Brisbane Girls Grammar School
Yr 8 Semester Programme
Drama Speaks…Drama Moves…Drama Connects
Written by Katrina Riveros, Emma Pattemore and Penny Murphy
Lesson Plans for 10 Week Term
Week 1 + 2
Lesson 1 – 6
Introduction activities
Drama Games
Drama Speaks
Week 3
Lesson 7
WARM UP
Begin lesson with a name game eg bang.
Stimulus
Teacher writes on board
Rites of passages – marks a time when a person reaches a new and significant change in his/her
life.
BRAINSTORM
In groups of four students brainstorm a variety of “rites of passage” that they have experienced.
Discuss some of these as a class.
PHOTOGRAPH
Each group selects one of their rites of passage and develop 3 photographs/freeze frames from
that occasion. Other students guess what was happening.
THE PRESENT
Discuss with students the significance of all of the changes/developments happening in their lives
currently eg becoming a teenager and going to high school.
As a class students discuss the following:
- the differences between primary school and high school
- the similarity between the two institutions
- how they felt on their first day of high school
-
what elements signify that they are no longer a child
what is the downside of moving into the category of teenager
STIMULUS
Provide students with an overview of the scripts Dags (do not tell them the name of the script):
16-year-old Gillian is struggling to deal with the awkwardness of adolescence and her desire to be
popular and beautiful. Will her humorous and disasterous encounters with Adam (the stud) and
Derek (the nerd) result in her finding happiness and self-esteem? This Australian comedy by
Debra Oswald was written especially for teenagers and presents issues that everyone faces while
growing up.
EXTRACT
Read the following extract:
I guess you’re all wondering why I’ve got this paper bag on my head. It’s cos’ I’m ugly. Hideous. A
whole lot of you are probably thinking “The paper bag’s a pretty melodramatic stunt.” And that’s
true, I s’pose. I’m a melodramatic person. But that doesn’t mean I’m not ugly too.
ROLE ON THE WALL
Students write about Gillian’s history, words to describe her personality, explore why she may feel
like this, and consider who may have influenced her feelings.
MOULDING
Reveal to students that Gillian is a dag.
In pairs one student moulds their partner into the perfect image of a dag.
Swap over.
Lesson 8
Begin with Mill and Seethe Warm Up.
GUIDED MIME
Dag walks into school at the beginning of the school day. She goes to her locker and things start
to go wrong eg books falling out, locker combination not working, finds old mouldy fruit etc. At the
end of the mime the boy of her dream walks by.
Now let the students rehearse and refine their mime. Show ½ class at a time, spread around the
room.
Audience gives feedback on effective moments and characterisation.
SCRIPT READING
Divide students into pairs and handout the Gillian and Bronwyn Scene (on following pages).
Students read aloud in pairs, twice.
DISCUSSSION
What kind of person is Bronwyn?
What new information do we discover about Gillian?
How would you describe their sibling relationship?
HOMEWORK
Write a character profile (handout) for Bronwyn / Gillian.
Gillian - struggling to deal with the awkwardness of adolescence and her
desire to be popular and beautiful
Monica – a dowdy, unselfconscious teenage girl
GILLIAN
Did you go out on the weekend?
MONICA
Nuh. Just mucked around at home.
GILLIAN
Would you rather have gone out?
MONICA
[shrugging] Could’ve gone ten pin bowling with my brother and his mates. Just as easy to
stay home.
GILLIAN
Yeh, I guess…
More silent eating. Gillian is deep in thought. Monica is deep in Tim Tams.
GILLIAN
Hey, do you ever get a kind of flash of what you’ll be like in ten years or twenty years? What
sort of person you will be?
MONICA
Just older.
GILLIAN
Maybe not. Maybe you’ll be really different. Like, you think about all the older people you
know. I bet they didn’t have any idea how they’d end up.
MONICA
No big deal. It’s obvious. I’ll end up as Miss Lipton – ‘the fat one’. The only real choice is
between teachers college or a ‘go ahead career in banking’. I guess I’ll go round to my
parents for Sunday dinner every week, go ten pin bowling once a week, save up for a holiday
in Fiji once every three years. That’s it.
GILLIAN
But Monica, that’s so depressing –
MONICA
Why? I like bowling. I’m only kidding when I say I don’t.
GILLIAN
Do you ever worry that you might never get a boyfriend?
MONICA
All that stuff’s overrated, Gillian.
GILLIAN
Oh yeh, I know. But still –
MONICA
Look, have a look around.
Monica waves her hand around the schoolyard.
All those drooby guys. Would you wanna touch any of them with a ten foot pole?
GILLIAN
Oh no.
MONICA
Right. Some of them might be okay if they’re kept at the right temperature for a few years.
GILLIAN
But it’d be nice to think you could if you wanted. Be sure you were rejecting them and not –
MONICA
Gillian. Do you really want to be like all of them? Look at them all. Getting worked up about
who’s going out with who, who’s the best looking. All that posing. I couldn’t be bothered.
GILLIAN
Nah…
MONICA
The way I see it, I’m developing qualities in myself that grow and improve with time. Not just
good looks that wither and fade with age.
GILLIAN
That’s fantastic, Monica.
MONICA
I just wouldn’t want to be beautiful.
GILLIAN
Oh, neither would I.
MONICA
Think of the pressure. It’d be terrible. I’d hate to be gorgeous.
Gillian - struggling to deal with the awkwardness of adolescence and her desire to be
popular and beautiful
Bronwyn – the motivated, good looking, intelligent older sister
Gillian’s bedroom. Gillian is lying on her bed hysterically crying in self-pity.
GILLIAN
It’s hopeless. I’m ugly. I’m fat. I’m boring. No one wants to know me. I wouldn’t want to know
me either.
Bronwyn runs in with a paper bag which she holds over Gillian’s face. She rubs Gillian’s back soothingly. Gillian is
limp and sniffy.
BRONWYN
Shh, shh calm down. C’mon breather deeply. Slowly. Gilly, why do you get yourself all
worked up like this? It hurts me to see it, mate. It upsets Mum too. She’s so worried, she’s in
there watching Gilligan’s Island.
GILLIAN
[wailing] Oh, Bronwyn, don’t make me feel guilty too.
BRONWYN
Shh, settle down. I’m just saying we all worry about you, kiddo.
GILLIAN
Can you reach that packet of biscuits under there?
BRONWYN
Biscuits! Gillian –
Against her better judgement, Bronwyn drags a packet of biscuits out from under the bed.
Gillian bites into one with delicious relief.
How many more secret food stashes have you got?
GILLIAN
Just these. The biscuits shaped like little pillows always make me feel better.
BRONWYN
You can’t keep using food to solve problems, Gilly.
GILLIAN
Don’t be so logical, Bronwyn. This is a major disaster.
BRONWYN
You have a major disaster about once a week.
GILLIAN
It’s hopeless. Don’t waste your time on me, Bronwyn. This is rock bottom. I’m just a huge
blob of nothing.
BRONWYN
You can’t keep talking like that, mate. You’ve gotta take control of your life. You’ve gotta throw
yourself into life. Be positive. Decide what you goals are and go for them. There must be
things you want, Gillian.
GILLIAN
I don’t know what I want…
BRONWYN
Adam! You want him – then go for it.
GILLIAN
C’mon. I haven’t got a chance.
BRONWYN
Be positive, Gillo. Grab what you want from life. What have you got to lose? You’re at rock
bottom anyway.
GILLIAN
I s’pose.
BRONWYN
Put yourself in my hands!
GILLIAN
In your hands?
BRONWYN
Operation Adam!
GILLIAN
Oh-oh.
Bronwyn stands Gillian up and starts going her up…doing her hair, putting make-up on her, as she talks
enthusiastically.
BRONWYN
You can’t sit around moaning after this guy. You haven’t got anything to lose by going after
him, have you? First thing we do is fix up how you look. You can do heaps with grooming and
the right clothes. You have to work for beauty.
GILLIAN
Adam’d never look at me as –
BRONWYN
Wait till I’ve finished with you. He’ll look at you in a whole new way. I’ll coach you. Teach you
how to chat up guys.
GILLIAN
[unconvinced] Thanks, Bronwyn.
Bronwyn starts holding clothes against Gillian, considering them.
BRONWYN
If we get things that are cut the right way, we can hide your big bum. Mmm…we want a nottoo-tarty dress with a slightly raunchy feel, without sacrificing elegance.
GILLIAN
Huh?
Bronwyn
Put this on. You can borrow it if you promise not to stretch it too much.
Gillian puts on high heels and speaks to the audience.
GILLIAN
At this stage in stories like this, everything’s meant to start getting better for The Ugly
Duckling. That’s me. I’m a beautiful swan now, right? Well, use your imagination. The trouble
is, I don’t feel like a swan. I fell like Gillian with goo on her face.
Name: ____________________________
Age: ______________________________
Physical description (eg height, eye and hair colour: _____________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Clothing:_________________________________________________________________
What others think of him/her: ____________________________________________
What they think of themself: _____________________________________________
Hobbies: _________________________________________________________________
Most embarrassing moment: _____________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Greatest moment: _______________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Name: ____________________________
Age: ______________________________
Physical description (eg height, eye and hair colour: _____________
__________________________________________________________________
Clothing:_______________________________________________________________
What others think of him/her: __________________________________________
What they think of themself: ___________________________________________
Hobbies: _______________________________________________________________
Most embarrassing moment: ___________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_____
Greatest moment:
_____________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Lesson 9
WARM UP
Knife and Fork
Book
Eye glasses
Calculator
Desk with stationary items
Leaking pen
IN ROLE INTRODUCTION
Students share their responses from the homework task of filling out the character profiles.
Based on the information given students are asked to consider how their ideas about Bronwyn
and Gillian could influence the way in which the characters speak. Moving around the circle each
student adds to our understanding of the characters by saying the following in role:
My name is ….. (Bronwyn/Gillian) and …… (Divulge further info about the character eg hobbies,
likes, dislikes).
PHYSICALISING THE ROLES
Students are taken through a simple Mill and Seethe activity.
Students focus on their own walk.
How do they move through the space?
How does their movement change when they are tired/excited/nervous?
Explore leading with different parts of their body.
What does this type of walk tell an observer about the person moving?
Students freeze and are asked to provide words that describe Bronwyn.
Students close their eyes and adjust isolated areas of their body to try and encapsulate Bronwyn’s
physicality.
Students move through space as Bronwyn. They are to enact her arriving at school, walking
through the corridors and getting her books out from her locker in preparation for class.
Take students through the same walking exercise and locker scenario as Gillian and note the
contrast in her physicality and actions.
CHARACTER FREEZE
Divide into groups of four/five. One by one students enter the performance space and say a line of
dialogue and adopt a frozen pose that is representative of Bronwyn in the following
circumstances:
1. When fighting with Gillian
2. When she catches Gillian wearing a terrible outfit.
3. When she finds out that Gillian has a crush on a boy
4. When she tries to make Gillian feel good about herself.
5. When she tells Gillian why she (Bronwyn) has a better life.
MIME
Students in their own space mime Bronwyn going through her wardrobe looking for clothes for
Gillian. What can she find that will fit?
IMPROVISATION
Students Freeze. Students who were reading as Gillian last lesson now find their partner and take
up a frozen position in response to Bronwyn’s frozen position. Bring the scene to life.
Week 4
Lesson 10
SCRIPT
Students are divided into pairs and read through the Monica and Gillian scene.
CLASS DISCUSSION
As a class, discuss what type of person Monica is. What might her image be? What might she
wear? Discuss how the 2 characters differ and therefore how contrast on stage can be created.
How did they end up friends?
CHARACTER EXPLORATION
Students are asked to imagine what Mon’s bedroom is like eg furniture, posters, cleanliness.
They are to create a mimed routine of Mon waking up and carrying out her morning rituals.
Half the class perform their mime to the remaining members.
What similarities are developing in the characterisation of Mon?
Swap over.
SENTENCE AT A TIME
Divide students into groups of five. Each group sits in a circle and explores the following topics to
develop the role of Mon further:
1. The best day of my life
2. The worst day of my life
3. My ideal man
4. The best book I read
5. Why I am friends with Gillian
PAIRS
Students are to explore the two characters in an improvised scenario. Students select one of the
following to rehearse and present.
1. Mon comes over to see Gillian but Bronwyn answers the door.
2. Mon organisers a surprise party with Bronwyn for Gillian.
3. Bronwyn tries to teach Gillian to walk in high heels.
4. Mon takes Gillian bowling.
Lesson 11
In pairs students are to select one extract from “Dags”.
With their partner students initially read through the scene and select which characters they are to
play.
Students are to apply the characterisation techniques developed in the previous lessons to their
scene.
Students rehearse work.
Lesson 12
Dags – Rehearse
Week 5
Lesson 13
Rehearse
Lesson 14 + 15
Presenting Assessment of Dags Scenes
Week 6
(Lesson of activities to link Drama Speaks into Drama Moves)
Lesson 16
Warm up
Gossip Mill.
Students are given the opening gossip that Gillian likes one of the cool guys at school. Students
are to rush around the space passing on the gossip about what they have heard about this
situation eg how she acts around him, what she has said to him, why she doesn’t have a chance.
STIMULUS
Read the attached extract to students.
LIFE BOX
Pass around a lifebox and students take out and use an imaginary object that would be important
to one of the girls from the extract.
MACHINES
As a class group students are to create a machine through the use of repetitive actions and
sounds.
1. Hairdryer.
2. Mobile phone.
MODELLING
In groups of five students are to prepare a fashion parade exploring the clothes and attitudes
adopted by the cool girls in the stimulus. Each student must model an “outfit” while another
member describes what she is wearing.
EVERYDAY ACTIVITY
Brainstorm different daily activities that the cool girls would complete every day.
Individually students perform this as a mime - concentrating on detailed movement. The mime
should last for 30 seconds.
Begin to experiment with the timing of movements by extending or shortening the time limits to
complete the routine. Students still need to maintain control and detail in their work.
GROUP ACTIVITY
Divide students into five groups. They are to take on the same roles from the stimulus and
develop a group mime routine which also demonstrates a manipulation of time – fast, medium and
slow. Students are encouraged to explore the characters relationships and attitudes and to follow
the conventions of telling a story.
Give each group one of the following topics:
1. Getting ready for a dance
2. Doing each other’s hair.
3. At the beach.
4. Shopping for clothes.
5. A birthday dinner.
STYLISED MOVEMENT
Working in the same group as above activity students are to devise a stylised movement piece to
accompany the attached extract.
Each group member is to teach the remaining members a daily ritual performed by one of the girls
eg putting on lipstick, checking self in mirror.
The movement should last for 8 beats and be quite robotic in nature.
Students should now combine the text and movements.
Divide the text equally amongst members and aim to move in unison.
Present work to the class.
1
Gillian…She’s alright.
2
I quite like her.
1
I didn’t say I didn’t like her.
3
I mean she’s…
4
She’s alright.
5
We haven’t got anything against her.
1
She’s a bit boring.
2
She’s dull.
3
Yeah she is a bit.
4
She doesn’t really try.
5
I mean look at her hair.
1
Oh god, her hair.
2
That time at Helen’s party.
3
Oh yeah.
4
It was incredible.
5
Ridiculous.
1
And Caroline went up to her and said…
2
What did she say?
3
I can’t remember, but it was hilarious.
4
And we all peed ourselves laughing.
3
And Gillian didn’t even know what we were laughing about.
5
It was so funny.
Drama Moves
Week 6 cont’d + WEEK 7
The following lessons are designed to teach students a step by step approach to “stylise”
movement. It gives them a good starting point with specific technical terminology so that they have
some form and structure when trying to choreograph abstract, stylised sequences. The following
is an overview of the stages used to stylise movement. Once they are comfortable they may find
their own ways of creating stylised movement but for many students, avoiding literal actions and
interpretations can be quite challenging so this structure will help them. This process can be used
for devising their upcoming “Witches” assessment.
Creating Stylised Movement Sequences
(Starting point was using Improvisations based on rites of passage/rituals. This
way students can begin with the familiar – literal, realistic form and then transform
them to a starting point using Freeze Frame. Otherwise, Freeze Frame on its own
is a good starting point.)
1. Improvisations based on rites of passage/rituals
2. 3 Freeze Frames highlighting key moments from these
3. Choose 3 key movements from each freeze frame
4. Breakdown of movements into counts (of 8), synchronize with group,
rehearse in straight line
5. Stylise each movement – robotic, puppet like, dream like, using new
position and different formation for each one
6. Add selected movement dynamics to each movement sequence.
 Repetition
 Locomotion
 Transference
 Pace (slow motion, fast motion, increasing and decreasing speed)
Reverse
7. Transitions – find a way to join sequences together.
Lesson 17 - 19
WARM Ups for the start of the following lessons
Who started the motion?
Machines
Impulse Response - Physical response on clap cue to movement words (with eyes closed in
own space). Example words – stretch, warp, curl, contract, bend, smother, twist etc.
GROUP IMPROVISATION
Returning to a topic discussed earlier in the term, students revise their own experiences of
rituals/rites of passage. List on board.
(Graduation ceremony, religious ceremony, double digit birthday, getting their own bedroom, first
kiss, getting ears pierced etc).
Divide class into groups of 4/5 and ask students to choose one rite of passage that they would like
to enact. Students create a short improvisation. Present one or two quickly to the class.
STYLISING MOVEMENT – STAGES TO SUCCESS
Transitions – decide how to move between each one
1. FREEZE FRAMES
Students now create 3 freeze frames depicting 3 key moments that represent their chosen
ritual/rite of passage. Present some.
2. KEY ACTIONS
Students now choose a movement or action (that goes for about about 5 seconds) that can
represent each Freeze Frame.
3. MOVEMENT BREAKDOWN
As a group they stand in one line and perform each of these 3 key movements so they are
synchronised. It may help to use counts of 8 to make sure you are in time with each other. You
may need to break the movement down into tiny parts.
You may present at this stage, if time allows.
************************************************************************************************************
FORMATIONS
Discuss what formations are with students. They are particular patterns that are formed by the
careful positioning of members of a group. They may stand in a circle formation, a diagonal line
etc. We use them on stage to create interest and to use space creatively. Brainstorm different
formations and get students to draw some on the board.
Ask students to return to their groups and to choose 3 different formations for each of their 3 key
movements.
BRAINSTORMING THE STYLES
Before going on to the next stage, it is necessary to have a discussion and brainstorm about the
“styles” (Robotic, Puppet-like, Dream-like) we are going to be working with.
Write the styles up on the board and brainstorm features of each with students.
Robotic – sharp, rigid, mechanical movements, bent elbows and knees used to make movement,
head very stiff
Puppet-like – strings attached to limbs, not in control of own movements, floppy like ragdoll once
strings are not pulled, head floppy and then wobbly once pulled up by string, unstable movement,
cute coll-like expression
Dream-like – floaty soft movements, sustained and flowing, not always a clear direction, on tiptoes
APPLYING STYLES
4. STYLISING THE MOVEMENTS
Ask students to now apply each of the styles to each of their 3 key movements. They should be
standing in a different position, in a different formation for each one. Let them choose which style
would suit which key movement. They may need to break the movements down further so get
them to use counts of 8 so that each member of the group performs the movement correctly. If
their movement before went for 8 counts, now it might be extended to 2 lots of 8 counts.
*************************************************************************************************************
5. ADDING MOVEMENT DYNAMICS
 Repetition
 Locomotion (making a movement travel, forward, backwards, sideways)
 Transference (let a movement transfer to another part of the body)
 Pace (slow motion, fast motion, increasing and decreasing speed)
Reverse (do a movement in reverse)
Let students try applying one or more of these to each of their movement sequences. They are
abstracting the movement further and extending it. Let them experiment and show a few around
the room till then get the hang of it.
Begin to polish each separate sequence, using the new dynamics. At this stage they might also
like to add Other Movement Elements:
 Levels
 Contrast (movement/stillness)
 Canon
Body percussion
6. TRANSITIONS
To create a finished, flowing movement piece, now get students to think of ways them might move
from Position 1 to Position 2 to Position 3. Get them to use 8 counts to move into position. They
might spin, float, march, crawl, any action.
POLISH AND PRESENT
Students should now have quite a long movement sequence that has started from the literal and
should now be quite abstract. You may wish to show their Freeze Frames and original key
movements first and then let them perform their Stylised Movement Sequences.
Week 7 cont’d
Lesson 20
WARM UP
Partner Disco Freeze
EVERYDAY RITUAL
Students act out their morning ritual from getting out of bed to leaving for school.
PLAYING WITH SPEED
Students perform this same routine again. Throughout, the teacher calls out Fast Motion, Normal,
Slow Motion and students explore playing with speed and how it affects their movement.
EVERYDAY GESTURES (From Zen Zen Zo)
 Divide class into groups of 5 around the room. They stand in a semi- circle formation.
 A person on the end begins by giving a gesture of any type
 Each of the succeeding people must then make this gesture 10% bigger than the person before them
 When it gets to the other end of the semi-circle, send it back again. In order for it to continue to get
bigger, it will have to change somehow.
Do this activity again, making the gesture 10% smaller each time.
STYLISED GESTURES
In their groups students now choose 3 gestures they would like to work with. They are to choose a
different formation for each one. They work through the steps from last lesson to create a small
stylised gesture sequences.
1. Choose and rehearse key movements for gesture in formations.
2. Apply a style to each one – robotic, puppet-like, dream-like
3. Apply the movement dynamics
Present to class.
Lesson 21
WARM UP
Create a class sound scape.
VERBAL DYNAMICS
Introduce verbal dynamics, seeing if anyone knows or can guess what might be involved. Write up
on board – Pitch, Pace, Pause, Volume, Emphasis
Discuss diaphragmatic breathing.
PLAYING WITH WORDS
Play with words such as push, pull, lean, shuffle explored physically and vocally.
ORCHESTRA OF VOICES
Class stands in a choir formation with teacher as conductor. Using a theme (fear), designate
different sounds to small groups. The teacher as conductor gives signals, cueing sound to
commence, increase and cease at different time, creating a Fear Soundtrack.
GROUP SOUNDS
Divide class into groups and give them themes to create a sounds cape.
Present to class.
Week 8
Lesson 22
WARM UP
Melding Activity in 3s.
GROUP PHYSICAL RESPONSE
Clusters and Freeze Frames as groups responding to following words:
 squeeze
twist
scrub
washing clothes
hanging washing
gather wood
MATILDA WOMEN
Handout text and read through. Discuss mood and context of the piece.
Teacher models how to apply verbal dynamics using this text by allocating text to groups and
instructing vocal work.
APPLYING MOVEMENT
Divide text among pairs. Ask pairs to find an action that can accompany the text. Ask them to work
on stylising the movement so it is not a literal interpretation.
Present these to class.
Washing Ritual
(from The Matilda Women by Sue Rider)
PART ONE
PART TWO
Gather wood, light fire
Boil water in copper
Rub soap on stains
Rinse, squeeze, rinse, squeeze
Bleach whites in blue
Sort wash into piles
Whites, coloured, wool, stained
Scrub clothes on board
Wring, shake, wring, shake
Starch stiff with flour
Lift clothes in basket
Lift clothes in basket
Hang clothes on line
Hang clothes on line
Hang clothes on line
Hang clothes on line
Images of washing
Lesson 23
Matilda Women
Students work in groups to devise their own version of vocal and movement work for “The
Washing Ritual”.
Lesson 24
Introducing and Guiding the “Witches” Assessment Task
Stimulus Lesson
1. Setting the mood: Teacher narration
(Play Zen beats)
 Students lie on floor, eyes closed. Focus and relax.
 Narration:
It is night. It is a dark, damp gloomy area. Puddles of stale rain water scatter the muddy shore. In from the
oceans edge the cave sits hidden in the cliffs. Secluded. Cobwebs hang from the ceiling. Fog drifts eerily
about outside. There is a cool breeze. A howling, tortured wind ripples through the silent night.
 Soundscape – get students to contribute sounds to create the setting.
 Continue Narration:
In the distance low glowing lamps are floating in all directions as the witches descend slowly and carefully
to their meeting place. They have business to attend to.
 End soundscape. Read “Witches” Text.
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing,—
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.
 Students are to think of what images come to mind, what mood is created. On piece of paper
they write down 3 key words in response to text and narration.
2. Group Freeze Frames
 In groups of 5-6 (assessment groups), students are to share their 3 key words and as a group
decide on 3 words as a group that encapsulates the mood, action and roles evident in the piece.
 Students create 3 separate freeze frames. They have to be in different positions each time.
They have to consider interesting use of space and levels.
3. Moving actions
 Students are asked to bring their freeze to life by creating a movement and sound in this
position for 10 seconds.
 Repeat this for each freeze frame.
4. Transitions
 Students now discuss what movement and sound they can use to move from one freeze to the
next. Consider moving all at once for one transition and one at a time for another.
 Present these
5. Introducing Text/Voice work
 Give each group copies of first 2 lines of verse. Give each group 2 verbal dynamics that they
are going to use in particular. Groups are to devise and rehearse vocal work.
 Share with class noting the use of different dynamics. Discuss effect.
6. Tying it together
 Students are to add this to the end of their movement sequence. They need create one more
transition into a new formation where they will choreograph movement for this text. They now
have one way they could begin their performance.
Other Ideas (could be used to start planning lesson 2)
Witches Machine
 In their groups, students create a “witches” machine. They enter space one at a time offering a
repetitive sound and action. Think of actions and sounds relating to what witches do. Consider
use of space and levels. Also consider how you can interlock or connect with someone else on
stage so it is like a machine.
 Play with speed.
 Now get students to think of how they can enter – altogether, one at a time, snake in a line,
huddling in a mob, from same/different sides etc.
 Put entrance together with Machine. At end get them all to cackle, then suddenly stop and
look at audience in scary way, then whisper “double, double, toil and trouble”.
 Rehearse whole sequence.
 This is another way they could begin or end their piece. This is also a good way of stylising as
machine actions are quite robotic. They could incorporate some of these actions
Stirring the Pot
 Students are to use sound and action only to mix the ingredients of the cauldron. How
many different ways can you achieve this.
 Try:
o Doing it in a dream like fashion
o Imagining the caldron in huge and in the middle of the whole group
o Imagining you each have a caldron in front of you
o Imagining you are inside the caldron
o Not using hands to stir
Week 9
Lesson 25 - 27
Students Devise and Rehearse
Week 10
Lesson 28 - 30
Students Present ASSESSMENT