerpoint, prezi, etc. A copy of your work or link should be attached to the
next page.

Where it came from The Music Performance Skills

Research the history or
origin of your dance. When
did it begin? Why did it begin?
Who were the first
performers?
What music is used for your What skills do you need to
chosen style? Describe the perform your dance style?
style of music used and give Give a reason for each skill.
examples to support.

How to Perform the A Famous Dancer The Costumes

Dance
Explain your dance
genre/style. Try to be detailed
and imagine you are
explaining it to someone who
has never seen it before.
Research the life of a famous
dancer of your dance
style/genre. When and where
were they born? Where did
they train? Why were they so
good at your chosen style?
Include pictures or
illustrations.
What costumes are worn for
your dance style? Do they
have any significance? Do
men and women wear the
same or different costumes?
Include pictures or illustrations
to support your work.
ATTACH YOUR ‘RESEARCH A DANCE GENRE’ WORK
HERE OR PROVIDE THE LINK TO IT BELOW

________________________________
 Developing Drama Skills
Whatever your experience of drama and theatre you have had prior to starting this course, it’s
important that you continue to build your drama skills.

The key areas that you should be working on throughout this course are

 Imagination
 Research
 Voice
 Movement
 Communicating with an audience

Imagination

Your imagination is the product of your experiences. To develop your imagination, you need to have
an active and inquiring mind. Don’t just look at people or things, but try to let your imagination enter
their reality.

Imagine what it is like to be them.

Imagination shouldn’t be a vague abstract thing – it should be about making things outside YOUR
immediate experience as real as they can be.

Think about playing the role of your Grandparent when they were your age now. Considering some of
the following questions would help you play the role more imaginatively:

Were they born in this country or What was school like? At what age did
in this area? they leave?

Did any major historical events Did they watch TV?

(War/Strikes/Disasters) have any effect on them?

Did they work for money? Were How did they get in touch with people?
they given pocket money?

Did they have strict rules about behaviour, Did they smoke or drink?
‘curfew’ times e.t.c. ?

What did they do for entertainment? What kind of place did they live in?

What sort of music did they listen to? What did they want to do for a career when
they were a teenager?
What kinds of clothes did they wear? Did they have boyfriends/girlfriends?
  Read the
monologue.

 Now consider
the questions
from the
previous page.

 Begin to devise a
strong
understanding
about the
characters
background.

 Think about
WHY the
character says
the things they
do.

 Can you imagine

how their past
life or previous
events made the
characters say
and do the
things they do?

 Are there clues

in the text which
give you clear
ideas?
 From ‘Road’ by Jim Cartwright

Using your imagination and understanding of VALERIE, write up a character profile detailing as much
detail as you can about his back ground.

Was She born in this country or in this area? Where?

From this script I get the idea that she was born in a poor part of England. I get the feeling
that it was an area where girls were mistreated and downgraded. I get this idea from where
she says, ‘why do I stay?’ this gives me the impression she was mistreated and downgraded
because a man shows her the littlest affection even though he mistreats her and she feels
like she can’t leave.
Did any major historical events (War/Strikes/Disasters) have any effect on her?

Did she work for money? Was she successful?

I feel like she is a housewife who stays at home while her husband works. I feel like she is
not able to get a job.

How did her parents treat her?

I feel like she was massively mistreated and abused by her parents. I get the idea that she has been neglected all her
life. Possibly the middle child of many siblings, this leads to her having the least attention and meaning she had to
fend for herself from a young age.

What was she like at school?

She was a good kid in school. Very quiet but clever, little friends but got on with her work quietly and just did whatever she
could to get through the day.

What sort of music did she listen to when she was younger?

What kinds of clothes does she wear?

She wears long skirts and blouses, she tries to dress herself as nice as she can so her husband still loves her and
so she can feel nice about herself as she never gets to dress up to go out.

How and where did she meet her husband?

What does she do for a hobby?

Describe her relationship with her family:

What ambitions does she have?

What kind of place does she live in?

How many children does she have and how old are they?
I feel like she has around 5 children and they are all between 3 and 10.

Why is she married to her husband?

For the emotional, physical, financial support. She was in love with him when she was young and she cant bring
herself to leave.

Thinking about movement, posture, voice, gesture and facial expressions; how does using your
imagination help you develop your understanding of the role? Write down why your imagination is
important in the characterisation process:
The Performance Space.
The performance area is that part of the available space occupied by the set and/or
performers.

Staging is the position of action in relation to the audience.

Label the Proscenium stage areas correctly linking the correct definition with the diagram.

1) USR: Upstage Right

2) USC: Upstage centre
3) USC: Upstage left
4) CSR: Centre stage right
5) CS: Centre Stage
6) CSL: Centre stage left
7) DSR: Down stage right
8) DSC: Down stage centre
9) DSL: Down stage left
 Draw a diagram of the following performance stages. Explain the pros and cons of staging a
production in this space.

Proscenium
Thrust

In-The Round
 Traverse

Describe the following performance spaces and give examples of any plays or shows which have used
them. Explain the pros and cons of producing a production in each space:

Promenade:

Immersive:
 Site-Specific:

Street Theatre:

PHYSICAL SKILLS

Physical skills are required in all disciplines. They are the skills which help you to sustain
performance, support characterisation and develop ability and skill.

Understanding each physical skill will help you to improve and progress. Tutors will often refer to
individual physical skills when giving you corrections and feedback, so it is important that you
understand how each physical skill differs.

In the table below, is a list of physical skills. Complete the table by adding in a description of each
skill to show your understanding.

SKILLS DEFINITION AND DESCRIPTION

ACCURACY

ALIGNMENT
BALANCE

BODY AWARENESS

CONTROL

COORDINATION

DYNAMIC
AWARENESS

EXTENSION

FLEXIBILITY

FLOW

MOVEMENT
MEMORY

POSTURE

SPATIAL AWARENESS

STAMINA

STRENGTH

 Communication is the most important aspect of any performance.

 The aim of any performance, either scripted or devised, is to share ideas with an audience.
 It is also crucial to effectively communicate with other performers with focus and intention.

HOW DO I EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE IN PERFORMANCE?

Look at this picture. Write down what you think this image communicates to you. Describe the
relationship between the characters. Explain why.
Explain how these practical performance methods help communication. Give examples if you can

EYE CONTACT

Engages the audience

GESTURE

PAUSE
 NARRATION/MONOLOGUE

RAPPORT

Consider your own performance, either scripted or devised, and identify some key moments that need
to be communicated effectively.

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE!

An audience need to be able to ‘read’ a play. What does this mean?

As a performer, director, choreographer or designer, and as part of a team, your job is to make sure
that you communicate the meaning of a play or performance to the audience.

To give a clear performance:

DO DON’T
 MOVEMENT IN DANCE

Movement is a fundamental element of everyday life. From daily chores through to the skill and
expertise of an athlete, it is the one thing we all have in common. Would your favourite film or TV
show have the same impact with minimal movement content? From the smallest facial expressions to
the most physically demanding movements in Dance, movement plays an important role on stage and
screen. In an ever-changing Industry, actors, dancers, singers, etc, are expected to be multi-skilled.
Learning to analyse movement will help you to discover how to use your body in an expressive way.

Movement can be broken down into 4 key parts. These parts or ‘movement components’ as they are
more commonly known by, consist of the following:

 ACTION
 SPACE
 DYNAMICS
 RELATIONSHIPS
 ACTION SPACE

‘’what’’ ‘’where’’

MOVEMENT

COMPONENTS

DYNAMICS RELATIONSHIPS

‘’how’’ ‘’with’’

We will cover each movement component through practical activities in class. Use the
following diagrams to make notes about each component.

ACTION =
refers to
‘WHAT’ the
body is
doing
NOTES:

SPACE =
refers to
‘WHERE’
the body is
moving
NOTES:

RELATIONSHIPS
= refers to the
way dance
works ‘WITH’
other elements
NOTES:

DYNAMICS = refers to
‘HOW’ the movement is
performed (the quality)
 RESEARCH
Research can take a number of different forms in Performing Arts.

Performance
Conditions

Production
History
Historical

Research

Character
Rehearsal

Text-
The point of research for you as an actor is to give your imagination a firm foundation, not just to give
you ideas to copy. Write down a list of possible sources of research:-

Contextual Research
 Historical Context: The actual time or era in which the play is set or written.
 Cultural Context: The artistic or cultural events that could have shaped the
playwrights ideas (eg: celebrity culture/ reality TV/ pop music/ symbolism/ modern
art/ expressionism e.t.c)
 Social Context: How social identity or sections of society helped to develop the
playwrights ideas. (eg minority groups/ class/ audiences/ geographical considerations)
 Political Context: What were the political ideas or laws that could have been explored
by the playwright when the play was set or written? (eg Suffragettes/ Black Lives
Matter/ Ban the Bomb/ War/LGBQT/E.t.c)

Read the following monologue from ‘Sink The Belgrano’ by Steven Berkoff.

CHORUS: The first torpedo pierced the ship like

It was made out of butter – sunk right through

Then tore inward and upward through

Four steel thick decks. . . It spun its deadly

 Groove . . . It sunk itself into its guts

And ripped its souls apart . . . The old ship

Then simply turned around and died . . .

The lights went out . . .just silence . . .

DARKNESS

Dead men were everywhere, in bits.

A piece of arm and here a leg . . .

Upon the deck a figure covered in burning oil

All black and running as the heat roasted

His flesh. Three hundred and thirty sailors died at

once. . .

The others dragged their shredded flesh

To rafts to face the icy sea, thirty six hours more

Or less. . .The conscripts, boys of eighteen years

Stayed disciplined and kept their nerve

Each one ready to sacrifice himself to

Help an ally or a wounded friend. At

Seventeen O one, just one hour more. The Belgrano

Sank stern first beneath the waves.

SAILOR 1: The dead men did not pay the price

Of peace, for others died in the selfsame

Way, when two days later in revenge

Our ships were sunk, and many died

Or were simply burned alive . . .

SAILOR 2: Somebody threw the first stone

When the Belgrano was going home.

The play was first performed in 1986 and is based on true events.

Write down your ideas for the following:-

Historical Context:
 Cultural Context:

Social Context:

Political Context:

Research into these areas can inform you about how to play the role effectively.

Text-Based Research

When you are acting a role, it’s important that you understand the words you are saying and
any references that you are making. If you do not have a full grasp of what you are saying, it
won’t sound convincing and you could very well destroy the whole meaning behind the plot!

As a performer, you have to be sensitive to various features of written text which helps you to
analyse the characters, their relationships and the situations in a play. Playwrights choose
their words carefully and with purpose; you need to pick up the clues to see what these
purposes are.

Read the following extract from Equus.

FRANK stands up and enters the scene
downstage on the circle. A man in his fifties.
FRANK: (to ALAN) It may not look like that, but
that’s what it is. Absolutely fatal
mentally, if you receive my meaning.
Equus by Peter Shaffer (1973)
This extract is from Act 1 Scene 6.
Frank is the father of the 17-year-
old Alan. Alan and his mother, Dora,
have just bought a television for the
first time. Frank has come home to
find them watching it.
 DORA follows him on. She is also middle-aged.

DORA: That’s a little extreme, dear, isn’t it?

FRANK: You sit in front of that thing long enough, you’ll become stupid for life – like
most of the population. (To ALAN) The thing is, it’s a swiz. It seems to be
offering you something, but actually it’s taking something away. Your
intelligence and your concentration, every minute you watch it. That’s a true
swiz, do you see?

Seated on the floor, ALAN shrugs.

I don’t want to sound like a spoilsport, old chum – but there really is no
substitute for reading. What’s the matter; don’t you like it?

ALAN: It’s alright.

FRANK: I know you think it’s none of my beeswax, but it really is, you know… Actually,
it’s a disgrace when you come to think of it. You, the son of a printer, and never
opening a book! If all the world was like you, I’d be out of a job, if you receive
my meaning!

DORA: All the same, times change, Frank.

FRANK: (reasonably): They change if you let them change, Dora. Please return that set
in the morning.

ALAN: (crying out): No!

DORA: Frank! No!

It’s clear that Frank dominates the dialogue. But what can you tell about
his character from the way he speaks? Dora and Alan have much less to
say; what can you tell about their relationship with Frank and with each
other from the way they speak?

Write down 5 ideas you have about Frank and his relationship with
his family. MAKE SURE YOU USE QUOTES FROM THE TEXT AS
EVIDENCE:

1)

Quote:

2)

Quote:
 3)

Quote:

4)

Quote:

5)

Quote:

 Theatre Practitioners
As a theatre director or designer, you must be able to understand the key theories,
methodologies and concepts of other practitioners.

Take a look and read the following list of theatre practitioners:

PRACTITIONER Vision for Theatre

Theatre should entertain and audience and make them think
Constantin Stanislavski about humanity. There should be a highly charged
(1863-1938) atmosphere that causes infectious emotion.
Theatre should remove the security of language and abolish
Antonin Artaud established ideas of the performer/audience divide. Ritualistic
(1896-1948) performance should infect its audience like a plague.
Theatre should change the world through entertainment and
Bertolt Brecht education. Opposites should be highlighted in plays and
(1898-1956) productions to create debate among audience members.
Theatre should both present community and be a community
Joan Littlewood where all participants are equal. It should be playfully
(1914-2002) disciplined and structured anarchy. The theatre is live
interaction.
Theatre should fuse together opposites and celebrate
Steven Berkoff contradictions; mime must collide with spoken word;
(1937-) performance must be energetic and exaggerated but capture
subtlety and detail; strict choreography must allow for
moments of improvisation. The actor and the ensemble are
central to the theatre.
Theatre should be a memorable, community event that takes
Kneehigh place in a charged space where stories are shared with a spirit
(1980-) of joyful anarchy.
Theatre should be a collaboration between performers,
Complicite audience, director and designers. It should stimulate the
(1983-) senses. Theatre must always evolve and never be the same.
Theatre should focus as much on the spectators (audience
Punchdrunk members) and the performance space as on the performers
(2000-) and narrative. Each spectator must be immersed in the world
of the play so they discover their own meaning and narrative
through an imaginative journey.

This task will get you to demonstrate your research skills as well as your
understanding of theatrical style and conventions used by practitioners.

Name of
Practitioner
Key ideas (What are
some of the
theoretical ideas
behind the
practitioners work)

Acting (What
practical
techniques or
styles do actors
require to
approach the
practitioner’s
ideas? What
conventions or
skills should actors
be aware of?)

Venue (What
space should or
could the
practitioner
present their
plays?)

Lighting (How
would the
practitioner
approach
lighting?)
 Set/Props

Sound &/or
Music

Examples of
their work in
contemporary
Theatre practice
(What plays or
shows have there
been produced
that have
embodied the
style or
methodology of
this practitioner?)

Name of
Practitioner
Key ideas (What are
some of the
theoretical ideas
behind the
practitioners work)

Acting (What
practical
techniques or
styles do actors
require to
approach the
practitioner’s
ideas? What
conventions or
skills should actors
be aware of?)

Venue (What
space should or
could the
practitioner
present their
plays?)

Lighting (How
would the
practitioner
approach
lighting?)

Set/Props
 Sound &/or
Music

Examples of
their work in
contemporary
Theatre practice
(What plays or
shows have there
been produced
that have
embodied the
style or
methodology of
this practitioner?)

Name of
Practitioner
Key ideas (What are
some of the
theoretical ideas
behind the
practitioners work)

Acting (What
practical
techniques or
styles do actors
require to
approach the
practitioner’s
ideas? What
conventions or
skills should actors
be aware of?)

Venue (What
space should or
could the
practitioner
present their
plays?)

Lighting (How
would the
practitioner
approach
lighting?)

Set/Props
 Sound &/or
Music

Examples of
their work in
contemporary
Theatre practice
(What plays or
shows have there
been produced
that have
embodied the
style or
methodology of
this practitioner?)

Name of
Practitioner
Key ideas (What are
some of the
theoretical ideas
behind the
practitioners work)

Acting (What
practical
techniques or
styles do actors
require to
approach the
practitioner’s
ideas? What
conventions or
skills should actors
be aware of?)

Venue (What
space should or
could the
practitioner
present their
plays?)

Lighting (How
would the
practitioner
approach
lighting?)

Set/Props
 Sound &/or
Music

Examples of
their work in
contemporary
Theatre practice
(What plays or
shows have there
been produced
that have
embodied the
style or
methodology of
this practitioner?)

Famous Playwrights.

As an actor it is crucial that you have a strong knowledge of theatre.

As much as it is crucial to possess an ability to perform well, it is also really important to know about
your craft as an actor or performer.

Below is a list of prominent playwrights. You must write down AT LEAST two plays written by the
playwright, the year it was written and the name of a director who has directed it on stage (not film).

Playwright: Two plays: Years they Directors:

were first
performed:
David Mamet

Brian Friel

Julie McNamara

Peter Shaffer

Alan Bennet

Tom Stoppard

Christopher
Marlowe
 Alan Aykbourn

Jez Butterworth

David Mamet

Timberlake
Wertenbaker

Sophie Treadwell

DANCE APPRECIATION

What previous experience do you have in Dance?

 Watch the following clips of dance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bTW8tPL6qY Little Red Rooter from ‘Rooster’ by Christopher

Bruce

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ofM_1rPB5I The Gobstoppers from Matthew Bourne’s

‘Nutcracker!’
  Select one of the clips above and write about it. Try to include the following information:

- What is the name of the work that the piece comes from?
- Who choreographed it?
- What style of dance is it?
- Who is it performed by?
- What idea/s is the dance trying to convey?
- How does the choreography support the ideas?
- What are the dancers wearing?
- How does the costume support the ideas?
- What style is the music?
- How does the music support the ideas?

You may handwrite your response or word process it. Please ensure you attach your response on
the next page. REMEMBER – to add any references for research that you may have used to support
your work.

ATTACH YOUR RESPONSE TO THE PREVIOUS TASK HERE

 Character Objective
Once you have gathered lots of information about your character that the text offers,
and you have begun to explore the vocal and physical aspects of your role, you should then
begin to consider the PSYCHOLOGY and MOTIVATION of the character.

This is where you need to consider the theories of KONSTANTIN STANISLAVSKI.

Born: Moscow, Russian Empire – 17th January 1863

Died: Moscow, Soviet Union – 7th August 1938

Occupation: Actor, Director, Theatre Practitioner

Company: Moscow Arts Theatre

Vision for Theatre: Theatre should entertain the audience and

make them think about humanity. There should be a highly
charged atmosphere that causes unfectious emotion, for actors
and audience alike.

Style: Realism focuses on the internal psychology of the

characters. It allws the audience to recognise and associate
with the characters on stage in a realistic setting/scenario.

According to Stanislavski, an OBJECTIVE is what a character wants. It what drives the character to do
the things they do and say the things they say.

A character will have a THROUGH-OBJECTIVE which runs through the whole play (Think about
Macbeth wanting ultimate power and glory from the start to the end of the play).

And there will be smaller and more immediate objectives (Macbeth killing Duncan or visiting the
Witches).
There will be a number of these, one after the other in the play. These are called UNITS or UNITS OF
ACTION.

A character will never stop having an objective, which will lead to the achievement of a THROUGH-
OBJECTIVE (rgeardless of whether or not they achive it…..look at Macbeth!).

Having a clear understanding what you character wants will help your awareness of
CHARACTERISATION and enable you to give a focussed performance.

Read the Following Script.

Landlord Well, I’m sure you’ll find the room comfortable. If there are any
problems just let me know.

Woman I’m sure I will.

Pause

Landlord Erm……is there anything else?

Woman No. That’ll be all.

He goes over to the window and attempt to open it.

Landlord Can I help you with that, Madam?

Woman Yes please. It’s like a bloody oven in here.

Landlord (Slowly going over to the window) Some folk would say that ‘it’s cosy’.

Woman Well, I don’t. It’s far too hot. And the window sticks. And it’s smeared.
That mirror is crooked and there seems to be a bad smell! How much
did you say this room was?

Landlord Twenty five quid a night. (Staring straight at the woman with clenched
fists) But I am sure we can come to some arrangement……..Madam.

Using your understanding of Objectives, split the script up into

UNITS OF ACTION. Then annotate the script describing what the
 characters OBJECTIVES are throughout the dialogue.

Can you describe what the characters’ THROUGH OBJECTIVES are?

In the table below, write down the characters THROUGH OBJECTIVE for the previous

duologue.

THROUGH-OBJECTIVE

Landlord

Woman

In the Table below, write down what the UNITS OF ACTION are in your chosen duologue by
writing down the character’s OBJECTIVE with an appropriate line of dialogue as evidence.
Explain WHY you think the character says this line.

Character What do they say/do? Why? OBJECTIVE

Landlord

Woman
  Rehearsals are an essential part of the performance process.
 The audience want to see a well-rehearsed and polished performance. They do NOT
want to see a performance which lacks energy and performers who do not know
what they are meant to be doing!
 High quality performance can only be achieved through a professional and rigorous
approach to rehearsal.

Throughout the course, there will be lots of opportunities for you to perform. The
material you work on may have been directed and choreographed for you, or there
will be opportunities for you to create your own material. Either way, when your
work comes under public scrutiny, it is your responsibility as a ‘professional’
performer to ensure that your performance is at the highest level it can be.

The first step of course is to learn the material …. As the saying goes ‘practice makes
perfect’. You must practice the material many times in order to be able to reproduce
it without having to think about what comes next.
Now, the real work starts!

There are many things to work on in the next stage of the process, such as accuracy,
timing, style, development of character, technique, interpretation, expression, etc.
This will differ depending on the size and style of the piece.
TIP: DO NOT SIMPLY GO OVER THE SAME PIECE AGAIN AND AGAIN – IT WILL SOON
GET BORING, YOUR PROGRESS WILL BE LIMITED AND YOU COULD END UP
REINFORCING MISTAKES OR ERRORS!
You can vary the activities you do in a rehearsal to make it more interesting and to
ensure you are rehearsing accurately. The more methods you use within rehearsal,
the more effective your rehearsals will be.
 Complete the mind map by identifying different activities/methods you can use in rehearsals. Some have been completed for you to get
you started:
Watching others perform
and analysing the good
things that you want to
aim for in your own
performance

REHEARSAL
ACTIVITIES

Buddy up with a partner

Designing a rehearsal
plan or schedule,
identifying what you
want to work on and
when you will do this.
 REHEARSAL ETTIQUETTE

Nothing is more frustrating than trying to rehearse for a performance when others are
missing or lack focus and discipline.

Complete the table below, listing ‘Do’s’ and ‘Don’ts’ during Rehearsals.

DO DON’T
 VOICE refers to the various ways you alter your voice as an actor to convey feeling and expression.

The use of VOICE can be broken down into different areas which you will need to consider: VOLUME,
PITCH, STRESS, ACCENT and TONE.

WRITE DOWN A DEFINITION OF EACH VOCAL COMPONENT:

VOLUME:

PITCH:

STRESS:

ACCENT:

TONE:
  While it’s good to understand how your body produces voice, remember
that you voice is tied up with who you are, how you are feeling and your
self-image: in many ways, your voice is your identity. Consider this when
developing character.

VOICE and SPEECH are different. Certain parts of the body work to produce
SPEECH while others parts produce VOICE.

Label the ‘speech organs’ which produce the vowels and consonants which make
up all words and sound.
 TONGUE: LARYNX: LIPS: NASAL CAVITY:
TRACHEA: EPIGLOTTIS: TEETH
Label the ‘voice organs’ which produce the power, volume and resonance.

DIAPHRAGM: LARYNX: RIGHT MAIN BRONCHUS: LEFT

MAIN BRONCHUS: TRACHEA: PHARYNX: NOSTRIL:
MOUTH: RIGHT LUNG: LEFT LUNG: NASAL CAVITY

 It is CRUCIAL that you exercise your voice (daily if possible) to

develop the power and range of your voice and the precision of
your speech.
 The muscles that you use to produce your vice need to be
strong enough for you to project your performance.
  REMEMBER: projection is not the same as shouting! Shouting
can damage your vocal chords and destroys the credibility of
the character you are playing.
Therefore, it is really important that you effectively WARM-UP your
voice before every workshop, rehearsal and performance.
Write down AT LEAST 5 vocal warm-ups that you could do at college to make sure you develop your
voice.
‘PRESSURE PROJECT’
 Interpreting text for performance.
Your first task in drama is to rehearse and perform a duologue from a published play.

You will have, by now, obtained a good understanding of a basic approach of going from page to
stage using basic characterisation skills and practitioner theory.

As an actor you should be able to demonstrate a confident and knowledgeable set of

CHARACTERISATION skills that not only demonstrate your ability to perform, but also your
understating of the role you play.

You are going to INTERPRET a piece of drama from a script.

In pairs, you must find a DUOLOGUE from a published play, rehearse it and
perform it.
THE FOCUS OF ASSESSMENT WILL BE PRIMARILY ON YOUR RESEARCH AND PERFORMANCE SKILLS

 You will rehearse a scripted duologue that demonstrates your understanding of the play
and its characters. You can only use 2 cast members (including yourself).
 You will set out your ideas using an in-depth knowledge of your chosen play as well as a
through and detailed account of your characterisation process.
 You will research the play and discuss what your overall intentions and themes are as well
as consider your understating of other playwrights or practitioners.
 You should also develop your understanding of technical aspects of production to make
sure you can effectively devise, direct and perform as a professional duo within the rules
of social distancing as outlined by Boris and Hancock and Cummings and all those other
idiots!

Be creative! What does the play say to you? Read it carefully and begin to devise a
research file about where your ideas lead. How can you make it relevant to a modern
audience? What practitioners or playwrights will influence your work and why? Think
about bringing the piece to life via practical medium that does not include a conventional
audience.

What is the name of the play you have chosen?

Playwright:

What is the play about and WHY are you interested in it?
What type (or genre) of play is it and do I like this sort of play?

Name of my chosen character?

What are our initial intentions for performing this scene and why? Thin k
about the overall tone and mood of the scene and what effect you want to
create for an audience.

The Acting Process

 There is no right or wrong way to go about approaching a role, but there are stages
of work that you need to go through as an actor in order to develop your character.

First things first, you have to be able to analyse the text to find out all you can about
your character. Although you are only performing a short extract, you have to read the
whole play in order to understand the character in as much detail as possible.

After reading your chosen play, answer the following questions:

Who am I?

What do I look
like?

How do I behave?

How do I think?

What do I sound
like?

What happens to
me in the play?

How do I react to
the other
characters in the
play?

How do other
characters react to
me?

What motivates
me?

What feelings do I
experience and
show in the play?
 How do I react to
events?

What attitudes do I
have?

Answering these questions will give you a deeper understanding of HOW you will play
your role.

What are the ‘given circumstances’ for your chosen scene?

ANNOTATING THE SCRIPT

A good actor will always make plenty of notes in their script. These notes will show
the decisions you have made about your performance as well as a detailed attempt to
understand the language and how you intend to use it.

E.G:
 ATTACH AN ANNOTATED
COPY OF YOUR SCRIPT HERE

In the table below, write down the characters THROUGH OBJECTIVE for your chose

duologue.

THROUGH-OBJECTIVE

CHARACTER #1
 CHARACTER #2

In the Table below, write down what the UNITS OF ACTION are in your chosen duologue by
writing down the character’s OBJECTIVE with an appropriate line of dialogue as evidence.
Explain WHY you think the character says this line.

Character What do they say/do? Why? OBJECTIVE

DANCE/MOVEMENT PIECE

What is the theme or subject matter of the dance/movement piece?

 Describe some of the movements in the dance (remember the 6 basic dance actions):

What is the title of the music and who is the composer?

Do the movements go with the music? If so, how? Give examples to support.
What prop/s are used in the piece? Give examples of how they are used:
Thinking about the use of ‘space’ within the piece, answer the following questions:

Do you change levels at any time during the dance? If so, how and when?

Give examples of when you use mainly ‘personal’ space & ‘general’ space:

How does the use of space contribute to the communication of the theme?
How would you describe the energy you use in the piece? (try to use correct dynamic
vocabulary and give specific examples of movement to support)
What aspects did you find challenging when learning this piece?

How did you overcome these challenges?

What progress have you made since learning this piece?

 MILESTONE REFLECTION 1

‘REHEARSAL PROCESS’

DATE:

DRAMA
Write about the play you have chosen in relation to historical, political, cultural and social
contexts:

RESEARCH
What additional research have you done to support your understanding of your chosen play?
(identify your references and give a brief overview of what you have learned)
How do you intend to incorporate your research into your practical work?

Dance
What have you learned about your own skills in Dance lessons?
What strategies have you used to help you learn the movement/dance piece?

GENERAL
What challenges have you faced during rehearsals and how are you trying to overcome them?
TARGETS
Set 3 targets which you need to achieve by the next Milestone. These can be related to
research, exploration or practical work. Be specific when setting a target, stating WHAT you
want to achieve, WHEN you want to achieve it by and HOW you are going to achieve it:

MILESTONE CHECKED BY: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

 MILESTONE REFLECTION 2

‘DEVELOPMENT OF CREATIVE ROLES’

DATE:

TARGETS
Did you meet the targets set in your first milestone?
If yes, How? If no, why?

If you did meet your targets, how has it helped your work?

DRAMA
Discuss how you have developed your character/s through characterisation skills:
REHEARSALS – DRAMA & DANCE & SINGING

How are you improving your work? what are you working on? How are you identifying where
improvement is needed? What feedback have you been given to help you improve? What are
you doing to address the feedback?
FURTHER RESEARCH
What further research have you conducted since the last milestone reflection? Why? How has
this helped you? (Be specific in terms of references & information)
TARGETS
Set 3 targets which you need to achieve by the next Milestone. These can be related to
research, exploration or practical work. Be specific when setting a target, stating WHAT you
want to achieve, WHEN you want to achieve it by and HOW you are going to achieve it:

MILESTONE CHECKED BY: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

 MILESTONE REFLECTION 3

‘PREPARING FOR PERFORMANCE’

DATE:

TARGETS
Did you meet the targets set in your first milestone?
If yes, How? If no, why?

If you did meet your targets, how has it helped your work?

PROGRESS
What progress have you made since Milestone 2?
Has anything changed?

(DRAMA) What evidence, information and thought processes have informed the decisions you
have made in coming up with your interpretation?
TARGETS FOR PERFORMANCE
What are your specific targets for the Performance?
MILESTONE CHECKED BY: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
 Glossary of Theatrical Terms (research and write in a definition for each)

Blocking
Decisions about where actors enter, exit and stand on the
stage.

Action The movement or development of the plot or story in a play.

Groundling The group of lower-class audience members who stood on the

ground in front of the stage to watch plays in Shakespeare's
day.

Everyman Character An ordinary and humble character.

Curtain Call The appearance of the performers at the conclusion of a

theatrical or other performance in response to the applause of
the audience.

Convention A technique employed regularly in the drama so that the

(Theatrical) audience come to attach specific meaning to it.

Gestus A clear character gesture or movement used by the actor.

Dead Blackout (DBO) a sudden, instantaneous switching off of all lights.

Footlights Row of lights set at floor level at the front of a stage.

 Parcan A sealed beam unit that consists of a lamp (or LED source),
reflector and lens.

Fresnel A soft-edged spotlight that offers more control over the

angle of the beam than a flood light.

Spotlight A powerful stage lighting instrument which projects a bright

beam of light onto a performance space.

Pastiche A work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture

that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more
other artists.

Theme the message the play wants to convey.

Character Objective What your character wants in a scene.

Montage A series of short self-contained scenes grouped immediately

after each other whose juxtaposition or contrast highlights.

Tone Suggests your mood and your intention towards the listener

Stage Manager (SM) Facilitate communication across all creative and technical
departments; act as a right hand to the director; oversee sets,
props, lights, and sound; and call all technical cues during
performances.

Dance Captain A member of the company responsible for overseeing and

maintaining the artistic standards of all choreography and
musical staging within a production.
 Proxemics The use of space between actors and how that use of space
communicates their relationship to the audience.

Semiotics Audiences interpret information that is communicated to them

from the stage.

Music Hall A type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from
the early Victorian era.

Fade A gradual increase or decrease of the intensity of light

projected onto the stage.

Dramatic Irony A literary device by which the audience's understanding of

events or individuals in a work surpasses that of its characters.

Dramatic Tension How you keep an audience hooked to the story of your play.

Sub-plot A story that is separate from and less important than the main
story.

Sub-text What is going on beneath the words.

Rostrum A stationary, standard flat walking surface for actors to perform

on.

Pit
area that is occupied by the orchestra in a theatre
 LFX

Solioquy

Rake

Flashback

Anti-Climax

Climax

Anagnorisis

Ensemble

Forum Theatre

Devised work

Cross-gender casting

Symbolic

Scripted
Plot

Physical Theatre

Fourth Wall

Form

Character

Floodlight

Backstory

Gel(s)

Given Circumstance

Verfremdugseffekt

Total Theatre

Style
 Genre

Metatheatre

Mise-en-scene

Ground Plan

Juxtaposition
 Evaluating Your Work

The purpose of evaluating your own work is to effectively share your ideas and
comment on your OWN learning process and skills development.

 For your Level 3 UAL Qualification in Performing Arts you will frequently be
required to reflect on your own work, as well as the work of others, in order for you to
develop your own understanding of practical and theoretical aspects of performance.

 Evaluating your work requires to analyse your practical work and explain what
worked well, and what could be developed further.

 It is not an opportunity to either tell an examiner how great you were or make excuses
for a lacklustre performance.

 You evaluation should be honest, constructive and concise and establish targets for
you to develop as a performer.

 The best way to do this is make sure that you frequently keep notes on WHAT you do
in practical sessions and HOW you intend to develop them further.

 Your evaluation will be submitted in the form of an essay in 1500-2000 words.

 Assessment Criteria
Unit 1 (1.1)
Critically compare and
interpret activities used
in performance
How you can demonstrate your skills
Describe WHAT practical skills and techniques you use to develop the
performance.
How did you effectively communicate meaning in the performance?
How did your performance develop throughout the process?

Unit 1 (2.1) Describe WHAT you did in performance.

Evaluate the effectiveness of
own and others roles in the
delivery of a performance.
Explain WHY it was appropriate or effective.
Describe the characterisation process and how you could
develop it further.

Unit 2 (1.1) Define your performance intentions.

Analyse the characteristics of
an audience. Describe HOW you intend to communicate this effectively.

What communication techniques will you use to communicate your

meaning?

Unit 2 (2.1) Evaluate how you developed your role in performance.

Critically compare a range
of alternative methods What could you have done differently? Why?
used to convey meaning to
an audience.

Unit 4 (1.1) Discuss your understanding of practitioner theory and how it

Critically compare a range of helped your develop ideas.
critical perspectives that
influence the analysis of
HOW did practical theory influence your work? Why was it
performing and production
arts activities. appropriate to your performance?

Unit 4 (2.1) Consider how the performance space influenced your

Critically compare a range performance.
of contexts within which
performing and HOW did the space differ from the rehearsal room? Was it
production arts are effective? Why?
situated.

The ESSAY assignment.

Title: Units 1-4: Performance and Process.

Word Count: No less than 1500; no more than 2000 words

Font: Times New Roman/ Callibri/ Arial

Font size: 10-12

Submission Deadline:

 Clearly put your Name and Course Title at the top of every page.
 Clearly put page numbers on each page.
 Use Harvard referencing for ALL citations and quotes used to evidence your work.
 CHECK ALL SPELLING, PUNTUATION and GRAMMAR!

ESSAY STRUCTURE:

To help you with the evaluation essay, follow the following template and answer the
questions IN AS MUCH DETAIL as you can.

Introduction:-

 Describe what the assignment was and what you and your group intended to do. How did
you approach the task initially and what were your initial ideas.

SECTION 1:- RESEARCH AND EXPLORATION

Some areas that could feature in your research and exploration notes are:
 Factual information about the topic or issue.
 Facts about a specific person or group.
 Approaches used by theatre practitioners, designers, actors or directors.
 How other people have tackled similar topics/ themes.
 Historical information about specific events.
 Initial ideas for the intention or message in relation to the stimulus.

SECTION 2:- DEVELOPMENT & STRUCTURE

You should ask yourself some key questions:

 How did you create and extend your role(s) within the piece? (Explorative strategies)
 What performance styles did your group explore, and how was the shape of the piece
decided?
 What influence did recognised practitioners or live theatre productions have on the
structure or style of your work?
 What were your initial intentions for the audience, and what impact or effect did you hope
to achieve?
 What were the main problems that you encountered?

SECTION 3:- EVALUATION OF PROCESS & PERFORMANCE

 Give an OBJECTIVE assessment of your own and others’ level of focus and application of skills
throughout the rehearsal and performance process.
 What were your initial intentions for the audience, and how effectively were they
communicated?
 How successfully did your final performance communicate your aims and intentions for the
piece to the audience?
 Was the audience engaged?
 Focus on some specific moments or elements of the performance and clarify how and why
they were effective
  Explain what you would do differently in the devising or performance process.

Conclusion:-

 Describe HOW the process helped you develop your ideas about live theatre performance.
What new skills, theories or techniques did you learn? HOW do you intend to develop these
further?

TOP TIPS

Make your points really clear and USE evidence to back up your ideas.

Evidence can be from your own personal reflections, rehearsal notes, diagrams, books,
teacher comments or filmed work.

Research and revise correct terminology to write effectively in an academic essay.

Do not write casually. This is a formal document and should be written as such.

Try not to write ‘I did this’ or ‘we did that’. Be specific!

DO NOT WAIT TILL THE LAST MINUTE TO WRITE THIS ESSAY!

Late submissions will be penalised.

Please ’attach’ your completed evaluation here.

Make sure that:

 sheets are secured together

 you have written your name on your work
 You have provided references for the research you have used in your
work