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GCSE Drama
Unit 3 Revision
Guide
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About the Unit 3 exam

This unit will be a written exam that will last for 1hr 30 minutes.
Questions in this section will vary from year to year and could include questions on the
following aspects:
• Rehearsal techniques
• Use of vocal and movement skills
• Mood/atmosphere
• Character positioning
• Technical aspects – lighting, sound, costume, make up
• Communicating a role as an actor
• Design skills – from an actor's perspective to a director's perspective to a designer's
perspective.

When writing from each perspective in the exam, consider these:

• Actor: You will need to think about how you will perform, present, interpret each
character. Even the small ones.
• Director: You will consider the type of stage you want to use, the atmosphere you
want to create, how characters move and interact with each other on stage.
• Designer: You will consider how sound, lighting, set, props, costume, make-up can be
used to create an atmosphere and add more meaning to the play.
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Hard To Swallow by Mark Wheeller

Who are the characters?

The play has 31 characters: 6 female, 3 male and 22 characters of either sex.
Can be performed by 5 (3F & 2M) with doubling.

Catherine Dunbar
John Dunbar Catherine’s Father
Maureen Dunbar Catherine’s Mother
Simon Dunbar Catherine’s Brother (older)
Anna Dunbar Catherine’s Sister (younger)

Narrator
Daddy Goat
Mummy Goat
Baby Goat
Jo the Goat/Patricia
Troll

Dr Wynne
(Charge) Nurse Curtis
Nurse Blackman
Penny
Agony Aunt
Professor Calderstow
Dr Clegg (and optional colleague)
News 1-3
Maureen 2
Observers 1&2
Police 1&2
Diary 1-3
Choir boy/girl
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Re-capping Hard To Swallow:

Structure & Style:

It is based on the true story of a girl called Catherine Dunbar who suffered from
Anorexia. The play was adapted from the book ‘Catherine’ by Maureen Dunbar
It is a mix of Abstract stylised scenes and naturalistic scenes and the stage
directions will clearly state the intended style for each scene. There are stylised
and physical theatre scenes.

The Dunbar’s Social Class:

They are MIDDLE CLASS

The Billy Goat Scenes

The Billy Goat Scenes at as book ends at the start and end of the play, they are
to make the audience think and learn from what they have seen.
The Billy Goat scenes illustrates parental pressure on youngsters. It also
emphasises optimism in the fact that Jo the goat with Mummy and Daddy Goat
succeed in crossing the bridge. Through Patricia and Jo the goat we can see that
there is hope and people can recover.

The Original Performance Conditions

• Downstage left was the meal table

• Downstage right was Catherine's bedroom desk
• At the back across the middle was a raised area
• Catherine’s face was painted white to show the difference.
• Music played was Steve Harley innocence and guilt
• It was usually performed end on
• It was toured
• The first professional production presented it in the round with minimal
set i.e. not much set, set created largely by the cast in physical theatre.

On the following page are pictures from the original performances of Hard to
Swallow- Look closely at the set they used.
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Staging & Set:

Set & Props:
The play has 14 different sections and this suggests that the set should be minimal. They
vary from the household to the hospital to a general location.

Staging:
The staging of it could work well on a thrust stage with the audience on three sides – thus
becoming more involved in the action- with a screen in the background to display the slides
referred to in Section 10.

Hard to Swallow- Original Performance Conditions

(Information taken from the text itself).
Hard to Swallow was originally performed by the Oaklands Youth Theatre. It was premiered
under the title: Catherine- The life story of an anorexic at the Edinburgh (fringe) in the
Heriot Watt Theatre downstairs on the 29th August 1988. On the 12th July 1989, Hard to
Swallow was performed on the Olivier Stage at the Royal National Theatre on London’s
South Bank, as part of the first Lloyds Bank young theatre challenge. It has subsequently
been performed throughout the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA.

Hard to Swallow scene order/key quotes

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Scene Scene content Key quotes/Information
Section 1- Symbolic, stylised scene representing
The Billy Goats Gruff Catharine’s condition. The troll is her
scene anorexia.
Pages: 12-13

Section 2- Christmas 1973-Economic crisis,

Pages: 14-21 Catherine changes her name.
Brother has a new job.
Catherine sent home from school.

Section 3- Catherine refuses to eat, family

Pages: 22-24 increasingly becoming frustrated.
Catharine admitted to hospital.

Section 4- First admission to hospital.

Pages: 25- 27 John loses his job and starts working in
Saudi Arabia.
Catherine’s personal diary entries.

Section 5- Problems at the dinner table. Refusing to

Pages: 28- 30 eat again, further manipulation.
Addiction to laxatives,

Section 6-
Pages: 31-34 In and out of hospital. Stylised scene
between doctor and family.
Catherine Yo-Yo eating.
Catharine gets on to a secretarial course.

Section 7 Puppet scene. Division in the family.

Pages: 35 John leaves his job and Maureen leaves.
John is left to look after Catharine.

Section 8 Brussel Sprout scene- Catherine is

Pages: 36-38 obsessive about particular foods. Becomes
emotionally aggressive towards Maureen.

Section 9 Bingeing (naturalistic scene)

Pages: 39-40 Maureen and Catherine reveal their inner
thoughts and concerns.
Catherine binges on lots of food.
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Section 10 Twenty-first Birthday- Catharine images.

Pages: 41- Control of Catherine’s eating habits
handed over to Maureen.

Section 11 Catharine and Anna Baking for their mum

Pages: 42- 48 and dad’s Anniversary party.
Catherine’s first suicide attempt after the
party.
Maureen and John go on holiday.
Catharine unable to cope without
Maureen.
Catharine and Anna fight.
Another suicide attempt- Simon confesses
his feelings about the situation
Anna and Simon discuss the declining
situation. Anna confronts Maureen about
how she’s feeling.

Section 12
Pages: 49-52 Catharine’s re-admission to hospital.
Manipulation to get out of hospital.
Repetition of this cycle.
Maureen confronts Catharine in front of
doctor to try and help her, Catharine hits
Maureen. Catharine feels betrayed.

Section 13 Catherine’s final months.

Pages: 53-55 Catharine stops working and weighs 4
stone.
Catharine looked after by family in her
final months, she celebrates Christmas
with the family.
2nd January 1984: Catharine dies at home
with her family around her.

Section 14 The Billy goats scene re-visited

Pages: 56-59 John and Patricia’s monologues about
Catherine.
Jo the goat crosses the bridge symbolising
Patricia’s success at overcoming anorexia.
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Theatre in Education
Theatre in education is used to encourage effective learning in schools. It calls for careful
consideration of the audience's age and requirements in order to engage them and get the
message across. Theatre in Education (TIE) starts with an educational topic or debate and
develops a show around it. It is more than simply a drama performance, because it may turn
into a programme of events that can include a performance supported by active audience
participation.

It’s important for you to remember the following characteristics that high-
light it to be TIE:

 There is a clear aim and educational objective running throughout.

 A small cast so actors must be versatile and often have to multi-role.
 A low budget so actors often play instruments too.
 The production must be portable so the design is simple and representational.
 They explore issues from various viewpoints, so we can see the effect of an action upon
a range of people.
 There is some level of audience involvement.
 They are rarely wholly naturalistic because direct address or narration is used to engage
the audience.
 The costumes are simple and representational, especially if actors have to multi-role.
 They may include facts and figures to educate the audience.
 They may have a strong message or moral running throughout.
 Monologues
• Episodic nature of the play
• Multi-roling
• Characters who are stereotypical or caricatures in order to make an immediate point to the
audience
• Song and dance
• Visual technical elements to emphasise message, e.g. PowerPoint presentations, placards
• Reliance on symbolism
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Different types of staging

This staging can also be called ‘End-on’, an ‘end on’ stage typically
won’t have the apron. Be careful of this.
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Most published plays have stage directions written within the text. Oftentimes, those
directions are in abbreviated form. Here's what they mean:
 C: Centre

 D: Downstage

 DR: Downstage Right

 DRC: Downstage Right Centre

 DC: Downstage Centre

 DLC: Downstage Left Centre

 DL: Downstage Left

 R: Right

 RC: Right Centre

 L: Left

 Left Centre:

 U: Upstage

 UR: Upstage Right

 URC: Upstage Right Centre

 UC: Upstage Centre

 ULC: Upstage Left Centre

Stage Diagram
(Please note this is the American spelling of centre)
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Drama Glossary

This list should be used to develop your use of Drama words,

ideas and concepts.

Drama Conventions, forms, strategies and techniques

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With the list of Dramatic Devices below, write in your own words what the technique is:

 Freeze-frame-

 Monologue-

 Slow motion-

 Pause-

 Cross-cutting-

 Mime-

 Symbols-

 Thought tracking-

 Choral speaking-

 Flashback-

 Narrative-

 Direct address-

 Multi-roling-
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 Masks-

Analytical, structural and theatrical terms

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With the list of Dramatic Devices below, write in your own words what it is:

Structure

 Exposition-

 Plot (beginning, middle, end) -

 Climax -

 Change of mood-

 Episodic -

 Denouement -

 Tension-

Character

 Motivation-

 Interaction-
 Voice-
 Movement-
 Performance-
 Concentration and involvement-

Technical aspects
 Lighting – enhancing performance and structure

 Sound – creating atmosphere and linking scenes

 Choice of acting area / stage

 Ground plans
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 Choice of set

 Costume/ Make-up

Exam Questions
A Basic PEEE Structure for ‘Suggest’ or ‘Explain’ questions:
POINT: The way I would have the set/my actors/the costume/the hair and makeup…
etc. in this scene/opening would be… (use key words of question)
EXAMPLE: The way I would achieve this is (use technical vocab)
EVIDENCE: The evidence from the text that supports this decision is…
EXPLAIN: This would create an impact on the audience through (use the key word in
the question) which is a significant theme/issue of the play I would like to highlight.

Exam Questions:
Questions (a) to (c) are based on the following extract.
Read from: page 14 Section 2 to: page 15 All: 'General election.'
(a) (i) Name two rehearsal techniques that a director could use to prepare
an actor for the role of Simon in this extract. [2]
(ii)Explain how these two techniques help to prepare the actor for this role in
performance. [4]
(b) (i) Briefly describe the social class of the Dunbar family. [2]
(ii) Explain how any one line in the extract illustrates their social class. [3]
(iii) Suggest a suitable costume for Catherine and explain how it could be used to show
her social class. [4]
(c) Explain how an actor playing the role of Anna in this extract, could communicate her
character to the audience. [15]
In your answer refer to:
 character motivation
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 voice
 movement
 Interaction.
(d) Explain how at least one key scene can be designed for a thrust stage. [15] In your
answer refer to:
 structure and style
 set
 mood and atmosphere
 how the play as a whole was originally staged.

Read Section 1- The Billy Goat’s scene:

Questions:
• As a designer, explain your ideas for costume, hair & makeup for this scene ( 6)
• As an actor, explain how you will use gesture and voice to portray the role of Mummy
or Daddy in this section. (6)

Read from P14 of the opening of scene to P15 All: General election.
• Questions:
• As a designer, explain your ideas for costume, hair & makeup for this scene ( 6)
• As an actor, explain how you will use gesture and voice to portray the role of Mummy
or Daddy in this section. (6)

Section 2, read from p 16 to 17

Questions:
• Identify 2 lines in this section as a whole that gives us information about the
background of the Dunbar family. What does this tell us about them? (4)
• As a director, explain how and why you will use the rehearsal technique of
FLASHBACKS (6)

Section 2- Page 18-19 - Dr Wynne and Maureen

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Question:
• As a designer, explain your ideas for set and props for this scene using a THRUST type
of stage. Refer to the atmosphere you want to create and colours that will be used to
help to this. ( 10)

Section 2- Page 19-21- Maureen and Simon

Question:
• As a director, explain what techniques you will use to highlight the contrasting
emotions of this section. Give reasons for your answer ( 10)

Questions:
• As a designer, draw Catherine’s costume and make-up + hair for this section.
• Add notes to explain your reasons and what this show about her character.
• Make reference to any key themes/issues that you want to highlight in your design.
• Ensure that you refer to COLOUR
• (8)

Section 3 Refusing to Eat

Read pages 22-24
Question:
Explain your ideas for directing and designing this section.
In your answer:
• refer to your chosen stage and production style/s.
• Identify key sections/units in the scene
• Director: Refer to positioning, pace, voice, movement, interaction, atmosphere.
• Designer: Refer to - set, props, lighting, sound, atmosphere (14)
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Section 4-First Admission to Hospital
• Read from P25 Opening of scene to P26 Catherine clings to Maureen
Question:
Explain how an actor playing the role of Nurse Curtis in this extract, could communicate her
character to the audience.
In your answer refer to:
• character motivation
• voice
• movement
• Interaction.

Read pages 26-27

Question:
• As a director, explain your ideas for presenting one of the monologues in this section.
Refer to the impact you would like to have on the audience. (6)

Section 11: Suicide Attempts- Pages 42-48

Question:
As a designer, explain your ideas for sound and lighting for this section for a stage of your
choice. In your answer refer to:
• mood and atmosphere
• how the play was originally staged ( any info in the actual script)
• sound: volume, effects, fade in/out
• lighting: position, colour, intensity, fade in/out, effect
(10)

Read the play from P45 Catherine: “Anna! Anna wake up!” to P48 End of scene.
Question:
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i Name two rehearsal techniques that a director could use to prepare an actor for the
role of Anna in this extract. (2)
ii Explain how these two techniques help to prepare the actor for this role in
performance. (4)
iii Explain how an actor playing the role of Anna in this extract, could communicate her
character to the audience. (15)
In your answer refer to:
 character motivation
 voice
 movement
 interaction

Read the play from P49 Beginning of scene to Dr Clegg: (aggressively) Feed…feed.
Question: What is a monologue? (1)
Question: As a Director, explain two pieces of advice that you would give to the Actor
playing Maureen in this scene (monologue). Give reasons for your answer. (4)

Read the play from P50 Dr Clegg: (aggressively ) Feed…feed to end of section.
Question
As a director and designer, explain how this scene can be performed on a THRUST stage.
(15)
In your answer refer to:
 Acting style of each character
 Positions and movement on stage
 Use of sound and lighting
 Atmosphere
 Intended audience response
 How the scene was originally staged.
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Read section 13: Catherine’s final moments:

Question:
As a director, explain how you will use movement and sound to create a suitable
atmosphere for this scene. (6)
Question:
As a designer explain how you will use colour to reflect the emotions of the scene.
Refer to set, props, costume, lighting. (8)

Read Section 14: The Billy Goats - A note of optimism

Question:
Explain your ideas for staging the final scene of the play.
Director: Overall ideas, use of space, relationship with the audience, intended audience
response, pace, atmosphere
Designer: Use of colour, shapes, materials, (symbols) to communicate meaning and/or
atmosphere to the audience.

Actor: Explain how you will deliver a monologue (John, Maureen, Patricia) Refer to your
use of voice, movement/facial expression, relationship with the audience.
(18)