Improving Drama Skills
Session 1 – Using Mime Skills
Objectives: understand what physical skills are, use mime to explore and
develop physical skills, create and perform mime sequences, give and
receive feedback from peers
Key words: Mime, movement, actions, posture, gesture, facial expression,
body language, stance, stillness, tension, slow motion
Starter Activity – What are Physical Skills?
Students sit around a white board/flip chart. Teacher and students to
complete a mind map together of all the terms they can think of to describe
the physical skills used in drama. You should get a list including the
following: movement, actions, posture, gesture, facial expression and body
language. Try to push the students for some more advanced skills too such as
mime, stance, stillness, slow motion and muscle tension. Whilst creating the
mind map ensure the students know what is meant by all of the terms. Keep
the mind map throughout the sessions so you can refer and add to it.
Warm Up – Group Movement
Students find their own space and stand in the room. This activity is to be
completed in silence. Start by giving the instruction to LOOK around the
space and be aware of surroundings. They should fix upon different points in
the room to move between. On the next instruction to WALK they need to
walk to that point with purpose and focus and concentration. They keep
walking around the space as soon as they reach one point of focus they move
to the next ensuring they do not bump into anyone else.
The next instruction is to CHOOSE 2 people in the room and label them A
and B, they continue to walk with purpose to points in the room, but must
keep these two people in their sights. Change this into keeping moving whilst
maintaining a TRIANGLE between themselves, A and B. They then must
keep as CLOSE to A as possible whilst keeping as FAR AWAY as possible
from B.
Finally change the instruction so that students keep walking but must be
aware of everyone else in the room, they must decide without a vocal
instruction when to STOP and try and stop altogether.
Discuss how the movements changed each time an instruction changed, how
did the students feel – did this alter their movements?
Activity 1 - Mimed Actions and Reactions
Everyone finds a space on their own. The teacher should explain that this is a
mime exercise and therefore everything must be communicated using
physical skills. They must try to communicate the action, but also
demonstrate how the action feels to them creating a mood and emotion to go
with the action, E.g.
You are standing in a park on a cold day, someone hands you a warm coat.
A dog comes running over to you and jumps up, you stroke it and it sits by
your side. Give it a pat.
You sit down on the grass, it is scratchy so you jump up, unfold a blanket and
sit back down on it.
You take a flask out of a bag and poor yourself a hot drink, taste it and feel it
going down your throat.
It starts to rain; you hurriedly pack up your blanket and flask and take out an
umbrella. You walk home.
Discuss how the students used their physical skills using the terms from the
mind map. What effect does taking away verbal communication have on the
physical communication?
Activity 2 – Mimed Sequence in Pairs
Students get into pairs. They must now make up their own mime sequence
using the previous activity as a guide whilst adding in the dynamic of a
relationship. Examples might be: Two friends going to the beach for the day
or a parent and child on an outing to the Zoo.
Watch some examples. Students should give verbal feedback to each other
using the terms from the mind map. What skills are being used effectively?
What could be improved?
Activity 3 – Using Slow Motion
Students re-do their paired sequences, but must add a section of slow motion
into the story. This could be at a moment of tension as in “marking the
moment” or it could be for comic effect. The students must focus on
controlling the motion, exaggerating the slow pace and extending every
aspect of their movements and facial expressions.
Performances and Plenary
Perform the sequences with slow motion. Discuss how the slow motion
worked within the sequences. Was it easy to incorporate? How did the
movements change when they were slowed down? How did students find
controlling the movements in this way?