DUNOON GRAMMAR
SCHOOL
Drama
How to Pass Higher Drama
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Introduction to Higher Drama
Higher Drama involves similar tasks to those that some of you may have done in
Intermediate Drama but there are many elements which will be completely new.
There are various internal assessments – that is, done as part of your school work –
which have to be passed before you can progress to the next stage of the course.
What exactly does the Higher Exam involve?
There is one written paper which contains three sections:
Section A consisting of an essay about your set text. This is worth 20 marks.
Section B consisting of a Dramatic Commentary of 2 – 3 pages from your set text.
This is worth 20 marks.
Section C consisting of an essay about themes and issues in Contemporary Scottish
Theatre. This is worth 20 marks.
You are allowed 2 hours and 30 minutes to complete this paper.
There is also a practical examination where you will be expected to perform two
contrasting roles; one from your set text and one from a Contemporary Scottish
Theatre Text. Each performance is worth 20 marks.
You should use this unit in class but
also at home. You should try to
complete as many example essays,
ground plans and dramatic
commentaries as possible.
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There is an old Chinese saying:
I hear and I forget
I see and I remember
I do and I understand
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Exam Preparation for
Section A
Lovers by Brian Friel
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Types of Exam Questions
In the exam you will be expected to write an essay based on the set text that you have
been given by your teacher. You will be given 4 questions to choose from which can be
categorised into 8 broad headings.
•Themes/ Issues
•Genre
•Characterisation
•Staging
•Structure and Language
•Significant Moment
•Historical & Social Issues (Written)
•Historical & Social Issues (Set)
You will have approximately 45 minutes. In this period you must:
•Select a question
•Plan your answer
•Write the essay
•Check over your essay for errors
It is never possible to predict exactly what type of questions will be asked so you
must ensure you cover a variety of categories in your study.
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Becoming Familiar with the Exam Paper
Section A offers you choices. You are only required to answer 1 question. This had
advantages and disadvantages.
The advantage is that you are not forced into doing something that you feel
apprehensive about.
The disadvantage is that you :
•May waste time wavering about which options to choose
•Not choose the best question for you.
The General Instructions at the beginning of the Exam Paper
Answer one question from this section. Your answer should be based on the
prescribed text. You should answer from the perspective of a director or an actor in
preparation for a performance.
Your answer to Section A should be written on pages two to seven of the Answer
Book. Additional paper can be obtained from the invigilator.
What You Should Know
You MUST write the number of the question you have chosen, otherwise you are at the
mercy of the Marker, who then has to decide which question you are answering, and
mark it as if it were that one.
Skills that will be assessed in every answer
The relevance of your essay to the question you have chosen.
Knowledge and Understanding of the text
Your Directorial Interpretation of the text.
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Reading the Question Paper itself
Now for the questions themselves. There is a definite advantage to be had by reading
all the questions relevant to you before you start.
That sounds like a extreme misuse of your precious time, but it’s not. In fact it will save
you time and you will be more able to think.
Let’s assume that you have studied a significant moment, themes and issues and the
historical and social issues. If you go straight to question 1 which is a significant
moment question and begin to answer you may find later on that there was actually a far
more suitable question for your knowledge. That’s why you must take a quick read of all
the questions. It may also be helpful to put a ‘X’ next to those that you definitely can
not answer, a ‘?’ next to those that you could attempt if there is nothing more suited
and a ‘’ next to those which are extremely suited to you. Hopefully once you have read
all four questions you will have at least one tick next to one of the questions.
Essential Skills
1.
Understand the main ideas and central concerns of your text
2.
Sustain a relevant argument, or line of thought
3.
Engage with the text through directorial concepts
4.
Produce evidence to support your line of thought
1. UNDERSTANDING
At Higher level, you have to understand not just what happens in the text, but be able
to see what its central concerns are. The events might be about the relationship
between Mag and Joe or Hannah and Andy, but the central concerns could be the power
of the church. You could call these themes. A theme is not just a single word or idea –
‘old age’ is not a theme, but ‘the triumph of old age’ could be. Your understanding must
include an understanding of the themes of the text.
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2. RELEVANT LINE OF THOUGHT
Relevant is a word that you are going to come across time and again in talking about
this exam. Obviously it means that what you write as an essay must be an answer to
the question you have been asked and not a complete packaging of everything you
know about the text. ‘Line of thought’ is your answer, your ‘argument’. A lot will
depend on the structure of your essay, which in turn will depend on paragraphing and
linkage.
3. ENGAGEMENT AND DIRECTORIAL CONCEPTS
Your engagement with the text is shown in your ability to discuss the text through
your directorial concepts.
•Lighting
•Sound
•Properties
•Make-Up
•Set Design
•Costume
•Pre Performance
•Acting
4. EVIDENCE
You have to know your text well enough to be able to refer to it in detail as evidence
for points you make in your answer.
References do not always have to be in the form of direct quotations from the text,
although sometimes these are necessary. Reference can be made to a particular
incident to prove a point. You will need to learn some quotations, but there is an art to
choosing the most useful ones.
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What are the examiners looking for?
Below is an example of a question from the 2007 paper.
Choose a character from your prescribed text whom you would
consider brave or cowardly. Give reasons for your choice. As an
actor, how would you communicate these characteristics in your
performance?
The question is in two parts, an A section (Choose a character from your
prescribed text whom you would consider brave or cowardly. Give reasons for
your choice. ) and a B section (As an actor, how would you communicate these
characteristics in your performance?)
The equation is simple. The essay is worth 20 marks, therefore you must make 10
‘A’ points relating to the question, a quotation from the text that ‘backs up’ your
point and 10 ‘B’ points with a full explanation of how your directorial concepts
would highlight these points.
Option 1 - Treat your essay as if it two separate essays.
‘A’ Points
A Point – Using the
wording from the
question you discuss why
your chosen character is
brave or cowardly.
Quotation – You use
exemplification from the
text that back up your
point.
Multiply this by 10
‘B’ Points
B Point – You fully explain
how your directorial
interpretation will
highlight your A points.
Ensure you have 10
separate directorial ideas
that link closely with the
first section of your essay.
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Option 2
Think of it like a
sandwich.
A Point – Using the wording from the
question you discuss why your chosen
character is brave or cowardly.
Quotation – You use
exemplification from the text
that back up your point.
B Point – You fully explain how
your directorial interpretation
will highlight your A point.
You should try to complete 9 – 10 of these mini sandwiches for a
full and complete essay.
Common Mistakes
There is no point in trying to predict what the questions might be – there is an
never-ending range of possible questions. There is even less point in writing a
general essay on your text, preparing it, and then using it while not considering of
the question. The short cuts which your friends may pass onto you, such as ‘Just
learn your essay, but make the first paragraph sound as if it’s going to answer the
question’ is desperate and dangerous advice. The markers may be tired, it might
be late, but they are going to spot that one straight away. Please do practice
writing essays; you have a lot to learn by doing so, but don’t presume that you can
use any of them again in the exam.
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Mastering Your Text
How well do you know your text? Very well.
How do you get to know it very well? Not just by reading it.
What do you have to do? Make organised and sensible Study/Revision notes in an
easily manageable format.
If you simply read your text over and over again, no matter how often, you will not be
well prepared to answer a question. One thing you can be absolutely sure of is that
you will not get a question which asks you to:
‘tell the story of this text’.
If you simply read your text and your notes over and over again, you will still not be
well prepared to answer a question, because you are not going to get a question that
asks you to:
‘Tell the marker everything you know about the text’.
In order to write a strong essay, under exam conditions you must do more!
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Organisation
You have to organise the material you have so that you can quickly select the areas of
your text you need to answer a specific question.
A good way of doing this is in a ring binder folder with dividers. Your sections should
be the 8 broad categories discussed on page 5.
There is a lot of effort involved in this exercise, but it is well worth doing it properly
as it will save you time later.
You could organise your material in a mind map/spider diagram or table (shown later
on in Section A) or you could collate all your information in a ‘flip’ book (instructions on
how to create on of these can be found in Section C).
See below and over the page for a list of headings you could use for your notes.
Headings & Sub-headings for Study Notes
Themes (message) – Social
Themes (message) – Political
Themes (message) – Moral
Themes (message) – Personal
Character – traits - weaknesses, strengths
Character – relationships – contrasts, friendships, conflicts
Character – revealed by – soliloquy, aside, dialogue, actions, stage directions
Character – role – hero(ine)/ catalyst
Character – actor input
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Setting – in text – in time, in place, on stage – how ‘real?’, social, moral, stage
directions, mood
Setting – in performance – staging, lighting, sound, pace, director’s input
Structure – conflict – ideas, characterisation
Structure – key scenes – origin, action, consequences, impact, placing
Structure – plotting – contrasts (character), contrasts (scene), role/use of character,
exposition, development, climax, resolution, revelation of past
Audience – participation – 4th wall, directly addressed, in the round, narrator
Language – realism – colloquial, heightened, poetic, use of song
Language – Style – thematic images, metaphor
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Choosing Quotations
As you will have gathered by now, references to the text do not need to be in the
form of quotations. Reference can be made to detailed and specific descriptions or
incidents.
However, there are many occasions where a quotation is going to be necessary.
When you are working on your text to organise and gather your study/revision
material, it is at this stage that you should add your quotations. You need quotations
which can illustrate the ideas/points you have made. As you read through a play,
there will be certain points at which one of the main characters says something
really important to your understanding of the scene – it might be about a decision,
or an emotion, or another character. You should make a note of these.
There will eventually be too many quotations for you to learn and remember, but
that doesn’t matter. What is important that by studying the text you have learned
more about them and you can begin to slim down the number of quotations you have.
You may find that a quotation can prove two or three points, so this is an efficient
use of material.
If you have many quotations that back up similar points, it is advisable to choose
the most important quotations.
You can shorten your quotations to the bare essentials. It is better to have a
number of well chosen short quotations that two or three long ones.
Presenting Quotations
If the quotations you are using to illustrate a point is short then you simply include
the quotation in the sentence it belongs to. But if you have an extended quotation it
is better to separate it out from the body of your answer by taking a new line
and indenting the quotation.
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Essay Practice
We will now go on to look at practising essays for this section of the exam. You
should ensure that you know exactly what directorial concepts you are going to use in
your production of your set text.
You should spend more time of the use on voice and movement for actors as these
are the most important tools available to an actor.
Let’s begin by looking at the question from page 5.
2. Choose a character from your prescribed text whom you would consider brave or
cowardly. Give reasons for your choice. As an actor, how would you communicate
these characteristics in your performance?
1.
Take a blank piece of paper and write down the key word or phrase from the
question in the centre of the paper. In this case it would be ‘brave/cowardly
character’.
2.
You should then draw 10 branches coming from that central point. Each branch
should contain a point about why you consider this character to be brave or
cowardly. You should refer to the character’s actions and the consequences in
the play. You could also discuss how this bravery/cowardice relates to
themes/issues, relationship to and influence on other characters, their
importance in the plot, their development throughout the play.
3.
You should then provide a quotation or textual reference for each point made.
These 10 points make up the ‘A’ section of your essay.
4.
You should now draw another ten branches coming from your
quotations/references and now describe how you would, as an actor,
communicate the identified characteristics through performance concepts.
Remember that this must be answered as an actor so you should only make
reference to – voice/movement, actor/audience interaction, use of space, use of
costume, props and make-up. This makes up the ‘B’ part of your essay.
It should be noted that some characters go on ‘moral journey’ and you could
argue that they change throughout the play.
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‘A’ Points
Quotation
‘B’ Points
Brave/Cowardly
Character –
Hannah
If this format does not suit your essay planning
you could try using the table over the page.
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Section A Essay Planner
‘A’ Point
Quotation
‘B’ Point
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Now that you have your essay plan you should now write your essay in full. Quickly
decide in what order you will place each ‘mini sandwich’ so that you have a relevant line
of thought. See over the page for linking words to join your paragraphs together. Now
look at the ‘Essay Writing Guide’ overleaf to help expand your notes into a fluent and
well-structured essay. If you can achieve this, the more likely you are to convince the
marker that you really know what you are talking about.
Leave space at the beginning for your introduction which is easier to write at
the end of your essay along with your conclusion.
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Essay Writing Guide
Paragraph 1: Make a statement again using words from the question and also telling
the examiner what you intend to examine.
‘From this statement it should be clear why you feel this character is brave or
cowardly. By using the wording from the question you are signifying to the examiner
that you wish to be awarded marks for this next point.
You must then find a quotation which quite clearly proves your point.
You should now state what performance concept(s) you wish to use to communicate
this characteristic to an audience. You must make your ideas absolutely crystal clear
to the marker. You must justify your choice of design by clearly stating how it would
illuminate the characters personality.
Well Done!
You have now gained yourself 1 – 2 marks. (It is possible to gain two
marks for each point if fully analysed and explained)
Paragraph 2: Discuss another reason why you feel your chosen character is brave or
cowardly. Remember to use the wording from the question.
Find an appropriate quotation.
Describe what design concept you will use to communicate your character’s
personality.
You should continue with this structure until you have 10 clear paragraphs.
Linking Words/Phrases
The reason for this is…
From this, we can note that…
Secondly. Thirdly etc.
Moving on…
The reader can see from this that…
The author writes …. Because….
Another…
Also…
Therefore…
Significantly…
We can see from this that…
The writer then moves on to…
Next
Obviously, this shows that…
This shows that…
Following this…
Then…
This then means that…
Penultimately (last but one)
Later…
It can be noted/ said that…
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Essay Writing Guide (continued)
Writing your Introduction
Begin by making a statement telling the marker the title of the text you will be
discussing and the name of the author. Make sure you do this accurately – misspelling
the name of the author does not make a good first impression.
You then provide a sentence which rewords the question. This also ensures that if you
have forgotten to write the number of the question in the margin, the examiner will
have an easier time deciding which question you answered.
Your final statement should simply tell the examiner what you are going to discuss in
your essay. This statement is now very straight-forward as you have already written
the main body of your essay and you simply have to summarise the findings from your
‘A’ Points.
Writing your Conclusion
You should begin your conclusion by summarising what performance concepts you used
to communicate the brave/cowardly characteristic to the audience. You should finalise
your essay with an evaluative statement again using the wording from the question. If
your essay hangs together logically then there is no need for any lengthy conclusion.
Use of the writer’s name
When you are referring to the author after the first mention of her or his full name,
you should use either the surname, or the full name. You do not call the writer only by
her or his first name.
You should continue to practice essays in this way in preparation for
the exam. It may also be helpful to practise them in categories. On the
next few pages you will find past paper questions, categorise them
under the 8 headings given and create an essay plan for each. By
completing essays in this way you will discover which category is ‘easier’
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for you to answer.
Further Study Questions
1.
How does the play you have studied reflect the concerns of the time in which it was
written? Describe how, as a director, you would make these concerns relevant to
today’s society?
2.
Describe what you consider to be a moment of great dramatic tension in the text
you have studied. How, as a director, would you realise this moment in performance?
3.
Choose a character from the play you have studied. Describe how you would use the
text to support your interpretations and portrayal of this character.
4.
The structure and language of the play you have studied may pose certain
difficulties.
How, as a director, would you work on these aspects during rehearsals?
5.
To what extent would the stage directions and dialogue of the text you have studied
influence your own ideas for the staging of the play?
6.
To what extent does the text you have studied demonstrate the characteristics of
a recognised dramatic genre? How, as a director, would this affect your production
of the play?
7.
Describe the importance of the opening scene of your prescribed text. As a
director, how would you demonstrate the importance of this scene through the
staging and design aspects of your intended production? (2001)
8.
Describe the ways in which language and/or stage directions are used to create a
particular atmosphere in your prescribed text. As a director, how would the
language and/or stage directions influence your intended production? (2001)
9.
Choose a character from your prescribed text. Describe an important relationship
that this character has with one other character in the play? As an actor, describe
how you would communicate the importance of this relationship in your performance.
(2001)
10. How closely does your prescribed text reflect the dramatic and theatrical
conventions of the time in which it was written? As a director, how would this
influence your intended production? (2001)
11.
Describe the visual images which you would wish to create in your intended
production of your prescribed text. Explain how each of these images would help to
communicate your overall directorial interpretation of the text to the audience.
(2001)
12. Identify and justify what you consider to be the main theme in your prescribed 20
text. As a director, explain how you would highlight this theme and make it relevant
to a modern audience. (2001)
13. Choose a character from your prescribed text whom you would consider a
challenge to portray. Describe and justify the challenges of this role. As an actor,
explain how you would address these challenges in performance. (2002)
14. Describe the social and historical context in which your prescribed text was set.
As a director, explain how this would influence your production of the play for a
modern audience. (2002)
15. Choose an important scene in your prescribed text. Describe with justification the
ways in which you would want your audience to respond to this scene. As a
director, describe how these responses might be achieved. (2002)
16. As a director, describe how you would explore aspects of genre and its influence
on acting style in a practical workshop with your actors. (2002)
17. You are to direct a production of your prescribed text and have been given the
choice of a large proscenium arch theatre or a studio space with flexible seating
arrangements. Which performance space would you choose in order to realise your
design concepts and communicate important ideas in the play? (2002)
18. Explain the dramatic function of one or more minor characters in your prescribed
text. As a director, describe how this would influence your direction of these
characters in performance. (2002)
19. Choose a character from your prescribed text. Using textual clues, explain how
the character develops and/or changes throughout the play. As a director, how
would you explore the changes in this character in the course of the rehearsal
process? (2003)
20. Choose a character from your prescribed text who you would consider has a major
weakness or flaw in their personality. Justify this choice. As an actor, how would
this influence your portrayal of the character in performance? (2003)
21. As a director, give instructions to your design team on how you would want the
important themes of your prescribed text communicated through a range of
staging and design concepts. (2003)
22. Describe and justify what you think is the dominant style of genre of your
prescribed text. As a director explain how and why you would retain or adapt this
style in performance for a contemporary audience. (2003)
23. Identify significant features of language in your prescribed text. Explain how
these would influence your direction of the characters in the play. (2003)
24. To what extent was the playwright influenced by the social and historical
concerns of the time in which he was writing? Explain how these concerns
are reflected in the text. How would this influence your production? (2003)
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25. Explain how the playwright uses one or more characters to explore important
themes and issues in your prescribed text. How would you direct these characters
to communicate the themes and issues in your intended production? (2004)
26. You have been asked to direct your prescribed text. Explain and justify the
influences which will inform your directorial concepts. (2004)
27. Discuss the extent to which the historical and social conditions depicted in your
prescribed text influence the action of the play. As a director how would you
highlight these historical and social influences in a performance of the play?
(2004)
28. Choose a character from your prescribed text and explain his/her importance in
the play. As an actor, how would you develop the importance of the character
through rehearsal and/or performance concepts? (2004)
29. Describe and justify what you consider to be the climax of your prescribed text.
As a director how would you build towards and realise this climax in performance?
(2004)
30. Explain the significance of the setting and/ or stage directions of your prescribed
text. As a director how would you communicate this significance through a range of
staging and design concepts? (2004)
31. Explain the significance of the opening scene in your prescribed text. As a
director, explain what impact you would like this scene to have on the audience and
how you would achieve this. (2005)
32. Identify, with justification, a character in your prescribed text who is either
rebelling against or conforming to the society in which they live. As an actor, how
would you communicate these features of rebellion or conformity in performance?
(2005)
33. Identify, with justification, a scene of conflict between two characters in your
prescribed text. As a director, explain how you would work with your actors during
the rehearsal process to develop this scene for performance. (2005)
34. As a director, explain how you would create visual images in a production of your
prescribed text to communicate the central themes of the play. (2005)
35. As a director of your prescribed text describe ways in which you would create
particular moods or atmospheres through your staging or design concepts. (2006)
36. To which dramatic genres does your prescribed text belong? Describe the
features of this genre. Explain how these features would influence your
direction of the characters in performance. (2006)
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37. As a director, describe the dramatic impact you would wish to create in the final
scene of your prescribed text. Explain how your direction of the final scene of
the play would lead to this desired dramatic impact. (2006)
38. Who do you consider to be the most powerful character in your prescribed text?
As an actor, how would you communicate this power in performance? (2006)
39. Explain how and why the playwright uses humour in your prescribed text. As a
director, explain how you would communicate these elements of humour to the
audience. (2007)
40. Choose a character from your prescribed text whom you would consider brave or
cowardly. Give reasons for your choice. As an actor, how would you communicate
these characteristics in your performance? (2007)
41. Explain how an important scene in your prescribed text determines the fate of a
central character. How, as a director, would you highlight the importance of this
scene through a range of performance concepts? (2007)
42. Describe the significant features and uses of language in your prescribed text. As
a director, explain how you would highlight these features in performance. (2007)
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Exam Preparation for
Dramatic Commentary & Ground Plan
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Section B
Dramatic Commentary and Ground Plan
The Exam paper
Unlike Section A, the Dramatic Commentary and Ground Plan offers you no choices.
You must first turn to Section B of the answer booklet which will begin with a list of
the texts that can be studied as your ‘Study of a Text in its Theatrical Context’. You
will find space for your ground plan here. You must then find the appropriate extract in
the answer book which corresponds with your chosen text and write your dramatic
commentary in the pages opposite the script.
General Instructions at the beginning of the Exam Paper
•Draw a ground plan to show how you want the extract to be staged.
4
•Using the text itself and the blank page opposite, indicate your direction to your
actors, which should include:
- moves and interpretive notes for actors
7
- justification
7
- any important technical effects
2
What you should know about the ground plan
Use all the space you have available to draw a neat and tidy ground plan.
On the page opposite you should draw your ground plan which clearly shows all of
the following:
- positioning of the audience in relation to the acting area
- logical staging
- Entrances and exits
- Opening positions of characters for the extract
There is space under the list of texts that you should use to draw your key.
In the case of ‘Lovers - Winners’, commentators must be placed on stage.
In the case of ‘Antigone’, the chorus should be placed on stage.
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What should you know about the dramatic commentary
It is important that there is a clear correlation with Section A of the exam paper.
In other words there must be a relationship between your directorial interpretation
and how you actually direct your actors in your dramatic commentary. For example,
if you discussed in Section A that you would direct Mag to behave in a very outgoing
manner using lots of wild hand gestures and then directed her in a completely
different manner in the dramatic commentary the marker would be forced to
deduct marks from your total.
On the page opposite you will see three columns, one headed Moves and
Interpretive Notes, one headed Justification and the last one headed Technical.
Moves and Interpretive Notes
You must provide clear notes on moves and interpretive notes for actors, with clear
advice on voice, moves and positioning and relationships with other characters.
If no theatrical terminology is used then the marker is instructed to mark that
column out of 4 instead of 7.
If there are no notes on voice then the marker is instructed to mark that column
out of 4 instead of 7.
If there are no notes on moves then the marker is instructed to mark that column
out of 4 instead of 7.
If there are no notes on stage positions then the marker is instructed to mark that
column out of 4 instead of 7.
If there are no notes on your understanding of the text then the marker is
instructed to mark that column out of 4 instead of 7.
Justification
Full justification should be given, and should be in terms of motivation of the
characters (why they are behaving in that manner) within the extract, moods and
tensions and justification of any important technical effects.
Technical
You should give an indication of how the lights are at the start and conclusion of the
extract. These should be workable and detailed. The technical effects need not be
complicated, but should be entirely appropriate for the scene being staged.
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Preparing for the Exam
Now that you know what is required of you in the exam you can start preparing for
that section of the exam. This is the advantage of this section – you know what is
coming up. You know that you will be required to draw a ground plan and produce a
dramatic commentary. Yes, you don’t know what section of the text you will be asked to
write about but you know that whatever happens it will always be about your set text
Ground Plan
You should begin by drawing the outline of
the acting area. Remember to keep the
fourth wall open or a mark will be deducted
from you. You can show this fourth wall by
drawing a dashed line.
Traditional Proscenium Arch Stage
You may decide you want to use a less
traditional space for example a thrust or
theatre-in-the-round.
Thrust
Theatre-in-the-Round
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You should then add your audience onto your ground plan.
AUDIENCE
AUDIENCE
AUDIENCE
AUDIENCE
AUDIENCE
AUDIENCE
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You should now add on your entrances and exits.
If you are using door flats then this if fairly obvious and the symbol on your ground
plan will be very simple.
But if you are drawing an
exterior ground plan, for
‘Winners,’ where the action is
set on top of a hill then you
simply indicate where your
actors enter and exit the
stage from.
You should now begin to draw
any flats that you may be using
on the stage. If you are using
door flats then you will have an
idea already of where you are
placing these.
AUDIENCE
You should also add in any tabs
(curtains) that may be placed on
stage.
Remember flats should be used
behind window flats and door flats
to hide views of the wings or
cyclorama from the audience.
Using the universal symbols of ground
plans you should begin to add any
furniture or rostra that you wish to
use.
AUDIENCE
29
When you have added all of your scenery you should add in the starting positions of all
the actors within the extract. There is no need for you to write their full names, an
initial will suffice.
X.J
X.M
X.CM
X.CW
AUDIENCE
You should finish by drawing a key of all the symbols that have been included on your
ground plan including an explanation of the starting positions.
If you design your own just make sure you go through the checklist to ensure you have
included all the relevant information.
Common Mistakes
Ground Plan Checklist
•A - Audience
•L – Logical Staging
•E – Entrances & Exits
•O – Opening Positions
•K – Key
•Forgetting to check that all the elements
have been included
•Drawing a line across the fourth wall
•Not including all symbols on the key
•Drawing a ground plan of the wrong scene
•Not drawing it as a bird’s eye view but as
an elevation
•Unaware of sightlines and the workings of
the stage.
30
Technical Column
This is worth 2 marks in the exam and again can be prepared before the exam.
You should explain clearly how the lights are at the start and the conclusion of the
extract. You must indicate on the script when the lighting state takes place for
example, you should write LX1 before the dialogue begins to show that this is the
lighting state at the beginning of the extract. You should then write LX1 in the
technical column and describe where the lighting covers on stage and what the lighting
state looks like. You should explain why you have made these choices in the
justification column. This must be done on 2 levels:
The physical effect you hope to achieve, e.g. to create the impression of a warm day in
June and to light the faces of the actors.
The mood or atmosphere you hope to achieve, e.g. to communicate the warmth and love
between the characters.
If the extract begins in the middle of scene you should always state that the lighting
is already up as it is not the beginning of a scene. That is why it is important to know
your text extremely well.
Look at the examples below.
Justification
LX1 – Lighting is already up as it is not the
beginning of the scene. Medium yellow as it is a
bright Summer’s day in June on Ardnageeha Hill.
Justification
LX1 – Lighting fades down on Mag and Joe as the
action has moved to the commentators who are
about to impart information to the audience.
Spotlights are used on the commentators as it is
very stark and emotionless and this imitates the
manner in which the commentators deliver
information to the audience.
Technical
LX1 – Medium yellow wash
covering the whole rostra to
reveal Mag & Joe.
Technical
LX1 – Medium yellow wash
fades to black as two
spotlights DSL & DSR fade
up to reveal commentators.
Justification
Technical
LX1 – Lighting is already up as it is not the
beginning of the scene. Apricot as it re-creates an
interior lighting state. It is also fairly dark
creating a stifling atmosphere indicating the
suffocating mood of the scene. The spotlight
indicates Mrs Wilson’s importance in this scene
and her importance in the household.
LX1 – Apricot wash on Mrs
Wilson’s bedroom stage right.
Brighter spotlight on Mrs
Wilson who is in bed.
31
You should always include a concluding state for the lighting. This could be as simple
as the lighting state continues as it is not the end of the scene or lights fade to
black as the scene has finished.
The question states that you should include important technical effects so just
because you have discussed opening and concluding lighting states you can not forget
moments where a change in lighting is needed. An example of this could be where a
scene shifts action from Mag and Joe to the commentators or when we move from
the bedroom in ‘Losers’ to the kitchen.
Sound can be used in this column but is not essential.
Other lighting effects can be created using the colours below:
Lavender – Moonlight or romantic scenes
Mist Blue – Night scenes, cool wash
Glacier Blue – Cool atmospheric mood
Slate Blue – Moonlight and dusk
Alice Blue – Moonlight
Steel Green – Cold steely light, overcast days
Palace Blue – Dark moonlight
Bright Rose – Fire effects
Pale Rose – Lamplight
Moroccan Pink – Late afternoon sun effects
Loving Amber – Sunrise
Nectarine – Romantic sunset
Pale Amber Gold – Late sunlight
Straw Tint – Interior Lighting
Pale Yellow – Sunlight
Dirty White – ‘Dingy’ interior effect
Chocolate & Straw – Candlelight
32
Moves & Interpretive Notes Column
This is worth 7 marks in the final examination.
Begin by stating what your opening positions for your characters are. Write O.P.
at the top of this column and describe clearly where your characters are situated
at the start of the extract. This should correspond with your opening positions on
the ground plan. You should then describe what your characters are doing when
the extract opens. Are they sitting down, pacing backwards and forwards,
crouching, lying in bed etc?
Then mark 1 on the script exactly where you want the first move to occur, this
should correspond with 1 in this column. Continue this for each move.
In every move you must include 2 out of 4 from the list below:
•Abbreviated stage directions to place the characters on the ground plan, i.e.
USC, DSR etc.
•An indication of how the line should be delivered using appropriate voice
terminology, i.e. tone, pace, volume, pitch.
•An indication of how the character should move using movement terminology, i.e.
facial expression, posture, body language.
•Try to make reference to Acting Techniques that each character would use, i.e.
eye contact.
Using adverbs is a very good way of explaining what your intended directorial
interpretation is. E.g. Joe walks slowly or Mag sits up excitedly.
You will need to have approximately 25 moves.
Look at the examples over the page.
33
Proctor DSL facing audience turns to face Hale at CS. Voice falsely pleasant.
Sighing. Happy tone and slow pace. Low volume. They sit together – Joe with
his arm around Mag and her head on his shoulder.
Antigone rises up onto her knees and holds her head high, tone is sharp and
meaningful.
M moves DSR, picks up drum. Looks at it with confused facial expression,
speaks in slow, slightly upset tone of voice.
H moves back from P, looking at the ground and shaking his head in disbelief.
His voice is a bit softer in volume and the pace slow and broken with pauses.
The tone is unsure and slightly confused.
Joe takes his arms from Mag, frowning. Exasperated he pauses with every
‘and.’
Antigone looks Creon in the eyes and her words are delivered slowly with a
deliberate tone.
Petey uses an exasperated tone of voice and walks from the stairs CSL to the
chair CSL, sits down and picks up the paper on the table.
34
Dramatic Commentary Help Sheet
This sheet will provide you with the necessary terminology that you will
need for the Moves and Notes for Actors column.
Use a variety of techniques in each answer.
Abbreviated Stage Terminology
USR
USC
USL
CSR
CS
CSL
DSR
DSC
DSL
Movement Terminology
Type of Movement
Additional Information
Facial Expression
shows emotion
Gestures
shows emotion
Body Language
shows inner feelings
Posture
upright/slouched/relaxed
Use of Space
dominant/restricted
Eye Contact
full on/none
Voice Terminology
Voice Characteristic
Additional Information
Volume
Loud/quiet
Pace
Fast/slow
Pitch
High/low
Intonation
Modulating/flat
Tone
Emotion in the voice
Accent
Local/International
Emphasis
On a specific word or sentence.
Draws attention to it.
Pause
To have a silence
Fluency
Smooth/jerky
Clarity
Clear/muffled/slurred
Register
Formal/informal
Articulation
Crisp/slurred
35
Justification Column
This is worth 7 marks in the final examination.
In this column you will give reasons for the direction you have given your actors in
the Moves & Interpretive Notes Column.
Begin by marking O.P to correspond with the O.P from the Moves & Interpretive
Notes Column. The reasons/justification should be linked to the themes,
relationships and motivations of each character. You must justify on 2 levels:
Explain how your direction in the Moves & Interpretive Notes Column illustrates the
short term objectives or problems/issues, that the character is tackling.
Explain your direction in the Moves & Interpretive Notes Column illustrates the long
term objectives or problems/issues that the character is tackling.
What is the sub plot, hidden agenda, what is the inner turmoil that the character has
to cope with? Try to link your justification with themes and issues.
Now mark 1 to correspond with 1 on the script and the moves column. Continue this
for each move.
You will need to have approx.
25 justifications.
Look at the examples over the page.
36
Turning to face Hale shows Proctor wants to feel in control and almost
confront him to make him feel doubtful which enhances the dramatic tension.
Tone of voice shows him trying to cover up his obvious mistake and keep the
atmosphere pleasant.
Joe and Mag are happy to be together – this creates irony as the audience will
be aware that they have died.
She is proud of her actions and believes she has done the right thing and is
honouring her family and the Gods.
She is showing her childlike side, is upset her present to Stanley is broken and
is confused about when it was broken.
This shows H is becoming confused and is now unsure what to believe. This
illustrates the seeds of doubt being planted in H’s head and this is important
for what is to come later in the play.
Shows the couple’s ability to change – their bickering shows what they would
have been like in the future. This also shows that Mag cares little for Joe’s
future plans of university – think his knowledge is ‘junk’. Exasperated at the
situation shows inevitability of repression.
She does not have the same love for E. as she does for P., she does not care
about the state and therefore Creon.
Petey has had to go through the ordeal of Stan being taken by Goldberg and
McCann and now there are no cornflakes. His usual routine has been broken, he
tries to regain his routine by sitting and reading the paper.
37
Exam Preparation for
Contemporary Scottish Theatre
38
Section C
Contemporary Scottish Theatre
In the exam you will be expected to write an essay based on themes and issues that
can be found in Contemporary Scottish Theatre. You will be given 8 questions in 4
broad categories:
•social, political and religious dimensions
•use of history, nostalgia and popular tradition
•issues of gender
•current productions and issues
You will have approximately 45 minutes. In this period you must:
•Select a question
•Plan your answer
•Write the essay
•Check over your essay for errors
Again, it is never possible to predict exactly what type of questions will be asked so
you must ensure you cover a variety of categories in your study.
Which Texts?
As you go through the year, it will become obvious that there are texts emerging
from the course which are going to be your first line of attack on the exam. You
may invest a lot of time, in class and at home, and this will become your ‘content’ for
one category. However a word of caution must be given here. If you decide to only
look at two or three texts in depth you will become very bored as your learning
continues throughout the year. There is nothing worse for you as a person, and your
chances in the exam, than to hang onto the same texts all year, doing it to death,
repeating the same ideas about it, using the same quotations from it to prove the
same old points.
Common mistakes for choice of texts
By choosing to study only two texts simply because you are only required to write
one essay you are seriously limiting your options during the exam. Unless you are
very lucky in the exam this approach could prove to be risky.
Read through the past paper questions to discover how limiting it may be to only
study two texts.
39
Possible Options and their Effects
If you have studied all four sections, then the number of choices you have will start at
8.
Current trends and production requires you to have visited the theatre on several
occasions during your studies. If this is not the case then we are now limited to just 6
question choices in the exam.
A good idea is to start by choosing a text which can be studied under as many sections
as possible. Complete the table below for the texts that you have studied in class to
identify your main text.
Text 1
Text 2
Text 3
Text 4
Social
Dimensions
Political
Dimensions
Religious
Dimensions
Use of History
Use of Nostalgia
Use of Popular
Traditions
Issues of
gender – Men
Issues of
Gender – Women
Issues of
Gender –
Children
40
Once you have decided on your main text you should then decide which trends you
are going to focus on. Remember that there are only two question choices per section
in the exam so, if you choose to only focus on, for example, social issues in the
social, political and religious dimensions section of the exam then a suitable question
may not be present.
Now that you have chosen your areas of study and your main text for each it is
advisable you choose two secondary texts for each area. Of course, it is possible to
study only one further secondary text but you are required to write 20 points for
your essay. If you have one main text and two secondary texts, that means you need
to find, on average, six to seven points per text.
Complete the table below for the texts that you will study for this section of the
exam.
Main Text
Secondary
Text (1)
Secondary
Text (2)
Social Dimensions
Political Dimensions
Religious Dimensions
Use of History
Use of Nostalgia
Use of Popular Traditions
Issues of Gender – Men
Issues of Gender – Women
Issues of Gender – Children
Production (1)
Production (2)
Production (3)
Current Trends &
Productions
If you have not studied trends in current productions in detail, do not
attempt these questions. We all watch theatre but that does not prepare us
41
to write an in-depth answer requiring a knowledge of the techniques of
analysis necessary to discuss the effectiveness of what we have watched.
What are the examiners looking for?
Below are example of questions from the 2006 paper.
Social, Political and Religious Dimensions
Analyse the portrayal or working class and/or middle class people in at least
two or more contemporary Scottish plays that you have seen or studied.
Use of History, Nostalgia and Popular Tradition
‘Nostalgic plays have limited appeal for younger audiences’
Discuss this statement with reference to two or more nostalgic plays you have
seen or studied.
Issues of Gender
Are there any unconventional women in contemporary Scottish Drama? You
should illustrate your answer with reference to at least two plays you have
seen or studied.
Current Productions and Issues
Consider the work of a Scottish theatre company. Drawing from appropriate
evidence, describe and analyse the visual style of two or more productions
mounted by the company.
The same general essay writing rules apply. The only difference with this essay is
that you will not be required to explain what directorial concepts you would use to
highlight the themes and issues.
The essay is worth 20 marks, therefore you must make 20 points relating to the
question with a quotation from the text that ‘backs up’ your point.
Extra marks are also available for a well written essay so remember your opening and
conclusion.
42
CST essays often ask for your opinion of the texts you have seen or studied. If
you decide you agree then you must give 20 points showing how you agree. If you
decide you disagree then you must provide 20 points showing that you disagree.
However if you argue the case for both sides you can create 20 points using both
‘agree’ and ‘disagree’.
You do the maths!
The General Instructions at the beginning of the Exam Paper
Answer one question from this section.
Your answer to Section C should be written on Pages fifty-eight to sixty-three
of the Answer Book. Additional paper can be obtained from the invigilator.
Skills that will be assessed in every answer
The relevance of your essay to the question you have chosen.
Knowledge and Understanding of the text
Like section A of the paper there is no point in trying to guess what questions
will appear in the examination.
You should ensure you read all of the questions before settling on your final
choice.
You should put the number of the question you are answering in the margin.
Essential Skills
Understand the main ideas and central concerns of your text
Sustain a relevant argument, or line of thought
Produce evidence to support your line of thought
1. UNDERSTANDING
At Higher level you have to understand and identify trends and issues in a range of
Contemporary Scottish texts.
43
2. RELEVANT LINE OF THOUGHT
Relevant obviously means that what you write as an essay must be an answer to the
question you have been asked and not a complete packaging of everything you know
about the text. ‘Line of thought’ is your answer, your ‘argument’. A lot will depend on
the structure of your essay, which in turn will depend on paragraphing and linkage.
3. EVIDENCE
You have to know your text well enough to be able to refer to it in detail as evidence
for points you make in your answer.
References do not always have to be in the form of direct quotations from the text,
although sometimes these are necessary. Reference can be made to a particular
incident to prove a point. You will need to learn some quotations, but there is an art to
choosing the most useful ones.
Mastering Your Texts
The most demanding part about this section of the exam is the quantity of texts that
you have to know. This can be made easier by being organised and making sensible
study/revision notes.
Organisation
You have to organise the material you have so that you can quickly select the areas of
your text you need to answer a specific question.
A good way of doing this is in a ring binder folder with dividers. Your sections should
be the 4 broad categories discussed on page 30 with sub divisions for each text which
can be used under each heading.
You could also create flip cards. Flip cards are a way of collating all your information
into an orderly, logical format that can be easily studied on the run up to the exams.
See over the page on how to create your flip books.
There is a lot of effort involved in this exercise, but it is well worth doing it properly
as it will save you time later.
44
Flip Books
You should begin by taking some A4 card or thick paper and cutting it into 4 sections.
You should also punch a hole in the top left hand corner.
On each card you should write down a point that relates to one of the four
headings in the exam with a quotation/reference to back it up.
POINT
QUOTATION
You should then collate all cards for each heading separately, add a front cover
and tie them together with a piece of string. You may also want to sub divide
them into different texts.
When you are studying it is advantageous to use both sides of the brain. That
way you are more likely to recall the information during the exam. To do this
you must use the logical side (note-making) of your brain and the creative side
of your brain (colours and pictures). You could use the creative section of your
brain simply by using different coloured ribbon/string for each flip book. You
could take this further by making your front covers bright and exciting. Try to
45
use images that remind you of the trend/issue or the text.
Essay Practice
We will now go on to look at practising essays for this section of the exam.
Let’s begin by looking at the question from page 40.
Issues of Gender
Are there any unconventional women in contemporary Scottish Drama? You should
illustrate your answer with reference to at least two plays you have seen or studied.
1.
Take a blank piece of paper and write down the key word or phrase from the
question in the centre of the paper. In this case it would be ‘unconventional
women’.
2.
You should then draw 20 branches coming from that central point. Each branch
should contain a point about a woman in the texts you have studied and how they
are represented in terms of conventionality. You should refer to representation
in terms of status, role within society and within the drama itself, character
motivation and relationship to other characters. You could comment on
stereotypes sometime associated with representations of women in Scottish
drama. REMEMBER – You can argue for and against the question.
3.
You should then provide a quotation or textual reference for each point made.
You should also keep in mind that you must refer to two separate appropriate
characters from two separate texts. If you are using one main text and two
secondary texts then you need to find approximately 6 – 7 points and quotations per
text.
You may prefer to use the table on the next page to plan out your essay. Once you
have completed your plan and decided what order your points will come in you should
write your essay in full. Now look at the ‘Essay Writing Guide’ overleaf to help
expand your notes into a fluent and well-structured essay. If you can achieve this,
the more likely you are to convince the marker that you really know what you are
talking about.
Leave space at the beginning for your introduction which is easier to write at
the end of your essay along with your conclusion.
46
Section C Essay Planner
Point
Quotation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
47
Essay Writing Guide
Paragraph 1: Make a statement again using words from the question and also telling
the examiner what you intend to examine.
‘From this statement it should be clear why you feel this character
conventional/unconventional. By using the wording from the question you are
signifying to the examiner that you wish to be awarded marks for this next point.
You must then find a quotation which quite clearly proves your point.
Well Done!
You have now gained yourself 1 mark.
Paragraph 2: Discuss another reason why you feel your chosen character is
conventional/unconventional or choose another character from another text.
The order of your paragraphs is important here. Are you going to discuss one
character in full and then discuss another character in full? Or will you discuss all the
conventional women in contemporary Scottish Theatre and then all the unconventional
women? Or will you discuss the women in groups of what makes them conventional/
unconventional, for example, all those women in contemporary Scottish Theatre who
are married/not married. This is why it is important to have a plan.
Remember you should try to use the wording from the question and also find an
appropriate quotation.
You should continue with this structure until you have 20 clear paragraphs.
Linking Words/Phrases
The reason for this is…
From this, we can note that…
Secondly. Thirdly etc.
Moving on…
The reader can see from this that…
The author writes …. Because….
Another…
Also…
Therefore…
Significantly…
We can see from this that…
The writer then moves on to…
Next
Obviously, this shows that…
This shows that…
Following this…
Then…
This then means that…
Penultimately (last but one)
Later…
It can be noted/ said that…
48
Essay Writing Guide (continued)
Writing your Introduction
Begin by making a statement telling the marker the title of the text you will be
discussing and the name of the author. Make sure you do this accurately – misspelling
the name of the author does not make a good first impression.
You then provide a sentence which rewords the question. This also ensures that if you
have forgotten to write the number of the question in the margin, the examiner will
have an easier time deciding which question you answered.
Your final statement should simply tell the examiner what you are going to discuss in
your essay. This statement is now very straight-forward as you have already written
the main body of your essay and you simply have to summarise the findings from your
points.
Writing your Conclusion
You should begin your conclusion by summarising your viewpoint to the question posed?
You should finalise your essay with an evaluative statement again using the wording
from the question. If your essay hangs together logically then there is no need for
any lengthy conclusion.
Use of the writer’s name
When you are referring to the author after the first mention of her or his full name,
you should use either the surname, or the full name. You do not call the writer only by
her or his first name.
You should continue to practice essays in this way in preparation for
the exam. It may also be helpful to practise them in categories. On the
next few pages you will find past paper questions under the appropriate
headings. By completing essays in this way you will discover which
category is ‘easier’ for you to answer.
49
Further Study Questions
Social, Political and Religious Dimensions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
‘Politics and Theatre should be kept apart’
Discuss this statement with reference to at least two plays which you
have studied or seen.
Explain how any Scottish play you have studied or seen has helped you
to understand the social conditions of the time in which it was written.
‘Scottish drama has to a great extent ducked the problem of religious
divisions’. Does your study of Scottish Drama bear this quotation out?
Give detailed examples to support your answer.
It has been argued that Scottish drama ‘paints a bleak picture of life in
Scottish communities.’ Do you agree with this view? You should
illustrate your answer with reference to at least two plays you have
either seen or read. (2003)
Consider how some or all of the following may have been used to convey
a social or political concern in two or more Contemporary Scottish
plays: plot, setting, structure, language, characterisation, genre. (2003)
Discuss the extent to which Scottish Playwrights focus on aspects of
bigotry in their plays. In your answer, you may refer to religious,
sexual, racial, social, political and/or nationalistic bigotry. You must
make reference to at least two plays you have either seen or read.
(2003)
Many Scottish playwrights explore aspects of social inequality. Choose
two or more plays which you have seen or studied and discuss ways in
which social inequalities are highlighted in each play. (2004)
Discuss how political issues are explored in at least two plays you have
studied. (2004)
Discuss how religious issues are explored in at least two plays you have
studied. (2004)
50
10. Explain how Scottish playwrights use characters to convey social
issues in their plays. You must refer to at least three characters. You
should illustrate your answer with reference to at least two plays you
have either seen or read. (205)
11. Explain how two or more contemporary Scottish plays which you have
either seen or read have helped you to understand one or more than
one political issue. (2005)
12. Analyse the portrayal or working class and/or middle class people in
at least two or more contemporary Scottish plays that you have seen or
studied. (2006)
13. Identify and comment upon the social, political or religious divisions
depicted in two or more contemporary Scottish plays. (2006)
51
Use of History, Nostalgia and Popular Tradition
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7..
It has been said that Scottish drama lives entirely in the past?
Discuss. Justify your answer with reference to plays you have studied
or seen.
Roddy MacMillan wrote ‘There is nothing wrong with nostalgia as long
as it’s good nostalgia’. What effect does nostalgia have on any
Scottish drama you have studied?
Can a play ever show the ‘true’ history of Scotland? Discuss, making
reference to your study of Contemporary Scottish Drama and
theatre.
‘History is discovery’
In what ways have plays based in the past taught us something
worthwhile? You should illustrate your answer with reference to at
least two plays you have either seen or read. (2003)
Can you account for the popularity of plays set in the past? Yu should
illustrate your answer with reference to at least two plays you have
either seen or read. (2003)
‘Scottish audiences expect to be entertained. This is why so many
playwrights have been influenced by the techniques of the popular
stage.’
Do you agree or disagree? Yu should illustrate your answer with
reference to at least two plays you have either see or read. (2003)
‘Scottish playwrights portray a romanticised view of Scotland’s past.’
Do you agree with this statement in the light of your study of drama.
You must make reference to at least two plays you have seen or
studied. (2004)
8. ‘Many of our playwrights rely too heavily on nostalgia. This leads to
weal plots, two dimensional characters and cheap laughs. In short,
inferior drama that insults the audience.’
9. Discuss this statement with reference to two or more plays you have
seen or studied. (2004)
10. In two or more plays you have seen or studied comment on the use of
humour in contemporary Scottish plays. (2004)
‘Scottish playwrights choose to set their plays in the past in order to
draw comparisons with contemporary life.’
By referring to at least two plays you have either seen or read which
have an historical/ social setting, discuss the comparisons you have52
made between life in the past and life today. (2005)
11. In two or more plays you have either seen or read, comment on the
use of music, song, dance and character stereotypes in
contemporary Scottish drama. (2005)
12. Comment on the depiction of Scotland and/or Scottish people in
two or more contemporary Scottish plays theatre set in the past.
(2006)
13. ‘Nostalgic plays have a limited appeal for younger audiences.’
Discuss this statement with reference to two or more nostalgic
plays you have seen or studied. (2006)
14. How have one or more dramatists been influenced by the technique
of the popular stage when writing plays for contemporary Scottish
Theatre?
15. From plays you have explored or performances which you have seen,
why do you think there is such lasting affection for the Scottish
variety theatre and music hall traditions?
53
Issues of Gender
1.
Discuss one of the following statements in the light of plays you have
studied or seen.
a) ‘In Scottish drama the conflicts are not between men and women, but
between men and their mothers.’
b) ‘In Scottish drama the male characters are much less interesting and
complicated than the female characters.’
2. Discuss the representation of women in plays you have studied or seen.
Choose two or more characters to illustrate your answer.
3. ‘Adversity brings out the best in women and the worst in men’.
Discuss this statement with reference to one or more plays which you
have studied or seen.
4. Are there any positive female role models in Scottish drama? You
should illustrate your answer with at least two plays you have either
seen or read. (2003)
5. Discuss the extent to which Scottish playwrights explore destructive
relationships in their plays. You must make reference to at least two
plays you have either seen or read. (2003)
6. Most Scottish playwrights reinforce gender stereotypes. Do you agree
with this statement? You should illustrate your answer with reference
to at least two plays you have either seen or read. (2003)
7. In at least two plays you have seen or studied, discuss the extent to
which women in Scottish drama are portrayed as independent. (2004)
8. In two plays you have seen or studied, discuss whether or not young
men display the same characteristics as their male elders.
‘Many contemporary Scottish plays explore the conflict that can exist
between people of different generations.’ (2004)
9. Discuss this statement with reference to at least two plays you have
seen or studied. (2004)
10. Discuss the relationships between parents and children in
Contemporary Scottish plays. You should illustrate your answer with
reference to at least two plays you have either seen or read. (2005)
11. Discuss the extent to which Scottish playwrights explore inequality
between men and women. You should illustrate your answer with
reference to at least two plays you have either seen or read. (2005)
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12. Are there any unconventional women in contemporary Scottish Drama?
You should illustrate your answer with reference to at least two plays you
have seen or studied. (2006)
13. With reference to at least two plays you have seen or studied,
describe and analyse the portrayal of children in contemporary Scottish
drama. (2006)
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Performance Examination
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For the performance, you will have to choose a character to act from your
prescribed text and one from a Contemporary Scottish text and then rehearse to
performance standard an extract from the play which involves you in an acting
contribution of around five minutes. There must be at least one other character in
your acting piece.
Preparing a dramatic piece for examination.
A drama examiner will look for the following:
Spatial awareness, movement and gesture
Vocal quality, clarity, fluency, projection
Awareness of audience, awareness of performance elements, integration,
communication
Control, appropriateness, conviction, credibility, support
Pace and timing
Interpretation, sustaining roles, responding
These points come under four headings:
Characterisation
Vocal Skills
Movement Skills
Impact on Audience
You should consider the following questions when preparing your performance
extracts for the external examination.
Characterisation
Does the role support and help the drama?
Is the role credible?
Is the role an important part of the drama?
Are the responses to the action and dialogue believable?
Does the actor concentrate and stay in role?
Vocal Skills
Is the language used by the character appropriate?
Does the language help make the role credible?
Can the vocals be heard?
Are the vocals projected well to the audience?
Are the vocals clear?
Does the speaker show a clear understanding of what is being said?
Is there rhythm, fluency and variation in the way the actors speak?
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Movement Skills
Is the movement appropriate for the role?
Is the blocking in for sightlines correct?
Is there any symbolic use of space, movement and gesture?
Is space used to create interesting visual images?
Do the gestures and movements make the roles better?
Is space and movement used with purpose and to help communicate the role to
the audience?
Impact on Audience
Does the piece flow easily?
Is the piece disjointed in any places?
Is there any unnecessary stage traffic?
Does the piece have purpose?
Does the piece communicate to an audience?
You should now spend some time making notes about how you wish to perform
your acting pieces. You should begin by having a read-through of your
performance pieces.
Your teacher will then go on to block the extracts.
You should make careful notes on entrances, exits, positioning and movement on
the stage.
When that has been completed, your group should begin to make performance
notes.
How will each line be delivered?
What posture or stance will each character use?
How will you move around the stage which will add to meaning?
What elements of characterisation do you want to convey to an audience?
What type of relationship(s) do you want to convey to an audience?
How do you want your character to be perceived by the audience?
What design elements will you put into place?
What rhythm and pace will you use in performance?
What mood or atmosphere do you wish to create?
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Characterisation Exercises
You should work through as many of these techniques in your preparation for the
acting examination. These characterisation exercises provide alternative forms of
exploring the background, purpose and motivation of your character.
Role on the wall
Draw the outline of your character onto a piece of blank paper. Using the text you
should put statements of fact about that character inside the outline. For example,
‘married with children’ or ‘always looks on the positive side of life’.
You should then put statements of fact, based on evidence from the text, about
how other characters perceive your character. These statements should be placed
outside the outline.
This technique allows you to gain a distanced but deep understanding of your role.
Flashback/ Day in the Life
In your performance groups you are going to flashback to the previous 24 hours
before the play begins. A chronological sequence should be built up from scenes
prepared by our group. These scenes should involve the characters from your play
at various times in the preceding 24 hours.
This convention will enable you to draw attention to the influences, and exposes the
forces, which drive your character to a moment of conflict or a decision. This will in
turn emphasize how these inner conflicts and tensions shape the events and
circumstances of the narrative.
The technique also allows you to reflect on your character’s pattern of behaviour.
Critical Events
With members of your performance group, identify critical events in the life of
your character which lead to your character’s current situation or a moment of
tension in the text. You should also identify points of discovery, or a turning point,
representing a clear moment of choice and decision-making.
By identifying these moments you will gain insight into the character’s present
situation through the analysis of their past and future. You essentially analyse the
relationship between cause and effect.
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Hot-Seating
Working in role and in your performance groups you will be given the opportunity too
question or interview the role players who remain in character.
This convention highlights character’s motivations and personality. It may be helpful to
prepare some questions before hand.
Alter-Ego
In your performance groups you should work in pairs while the rest of the group(s)
observe. One member works as the character and the other as that character’s
thoughts. The double’s function is to provide a commentary of ‘inner speech’.
This convention will allow you to deepen your understanding of the ways a character
might be feeling in a given situation even though the character might not be able
publicly to admit or express those feelings. Devising ‘inner speech’ requires critical
analysis of situation and role.
Caption Making
In your performance groups you should devise slogans, titles and chapter headings of
what is being presented visually. These should be crystallised to a phrase; or
summarise a scene in words; or to fit a caption to another group’s work.
This technique allows you to make a reflective analysis of experience in order to
identify its essence.
Role-Reversal
In your performance groups you should swap roles. This can take the form of an
improvisation, where the group can demonstrate how they think another character will
react. But, equally, role-reversal can be set in the context of the script where roles
are simply exchanged.
This allows you to actively explore the presentation of your character. It
demonstrates hypotheses about human behaviour and reactions which you can draw
from.
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Space Between
You should arrange members of your group so that the space between them
symbolises how close their relationships currently are. Who feels close to whom?
Who feels distant and estranged? You may also want to consider what change there
might be over a particular space in time. Will characters draw closer together or
drift further apart? You may also want to put a name to the distance: love, respect,
guilt, betrayal, anger etc.
This analysis of roles encourages critical awareness of the consequences of action.
Writing in Role
In role you should provide a written account of an experience. This could take the
form of a diary entry, letter, journal or message. You must select and adopt an
appropriate register and vocabulary.
This technique gives you experience of reflecting on an experience from an
alternative viewpoint.
What happens on the day?
On the following pages you will see a list of comments that will appear on the
examiners checklist. The examiner is required to complete one of these checklists
for each of your acting pieces.
Each acting role is awarded out of 20 marks so there is a possible 40 marks
available for this section of the examination. Each role is divided into four sections:
Characterisation
Voice Skills
Movement Skills
Impact on Audience
The examiner must tick one comment from each of the four sections. The marks are
then combined to give your final acting mark.
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Examiner’s Checklist
Characterisation skills
Excellent understanding conveyed through a thorough use of all textual clues; wholly
convincing and credible interpretation of character.
5 marks
Good understanding conveyed through a good use of textual clues; convincing
interpretation of character.
4 marks
Sound understanding conveyed through use of some textual clues; some convincing
interpretation of character.
3 marks
Limited understanding conveyed; textual clues not identified and used; characterisation
lacks credibility.
2 marks
Little understanding conveyed; characterisation not convincing.
0 – 1 mark
Voice skills
Excellent use of voice; accent, pace, emotion, projection all excellent and sustained
throughout.
5 marks
Good use of voice; accent sustained, always audible, emotion conveyed well.
4 marks
Sound use of voice; accent mainly sustained, mostly audible, emotion conveyed
reasonably.
3 marks
Use of accent not sustained well, pace lacked variety, at times garbled and inaudible.
2 marks
Unconvincing; may be inaudible, garbled, monotone in delivery - not sustained.
0 – 1 mark
Movement skills
Excellent use of movement; fluent/natural, varied use of facial expression, body
language, gesture and posture.
5 marks
Good use of movement; integrated use of facial expression, body language, gesture
and posture.
4 marks
Sound use of movement; mainly integrated use of facial expression, body language,
gesture and posture.
3 marks
Use of movement awkward at times; lacks variety.
2 marks
Unconvincing; may be wholly awkward and demonstrate very poor stagecraft.
0 – 1 mark
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Impact on audience
An excellent portrayal, highly convincing and detailed interaction with other characters creating a strong impact.
5 marks
A good portrayal, convincing interaction with other characters - creating a good impact.
4 marks
A sound portrayal, some convincing interaction with other characters creating some impact.
3 marks
A limited portrayal, interaction with other characters is at times unconvincing - limited impact.
2 marks
Unconvincing portrayal - little or no impact on audience.
0 – 1 mark
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