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Drama

Drama

At Holte School, Drama is part of a faculty alongside English. Most members of staff in the faculty teach both subjects, and we continue to develop the clear links between English and Drama. We have a number of specialists teaching spaces, including two Drama studios, and a large main assembly hall, suitable for performances.

Curriculum Rationale: To engage students in the subject, creating a love of drama, embedding the skills and techniques needed for them to be successful in KS4 and post-16 study. Pupils will explore challenging and difficult topics, in a safe environment whilst pushing themselves creatively. Pupils work on developing a range of skills, including self-evaluation, script-writing, and communication skills. Pupils will engage with a wide range of drama texts from different periods and cultures.

 

Drama Department Aims

· To set challenging targets with high expectations for all pupils and staff’

· To offer a variety of teaching and learning approaches required to engage, challenge, and motivate pupils

· To provide a curriculum that allows pupils to understand and explore a wide range of drama texts

· To provide a curriculum that allows transition between Key Stage 3 and 4,

· To explore enrichment opportunities for all pupils regardless of barriers to learning

 

Staffing

Head Of Department: Mr G Edwards

Mrs S Jagpal, Mrs N Dhansey, Ms Y Sadique, Mr N Harrison, Mrs A Robinson, Miss S Hunter, Miss K Mohamed, Miss Q Saiyed, Mrs S Ali, Mr L Groves 

Miss J Shami

 

Key Stage 3

 

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Autumn 1

An Introduction to Drama: Mime and Drama Skills

 

Melodrama

Introduction to: Style, Genre and

Practitioners.

 

Autumn 2

Pantomime

 

Shakespeare and Script writing – genre based horror: Macbeth.

Introduction to Brecht, Naturalism and Physical Theatre

Spring 1

Issue Based Drama:

 

Issue based Drama: Social Media/Pop Culture

Reading/workshops of: Blood Brothers.

 

 

Spring 2

Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Script Work

 

Modern Play: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child/War Horse.

 

Reading/workshops of DNA.

 

Summer 1

Physical Theatre: Storytelling and Slapstick

 

Physical theatre: Curious Incident

 

Reading/workshops of Modern Play – The Crucible.

.

 

Summer 2

Summer Showcase: amalgamation of skills developed in Y7 and create a performance.

 

Summer Showcase: Theatre in Education

Summer Showcase

Key Stage 4

YEAR 10 

BTEC Performing Arts Tech Award  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn Term 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Component 1 & 2 

Blood Brothers 

 

 

 

 

 

Preparation for Component 1 & 2. 

Workshops. 

Filmed rehearsals of prepared scenes from the play. 

Final performances of selected scenes. 

Actors/learning logs. 

Supported by written evidence/analysis. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Term  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Component 1 & 2 

Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night Time 

 

 

 

 

Preparation for Component 1 & 2. 

Workshops. 

Filmed rehearsals of prepared scenes from the play. 

Final performances of selected scenes. 

Actors/learning logs. 

Supported by written evidence/analysis. 

Pearson Set Assessment (PSA) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Term  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Component 1 & 2 

Teachers 

 

 

 

 

Preparation for Component 1 & 2. 

Workshops. 

Filmed rehearsals of prepared scenes from the play. 

Final performances of selected scenes. 

Actors/learning logs. 

Supported by written evidence/analysis. 

 

 

 

 

 

Year 11 

BTEC Performing Arts Tech Award (Acting) Component 3 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn Term 1 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Component 1 – Exploring the Performing Arts 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Formal assessment of Component 1 

Pearson Set Assessment (PSA) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn Term 2 

 

 

 

 

 

Component 2 – Developing Skills and Techniques in the Performing Arts 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Formal assessment of Component 2 

Pearson Set Assessment (PSA) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Term 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Component 3 – Responding to a Brief 

 

 

 

 

Devising 

Rehearsals 

Actors Log/analysis 

External Assessment 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Term 

 

 

 

 

 

Component 3 – Responding to a Brief 

 

 

 

 

Continued rehearsal and final performance – Performance date TBC 

 

Drama suggested reading lists 

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Term 1

 

Jean Dorey; Etienne Decroux; Jean-Louis Barrault; Marcel Marceau; Robert Speller; Pierre De

Fontnouvelle The Mime  R. Speller, 1961

 

Allardyce Nicoll Masks, Mimes and Miracles: Studies in the Popular Theatre Cooper Square Publishers, 1963

Michael R. Booth. Theatre in the Victorian Age Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991

 

W. Davenport Adams, ‘The Decline of the Pantomime’, The Theatre 1 February 1882

 

Gerald Frow. “Oh Yes It Is!” A History of Pantomime London: BBC, 1985

 

– Staveacre, Tony Slapstick: the illustrated story of knockabout comedy 1987

 

 

 

Term 1, 2 & 3

 

Robert McKee, Story

 

Keywords: Facial expression, Movement, Gesture, Interaction, Voice, Accent

 

Bordman, Gerald. American Musical Theatre.

 

Green, Stanley. Broadway Musicals Show by Show: Sixth Edition.

 

Kantor, Michael and Maslon, Lawrence. Broadway: The American Musical.

 

Stempel, Larry. Showtime: A History of the Broadway Musical Theatre.

 

Miller, Scott. Strike Up The Band: A New History of Musical Theatre.

 

 

 

Noughts and Crosses, Malorie Blackman

Peter and the Starcatcher, Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, J.K. Rowling

The Curious incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Mark Haddon.

DNA, Dennis Kelly

Blood Brothers, willy Russell

Behind the Wire, Jo Hardy

Inside Sam’s Head, Marsali Taylor

It’s My Party and I’ll Cry if I want To, Jo Hardy

KS4

Term 1

 

Aston, Elaine & Savona, George, Theatre as a Sign-System: A Semiotics of Text & Performance (London: Routledge, 1991

 

Carlson, Marvin, Performance: A Critical Introduction (London and New York: Routledge, 1996)

 

Counsell, Colin & Wolf, Laurie, Performance Analysis: An Introductory Coursebook (London: Routledge, 2001)

 

Freshwater, Helen, Theatre and Audience (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009

 

Kelleher, Joe, Theatre and Politics (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009

 

Keywords: Greek Theatre, Bollywood, Choral, Movement, Unison, Shakespeare, Staging, Commedia Dell’ Arte

 

Term 2

 

Merlin, Bella, The Stanislavsky Toolkit (London: Nick Hern, 2009)

 

Whyman, Rose, Stanislavski – the Basics (London: Routledge, 2012)

 

Stanislavsky, Konstantin, An Actor’s Work (London: Routledge, 2008)

 

Bogart, Anne and Landau, Tina, The Viewpoints Book, (New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2005)

 

Lecoq, Jaques, The Moving Body. (London: Methuen, 2002)

 

Whitmore, John, Directing Postmodern Theatre (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1994)

Performance:

 

Keywords: Characterisation, Movement, Voice,

 

Andrews, John F. William Shakespeare: His World, His Work, His Influence. 3 vols. New York: Scribner, 1985.

 

Eastman, Arthur M. A Short History of Shakespearean Criticism. New York: Random, 1968.

 

Holland, Norman, et al. eds. Shakespeare’s Personality. Berkeley: Univ. of California Press, 1989.

 

Styan, J. L. Shakespeare’s Stagecraft. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1967.

 

Young, David. The Action to the Word: Structure and Style in Shakespearean Tragedy. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1990.

 

Keywords: Elizabethan, Globe

 

Term 3

 

State of the Nation: British Theatre Since 1945 by Michael Billington

 

Stages in the Revolution: Political Theatre in Britain Since 1968 by Catherine Itzin (Methuen, 1968)

 

Other Theatres: The Development of Alternative and Experimental Theatre in Britain by Andrew Davies (Macmillan Education, 1987)

 

Taking Stock by Max Stafford-Clark and Philip Roberts

 

The Royal Court Theatre and the Modern Stage by Philip Roberts (Cambridge University Press)

 

Keywords: Issue, Reflection,

Careers in the Performing Arts Drama – How can Drama benefit you? 

Jobs directly related to the Performing Arts include, among many others: actor, community arts worker, dancer, music therapist or theatre director. 

 The majority of professionals in the industry work within the context of short-term or freelance contracts moving between different jobs and different fields. Due to the way the industry works, many opportunities come from word of mouth rather than job advertisements. Jobs can be found through networking, attending auditions, collaborating with other artists or even putting on your own shows. 

Salaries depend largely on the type of role and the size of production and are enormously difficult to calculate. A theatre actor’s wage, for instance, depends largely on the size of the theatre. 

However, it doesn’t stop there, and those with qualifications within the Performing Arts don’t always fall into the main occupations. Other careers include:  

  • Broadcast/media sector 
  • Presenters 
  • Journalism
  • Creative writing/scriptwriter 
  • Theatre stage management
  • Management/leadership roles
  • Marketing
  • Youth work
  • Law
  • Events Management
  • Teaching/Training (Further education or school)
  • Tourism
  • Public Relations