Drama

Drama is all about developing individual, confidence, creativity, communication, and collaboration skills. At Moulton School we achieve this through practical, engaging and creative lessons, supported by extra curricula opportunities.

In Drama pupils will:

• Develop a range of theatrical skills.
• Work collaboratively to generate, develop and communicate ideas.
• Develop awareness and understanding of social, historical and political predicaments.
• Explore theatrical texts.
• Develop awareness and understanding of roles and processes undertaken in contemporary professional theatrical practise.
• Develop skills in evaluative and analytical writing.

The Drama department offers a well-equipped Drama Studio, a Drama Practise Room and the Lecture Hall. These spaces allow for pupils to work practically, and enhance their performance work with sound, lights, costumes and props. Drama is taught by 3 experiences subject specialists.

Key Stage 3

In years 7 and 8 students receive 2 lessons per fortnight.

The topics students learn about in year 7 focus primarily upon building drama, using conventions, and understanding where Drama originated from:

• Traditional stories: An introduction to storytelling and drama conventions.
• The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe: Developing skills in characterisation and using drama conventions. This is also, an opportunity to experience script work.
• Spears Sports: Using the fictional stimulus of the Spears Sports Factory, students create spontaneous and polished improvisations, as well as experiencing Teacher in Role and Theatre in The Round. This project also encourages students to consider environmental issues.
• Dracula: All about structuring drama: building a plot, establishing characters and developing mood and atmosphere. 
• Greek Theatre: Teaching students about the origins of drama and theatre and what was needed to have a successful performance in an amphitheatre. Designing Greek masks, learning about choral movement, action, pause, reaction and building tension.
• Haunted Lift: Using a poem as a stimulus and exploring the different characters that connect to the stimuli. This also includes the creation of soundscapes, how to build atmosphere and create tension.

The topics students learn about in year 8 focus primarily upon the purpose of theatre, and theatrical styles: 

• Melodrama: An introduction to this theatrical genre: over the top movement and expression, miming to music, using asides and audience interaction. 
• Naturalism/Epic Theatre: A comparison of the two styles exploring the key ideas of Stanislavski’s naturalism (fourth wall concept and magic if) and Brecht’s Epic Theatre (alienation techniques and shattering the fourth wall.) 
• Physical Theatre: Developing physical theatre: movement and imagery that shows or creates objects, emotions, atmospheres and communicates a message. 
• Missing Dan Nolan: Introductory to a play and playwright, exploring the story and themes of the play and the playwright’s intentions.  Complete rehearsal log.
• Bentley Case: Exploring the social and political implications of the Derek Bentley Case.
• The Hunger Games: A consideration of utopia and dystopia leading into an exploration of the characters within the novel.

Parental advice - Students are encouraged to complement their learning and experience of theatre, by getting involved in extra curricula trips and activities, such as the school production, Year 7 and 8 Drama Club, and the Pantomime Trip. Success is celebrated with monthly ‘Drama Star of the Month Awards.’

GCSE

In years 9 and 10 students receive 5 lessons per fortnight, targeted towards preparing students for the OCR GCSE qualification.

The topics students learn about in year 9 are:

• Pantomimes (C1): Students explore the origins of pantomime, looking specifically at Commedia Dell’arte and Jacques Lecoq; before staging their own pantomime.
• Too Much Punch (C2): Students explore the context, social issues and playwright’s intentions, before selecting 2 extracts to prepare for performance.
• Blood Brothers / live performance review (C3): A detailed theoretical and practical exploration of Blood Brothers, in preparation for the component 3 written exam paper, in which pupils are required to write about their ideas for staging the play. Pupils will also prepare for the second part of the written exam paper which is the live theatre review.

The topics students learn about in year 10 and 11 are:

• DNA (C2): Students explore the context, social issues and playwright’s intentions, before selecting 2 extracts to prepare for performance. Students also develop skills in responding to the Pro Forma Questions.
• Devising Workshops C1): Teaching pupils are styles/genres, and devising techniques.
• Devising Examination (C1): Students prepare for their devising examination (30% of the final grade), and working record.
• Scripted Performances (C2): Students explore and prepare 2 extracts from a script.  Students compile a Concept Pro Forma. 
• Blood Brothers / live performance review (C3): A detailed theoretical and practical exploration of Blood Brothers, in preparation for the component 3 written exam paper, in which pupils are required to write about their ideas for staging the play. Pupils will also prepare for the second part of the written exam paper which is the live theatre review.

Parental advice - Students are encouraged to complement their learning and experience of theatre, by getting involved in extra curricula trips and activities, such as the school production.  Students can find exemplar materials and further guidance on the google classroom. Success is celebrated with monthly ‘Drama Star of the Month Awards.’