test 3

2. Practical Exploration
• characterisation of key roles including the use of
physicality and voice
● staging, levels and proxemics
● stage space
● entrances and exits
● visual and non-verbal forms of communication
• design elements
● relationship between performer and audience
● ways in which the playwright has structured the text and
uses elements such as plot, language, form, genre,
structure, style, characterisation and stage directions to
communicate ideas
● mood and atmosphere
● performance style and use of theatrical devices

3. Visual and non-verbal forms
of communication
• How can we use visual and non-verbal
forms of communication to communicate
the relationships between characters?
•Exploration of scenes where Alan first
meets Dysart and the nurse

4. Quick Q and A
• What is non-verbal communication, what
are the separate components?
• Why is it so important for
performance?

5. Quick Non-Verbal Exercise
• Stand in circle in Neutral, choose
emotion on the clap of hands show
emotion, repeat until it becomes natural
and flowing.
• Repeat for three other emotions, now
combine each emotion in tone flowing
performance, we should see clear and
natural emotions on display.

6. Visual and non-verbal forms of
communication
• Look at Act 1 Scenes 3 and 4
• How is Alan treated by
Dysart and the Nurse?
• Mime the scene first,
focusing on the movement,
gesture, facial expressions
and eye contact to show how
the characters react to each
other

7. Full scene in silence
• Look at the beginning of Act 1 Scene 7
between Dysart and Dora, and the end of
Scene 15 between Alan and Jill
• Act out the scenes without using any
dialogue
• Discuss and narrow down to 3 / 4 still
images, then begin to add more movement
to each still image. You must capture the
essence of the action and emotion.
• Peer evaluate

8. Evaluation
• Discuss what you have learnt about the
characters so far.
• How did just miming the scene help you
explore the characters and their
relationship?
• Who do you think the main protagonist
is?

9. Stage Space and Design
Elements
• How can we visualise how the
stage space is used in the play
to communicate the story and
journey of the characters?
• Look at the stage design from
the description in the text
• Study pictures of the stage
design from a recent
production
• Act out a scene from the play

12. Discussion of the Stage Space
• Why does the playwright choose to have
such distinctive areas in the staging?
• What could these areas symbolise?
• How does the stage space help the play
flow in terms of the time frame used?
• What mood and atmosphere is created
by having the characters on the stage
all of the time?

13. Exploration of the Stage Space
• Look at the start of Act 2, scene 22.
• Work out the movement of the
characters in the scene, using the
square and benches on the side.

14. Relationship with the Audience
• How can we understand moments in the
play when characters connect with the
audience?
• Exploration of opening monologue
• Experimenting with the stage space

15. Adding the Stage Space
• Working in groups of 3, divide the speech up
and decide how the character moves and
engages with the audience.
• Dysart’s speech at the start of the play, from
‘you see I’m lost’ to ‘Hesther’s visit’.
• Look at the stage direction – Dysart rises, and
addresses both the large audience in the
theatre and the smaller one on stage
• Now have just one person as Dysart, the rest
of the class be the other characters.
• Follow the stage direction He enters the
square. The light grows brighter

16. Evaluation
• What physical
conventions are we
using when we speak in
direct address?
• How does the
character engage with
the audience?
• Which dramatic forms
do we borrow from?

17. Continued Exploration of Stage
Space
• Look at the end of Act 1 Scene 6 from
Hesther ‘She’s an ex-school teacher’ to
the end of the scene
• Experiment with where the characters
stand in the exchange of dialogue, so
that it is clear to the audience.