Revision lesson aimed at the 12 mark question from Section A of the GCSE Drama Edexcel exam

1. Y11 DRAMA
PPE REVISION LESSONS
• Approaching the PPE in January
• Revision of Section B (As You Like It by William Shakespeare)
• Revision of Section A (The Crucible by Arthur Miller)
• In depth analysis of questions with exemplar responses
• Questions for you to try at home each week as homework
• Exam timings
• All lessons posted online
• Revision Guides for additional support

2. PPE Lesson 4 of 6 – what may I have missed?
Remember all lessons are posted to the blog and will
remain there for you leading up to the written exam
• 1 – Section B: 9 marks (As You Like It, Design element throughout the play)
• 2 – Section B: 6 marks (As You Like It, Performance skills, key moment of the play)
• 3 – Section A 14 marks (The Crucible, Design element in the extract)
• 4 – Section A 12 marks (The Crucible, Director question about a design element throughout)
• 5 – Section A: 9 marks (The Crucible, Director question about directing an actor playing a role in
a certain way in the extract and throughout the play)
• 6 – Section A: 4 and 6 marks (The Crucible, Performer questions playing different roles in the
extract and how performance skills can be used)

3. Who is this?
What Act is this?
What choice does this
character face?
How has Costume been used
to help us understand his
predicament at this point in
the play?

4. Who is this?
What Act is this?
What choice does this
character face?
How are performance skills
being used to show characters
emotions and relationships?

5. Who is this?
What type of character is he –
what’s his job?
What vocal skills does the
actor use to engage us?
How does his costume add
impact to the moment being
performed in this image?

6. Section A – 12 mark question explained
DESIGNER/DIRECTOR/PERFORMER
• This question is one of two
DIRECTOR questions. (9 and 12
marks)
• In the exam these are Section A,
9b (i) and 9b (ii)
• Don’t stress.
• All that the 9b(i) Director
question needs you to do is
write slightly differently than as
a performer, which you can all
do easily.
This 12 mark question, like the 9
mark also asks you about specific
choices in the extract for a
director. You will need to discuss
how a performer might play a
particular character in the extract
and the play as a whole. You will
need to think about voice,
physicality, stage directions and
stage space.

7. Examples of the 12 mark question:
Danforth has the highest status in
the play as a whole.
As a Director, discuss how the
performer playing this role might
demonstrate high status to the
audience in this extract and the
complete play.
You must consider:
•Voice
•Physicality
•Stage directions and stage space
(12 marks)
The character could be different
The ‘direction’ may be different
These will be the same

8. How do we indicate ‘high status’?
Vocally? Physically?

9. How do we indicate ‘high status’?
Vocally?
• Pace – slow and measured
• Range – even/calm/inquisitive
• Intonation – stressing words such as
‘you’ and ‘now’ for example – refer to
the extract
• Volume – rising when feeling
challenged, or to command others
• Accent – well spoken, he is an
educated man
• Tone –
frustrated/unbelieving/challenging
• Expression – Gasps of incredulity,
sudden changes in pace or tone
Physically?
• Gesture – pointing directly at the
accused, or at a confession – firm and
confident
• Expressions – Frowns, mock surprise,
stern and hard face – serious
• Movement – slow and measured,
matching his speech, or sudden turns
when evidence is revealed
• Space – at the centre of the space to
command it. At a higher level when
hearing evidence, seated when others
have to stand, opposite to the
accused.

10. Examples of characters and their traits:
• Danforth has the highest status in the play
• Abigail has power over others in the play
• Parris’s authority is being undermined in the play
• Mary Warren gains status during the play
• Reverend Hale doubts his decisions and actions in the play
• John Proctor struggles with his conscience in the play
• Elizabeth Proctor shows strength and understanding
• Giles Corey is independent and argumentative You should have revision cards for each
of the main characters in the play with
descriptions of them, and their
costumes