Spring 2017 Volume 23.1 Volume Spring 2017
THE STORY BEHIND: I LOVE YOU, MUM – I PROMISE I WON’T DIE by Mark Wheeller
PLUS Bubble Young Theatre Makers Using the We Need To Act On Process Drama for Thought, Talk and Writing Actor Training: A Time for a Revolution? Half Moon History Brought to Life for Students Acting and Seeing the World Through Someone Else’s Eyes Sketches from the High Country Review of The Tempest Spring 2017 Volume 23.1
Drama One Forum - Many Voices Drama is the journal of professional practice of National Drama Drama enables Drama educators and practitioners nationally and internationally to share theory and practice, debate key issues, engage in critical analysis and express personal opinions Drama is committed to the promotion, support and development of new writers Drama is an equal opportunities publication in line with National Drama policy
Editor for this issue Chris Lawrence Editorial Team Viv Kerridge, Amanda Kipling, Chris Lawrence and Nicky Toneri Reviews Editor Zeena Rasheed Design Victoria Osborne Email: [email protected] Advertising Jacqueline Bristow [email protected] Contact Details The National Drama website National Drama Publications contains news items, publications, events, 76 Kimberley Avenue opportunities and resources Nunhead Peckham You can join National Drama from there, or London SE15 3XH access pages for free, download information, Telephone: 020 7732 9336 record an audioboo, post on the ND Twitter and Email: [email protected] Facebook accounts, and link to other related ISSN 0967-4454 internet sites including Drama Magazine Front cover image: Chris Webb The views expressed in Drama are those of the writers and do not necessarily express ND policy
© All material in Drama may be photocopied for personal, education and training purposes. Please credit Drama Printed in UK by Evonprint Ltd, 80-83 Mackley Ind Est, Henfield Road, Small Dole, West Sussex BN5 9XE Spring 2017 Editorial InsideDrama
Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst 6 Are full of passionate intensity. [From: The Second Coming by W, B. Yeats (1919)]
4 Reflections from the Chair ust when you thought things could not get any worse – they just did. The Áine Lark reflects on the work of Brexit vote was shock enough; but the shock of the election of Donald Trump National Drama Jto the most powerful position in the world is of seismic proportions with 5 The View from the Gods implications for the whole world not just the UK. I find great resonance and Holly Barradell brings the latest Drama prophecy in Yeats’s famous poem: ‘the best’, indeed, seem to lack all conviction; news and ‘the worst’ are certainly full of passionate intensity. We do not know what difficult times lie ahead. All we do know is that the 6 Bubble Young Theatre Makers times will be difficult, especially for all of us who believe in the principles of Using The We Need To Act On humanity, compassion, understanding and inclusion: the principles on which Process our subject, Drama, is founded and which we have the daunting responsibility A Conversation between Adam Annand to promote and disseminate. Fortunately, the current crop of articles are true to and Marie Vickers this endeavour. 13 Drama for Thought, Talk and Acting and seeing the world through someone else’s eyes is an essential Writing process in Drama and Theatre. Yukari Ishino’s article of this title (pp 35-38) Patrice Baldwin describes a Primary Drama identifies that this is also a reflexive process, generating self-knowledge, which is project based on Beowulf much needed in times like these: You cannot reconstruct anything realistically unless you suspend your judgment… 23 The Story Behind: I Love You, You can also become more aware of your own perspective after this process. Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die Mark Wheeller’s moving account (pp 23–29) of the development of his latest Mark Wheeller outlines how his latest play play, I Love You, Mum – I Promise I won’t Die, (reviewed in Drama Vol. 22.2) is a was developed further powerful illustration of this. As Fiona, the mother of Dan, says: 31 Actor Training: A Time for a ‘We believe this play has the potential to change and save young lives… Drama Revolution? teachers have the potential to be part of this transformative process..’ Steven Green argues for a radical change in Goodness: we must train teachers to do remarkable work like this, surely? On actor training the contrary, Patrice Baldwin finds that: Sadly, young teachers increasingly tell me that they have had no experience of drama 33 Half Moon History Brought to in schools at all and no drama within their training. Life for Students This scandalous situation is mitigated in a small way by her article, Drama for Beccy Allen introduces the new Half Moon Thought, Talk and Writing, (pp13–21) which provides a valuable step by step guide online archive and advice for Primary teachers at least to make a good start in Drama. 35 Acting and Seeing the World Theatre companies have also made valuable contributions to this issue. Steven Through Someone Else’s Eyes Green, Artistic Director of Fourth Monkey, argues the case for a revolution Yukari Ishino evaluates the theory of Drama in the training of actors (pp 31–32); Adam Annand and Marie Vickers are in and Theatre conversation (pp 6–12) explaining London Bubble’s We Need To Act On process with Bubble Young Theatre Makers; Beccy Allen introduces the online archive of 39 Sketches from the High Country the history of Half Moon (p33); and Andy Kempe reviews Flute Theatre’s Part Two of Phil Duchene’s reflections on The Tempest, designed for young people on the autistic spectrum (pp 42–43). teaching in Canada Finally, Phil Duchene’s article, Sketches from the High Country, (pp 39–41) gives 42 Theatre Review a further insight into teaching life in Canada, this time featuring the important Andy Kempe reviews The Tempest by role played by the old school house that his lessons were conducted in. Flute Theatre As this issue illustrates, we can take heart that, in our field at least, ‘the best’ have remained ‘full of passionate intensity’. May it long continue! 45 Book Reviews Chris Lawrence
Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 3 REFLECTIONS FROM THE CHAIR …we need to keep going!
Áine Lark is the Chair of National Drama; Former Secretary requirements of the specifications and Membership Officer of National Drama; Advanced Skills in regard to live theatre and the assessments related to it. Teacher of Drama; PGCE Drama (11-18); BA (Hons) Drama and In September, the executive had Theatre Studies an exceptionally useful, thought provoking and exhausting working 016 was a year of political received nothing back. But as we all weekend, at the Castleton YHA in turmoil, upheavals and continue to await the DfE response, Derbyshire. We were pleased to 2uncertainty, impacting greatly the EBacc continues to wreak havoc welcome playwright, Mark Wheeller, on our roles as drama and theatre on the uptake of creative, artistic who joined us for the duration. educators and in the broader social and technical subjects in our Given that Mark’s plays are so well and cultural context of life in the secondary schools. established in schools across the UK. As an organisation we were We must redouble our efforts country and with the exam boards, diligent and industrious in our efforts for 2017. Here are two things you Mark was able to offer some valuable to advocate the significance and can do today: insights into how to engage with importance of drama and the creative his and other plays and together arts in our schools and we established 1. Keep writing to your local we considered the demands of the strong working relationships with MP, asking them to support new written assessments and shared like-minded organisations and the scrapping of the EBacc. ideas on creative approaches. During individuals. If you do receive a reply, the weekend Chris and Vivienne A campaign which dominated please email a copy to undertook an enormous piece of was Bacc for the Future and, with the [email protected] work to finalise our new Constitution collective efforts of all involved and a and respond using the for CIO status. We also planned some Parliamentary petition which attracted campaign resources page at CPD training and set initial thoughts more than 100,000 signatures, a www.BaccfortheFuture.com in motion for a big ND Conference in debate was secured in the House which is full of facts and figures. July 2017. of Commons on July 4th 2016. The We rounded up the year at the campaign began in opposition to 2. Tell your colleagues, friends, IDEA Europe Conference in Prague. the government’s proposed English and family about the EBacc. As always, this was an invigorating Baccalaureate which would, if Please tell them about Bacc conference of sharing great practice, implemented, result in the exclusion for the Future and ask them support, challenges and friendship. of arts subjects from a core suite of to sign the petition at IDEA Europe was celebrating its 10th subjects which would be used as www.BaccfortheFuture.com. birthday and some of the former ‘headline accountability measures’ for Chairs and previous members came secondary schools. In addition to the The ND team was also busy along to mark the occasion. Robin debate, the campaign was featured analysing the new exam specifications Pascoe, President of IDEA, joined us in numerous high profile media for GCSE/A level Drama and, in from Australia. outlets (including the Guardian, the particular, with discussions around Looking ahead, we will be Telegraph, The Times and BBC Radio live theatre versus digital/streamed manning a stall at the Drama and 4 and 5), and generated one of media. Whilst we recognise the value Music Education Expo at London the largest volume of responses to any of digital technologies, we are clear Olympia on 9th & 10th February. DfE consultation in 2016. Executive in our position that live theatre is We hope many of you will pop along members, Chris Lawrence and an experience which happens in the to see us. Vivienne Lafferty, represented ND at a same space as the actors, in which a I thank the fabulous team of protest outside Parliament and Zeena participant can fully engage with all volunteers at ND which works Rasheed attended follow-up meetings senses and make its own decisions tirelessly for drama teachers across with the campaign group. about where to put its focus. We the country – Chris, Vivienne, encourage every opportunity possible Zeena, Konstantina, Viv, Ali and our But we need to keep going to enable young people to access newest addition, Kate. Thank you Sunday 29th January 2017 marks one live theatre and to understand it as also to active members who year since the DfE’s consultation on a unique experience. We hope that frequently offer their services and are the EBacc closed for responses and, the DfE, Ofqual and exam boards committed to the continuing success to date, the campaign group has can bring greater clarity to the of National Drama.
4 Drama Magazine Spring 2017 Spring 2017 News The View from the Gods* *the perspective of Drama from school leadership
o two terms down, four to go and standards of production and assessment I now remember just how tiring work that had been produced I was keen Steaching is. Having worked in to show my Year 11 students top band different aspects of education over the well executed ensemble improvised work last few years it has enabled me to return from a state comprehensive school. This to the leadership of Arts within a school turned out to be powerful for them in fully prepared for the impact of the more ways than I imagined: they enjoyed EBACC, achievement 8, progress 8, new a Friday night ‘at the theatre’ with their 9-1 GCSEs but leaving and working 9-5 peers – their watching peers – and has made me forget just how demanding secondly, they were shown ‘the bar’ and My students (right) having a and tiring teaching is. the standard of work that I was expecting Q&A session with Coombe Boys Key Stage 3 Drama teaching is more of them. For some of my students, under School Year 11 GCSE Drama students. challenging than ever before: how do the pressures of curriculum time, revision you prepare students for an even more and the bureaucratic paperwork to get and power wasn’t quite pitched at the challenging GCSE when you only teach students out of school, this may well be right level! The reception children were them once a fortnight? Although I am the only school trip they have this year. keen to create work based on ‘super lucky that I get to teach virtually all Sad times but nevertheless imperative: as powers’ though… so that’s something of year 7 & 8 at my school (although Drama teachers we don’t forget the real I suppose. I wonder how many other report writing and data entry is time value of our school trips not just for the drama teachers teach in their attached or consuming) I know all of those cohorts curriculum but for their enjoyment feeder primary schools? Do you find the and I am gauging their skills ready and socialising. shift from secondary understanding to for GCSE. Are there any other drama primary challenging? teachers banging their heads against Primary teaching… their desk when you are given predicted What an eye opener this is! In my new Next time I write it will be the grades or end of key stage targets based role, I have the pleasure of travelling summer issue where we will be on KS2 grades that didn’t actually assess down to our attached primary school winding down for the summer their Drama knowledge or skills from twice a fortnight to teach Drama to holiday and reflecting on a busy KS2 to predict anything of any great Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 students. year of legacy outgoing specs and meaning? And, even more frustrating, Our primary school is extremely lucky to the end of our first year of teaching the variations of KS2 levels now with the have specialist teaching from secondary the new specs will be over. removal of levels? Just means your Year 7 subject specialists – Music, PE and Any thoughts, ideas or moments baseline assessment becomes even more French are also taught by my secondary you wish to share, tweet me important than ever. What do you use? colleagues. I have always pitched my @drama_holly #viewfromthegods Do you test script or improvisation? Tell lessons at a high level throughout and I’ll mention them. me @drama_holly #yr7baselinedrama Key Stage 3 – 5. My Year 7 students for example battle and conquer the Enrichment really does enrich… subtext and symbolism of Lorca’s Blood Holly Barradell was I recently wanted to stretch and Wedding and some of their ‘lightbulb an Executive member of challenge my Year 11 students - the moments’ often gives me an idea for a National Drama for several whole class, or whoever wanted to starter for a Key Stage 5 lesson where years and worked in Drama attend my free trip. This wasn’t an activity they are learning the same text just with Development for international exam specifically for MA&T students or just a different approach. This of course board, Trinity College London. Holly is for those who could afford to go – it was is all about the pitch of my lessons. now a Faculty Leader for the Arts at a for all of them. The real joy of being a Pitch, however, is my downfall when it school in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Holly Drama teacher is the fact you produce comes to primary teaching. My drive for is Drama specialist teacher, moderator, performance within the curriculum stretch and challenge comes unstuck examiner, Ofqual subject expert and which means other schools and their in a primary setting, as well as my author of the new GCSE Drama exam for students can benefit from it. Being new obsession to work at pace… so using the OCR. Tweet: @drama_holly or read her in post and unaware of the previous playing cards and trying to teach status blog www.barradellblogs.com
Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 5 Marie Vickers: The Bubble young theatre makers (BYTM) are 18 Bubble Young to 24 year olds who are currently unemployed; they join London Bubble for a three month training programme. We need to act on is the Theatre Makers term we use for the theatre that they create for other young people. They make theatre with and for their peers and place their authentic Using The concerns and voices at the heart of the work. We Need To Adam Annand: How does it work? MV: The process starts with them asking, ‘What do we need to act on? What is urgent in young people’s Act On Process lives at the moment? What issues do we think society needs to be addressing?’ In about week five of their A conversation between training the BYTM are ready to go and lead workshops for other young Adam Annand and people. Recently they have worked with groups of school students, Marie Vickers, September 2016 including GCSE drama classes and PSHE lessons, young leaders from a company called Teens and
6 Drama Magazine Spring 2017 London Bubble Theatre
Toddlers, local youth clubs and AA: Watching that piece there were recognise the similarities and hear engagement groups at the Youth times where it went deeply into what other people have to say about Offending Service. The BYTMs what can happen to young people it and think about it. spend time during the workshops but there was also a considerable asking questions, facilitating games amount of humour and joy in it. It AA: You also used the We need to act and creative activities that lead the was both highly stylised and very on method to create Man Up. participating groups to consider truthful. What happened to those what ‘we need to act on’. They characters seemed very realistic. MV: Yes. Again there were several then select ideas from the themes, parts to the process. stories and images to create their MV: There was so much stuff that We went into a school and performances. we wanted to show that happens collected some ideas. We went to online and we wanted to do it another school and we honed the The Bubble Young Theatre without having two people sitting ideas but we also felt that these Makers Cycle back to back wiggling their fingers young people possibly weren’t as if they’re typing. We had huge sharing what they really felt. We
Young frames that looked like iPhone developed an activity where the Theatre Makers screens so that characters could young people wrote their ideas on gain workshop Facetime; and oversized icons that paper aeroplanes and threw them skills Visit represented all the platforms that at a target. We found this exercise Return to the groups and young people may use to abuse to be really fruitful in overcoming groups to ask, ‘What do each other online, such as Snapchat, any embarrassment. We took the perform we need to The Bubble act on?’ Twitter and Facebook. paper aeroplanes to another group Young Theatre of young people. They categorised Makers Cycle AA: One of the things that I found them, deciding whether they felt the interesting is to do with the layers subjects on the planes were spoken Gather ideas, of who’s dealing with what. The about enough or not spoken about Devise and stories and, rehearse BYTMs themselves are not much enough or in the middle. They put images older than the young people who the issue of mental health in the they are getting the ideas from. middle because, in their opinion, In the process of devising they’re awareness is increasing but still We made the play Snap Chat grappling with all the concepts and needs more work. Through that Tweet Repeat through this process. all the themes themselves as well as process we came out with four We went into a school and preparing to present them back to prominent themes: grief, parental worked with a group of year 10 other young people. abuse, jealousy and mental health. GCSE Drama students. They were With these four themes on four unanimous by the end of the MV: Yes, and every time that we paper aeroplanes we went back into session that social media was the have done this we find one or two our group with the BYTMs and hot topic of the moment: the thing people amongst the BYTMs that, we started storytelling exercises that we needed to address and the maybe six weeks thing that was affecting themselves in as we present Young theatre makers working with their peers and their peers most profoundly. stories, might say exploring potential themes That theme also connected with to me, ‘We’ve made the experiences of the BYTMs my life’. We haven’t themselves and it inspired them to done it deliberately carry out their own research. They and they haven’t found the story of a girl in Canada necessarily who’d committed suicide and this vocalised how led them to look at the link between truthful it is to cyber bullying and mental health. them but they’ve That group of BYTMs took on a lot brought their of responsibility in making sure experiences to the that we did the subject justice and devising process. It that we showed how horrible these can be empowering things can really be. for them to
Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 7 Taking drama into communities and changing lives
Study BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre and Education
Perform in, direct and devise theatre Undertake placements in a range of settings Broad career prospects upon graduation
Information/application: www.cssd.ac.uk/date CSSDLondon London Bubble Theatre
around the themes. We looked at a character that could be affected by all of those words and we developed Man Up which was about a 17 year old boy who had lost his mum a couple of years previously and was really struggling living alone with his dad who was also grieving. This boy would look at everybody else’s life, particularly his friend’s life, as something to aspire to and felt quite envious about what they had but was unable to express his emotions openly with his friends. In that group of BYTMs there was only one young woman with a majority of male actors. This brought an added dynamic of masculinity and The cast of Man Up in action looked at how men deal with grief and publicity image and how young men deal with their mental health and jealousy. You could not ignore the anger that was underlying and underpinning a lot AA: In this work you meet a of the scenes. broad range of groups of young people and I’m aware that AA: Quite challenging content, some have a history of very low close to the experience of the BYTMs engagement. Does this affect your as well as the young people that they practice? are playing to. MV: Young people who have low MV: Yes. Every group of BYTMs has attendance records in school and and rife in their lives. I think as long worked on quite challenging content young offenders’ groups need input as the topics are being suggested by and I think that helps them to take over a longer period of time but the young people then nothing is it seriously when devising. We we are still offering a platform for off limits so to speak. If it’s in their know that we have to do a good job the things that matter the most to head, if it’s in their world, why not because we know that, for somebody them to be presented. When we’re explore it in a safe place? out there, this might be their reality. doing projects that are designed We’re playing with sensitive issues. to get people thinking about the AA: What’s the biggest challenge consequences of low attendance when devising with young actors? AA: It’s sensitive for them and we don’t mention that as a subject. they’ve also grown awareness that We go in and offer a blank canvas. MV: Timekeeping, discipline, what they’re taking back might be They create characters and character getting some of the young actors to sensitive to the audiences. I loved journeys that they are interested in understand their own value within Man Up and I was really impressed which, in our experience so far, is the company and believe that with the way that those young actors somebody who doesn’t go to school they’re needed. A lot of the young managed to develop the emotional much! people who we work with on the journeys of the characters. programme might not have ever felt AA: And using the We Need to Act a valued part of something before so The best thing about making the On process in the Youth Offending they think it doesn’t matter if they show was the fact that it’s a 100% Service you never mentioned crime? don’t come in or turn up two hours realistic story and some of the audience late. It’s amazing that the young could relate to the main character. MV: No, the young people do. It just actors are all looking and learning Antonio, 18, Bubble Young goes to show it’s what they need to from their peers as performers Theatre Maker talk about and what is on their mind and as people. It’s tricky creating
Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 9 saying to them you’re going to be professionals going out and working with other young people.
MV: It’s a really intense experience for them. I think it doesn’t actually sink in until after they’ve done it or right near the end. When they’re out there in schools and they’re getting positive response, they’re enjoying it and feeling that instant effect of having just done a performance. In Bubble Young theatre makers exploring control a way, school students are the best and manipulation audience because they hang around and tell you exactly what they thought afterwards! something that challenges everybody the ones that’d been around longest fairly and doesn’t just spotlight the or the oldest, weren’t favoured: that AA: You’ve talked a little bit about best actors, that engages and supports it was a balance of everybody’s work going on tour with the young people everybody equally. and contribution. and some of the challenges that brings about. Is there anything else AA: How important do you think AA: I get invited into the sessions you want to say about that? it is that this happens at a place like and I get to see rehearsals at various London Bubble Theatre? stages. What I’m thinking about MV: With each group we usually when I give my notes is that this play have one early start so we have to MV: The thing is that we aren’t under is going out with a London Bubble be there at 8 or 8.30am to set up for pressure to formally mark or assess name on it. I give them notes that 9am. They like it just once because the young people on what they do. I would give to any devising actor it’s exciting getting up early and We’re working together to create the because as far I’m concerned, this going on the train to wherever we best piece of theatre that we can. Part is one of the main parts of London have to go, just once. It’s probably of the appeal of coming to a place like Bubble’s performance outcome. It the most stressful day of the tour for this is that they very quickly become needs to be the best it can be. me, but I think it’s a good stepping part of the company. The BYTMs stone into adult life. One of the programme is a substantial part of MV: They like being given notes other hardships of the tour is that London Bubble and they have a big but they like being told its good sometimes, given the backgrounds presence in the building. They’re here more! That’s the hard bit and I think that most of our young people come rehearsing and planning for a long that my approach is quite casual from, things just happen. Things get period of time. They’re here having and friendly. I am not particularly in the way; Jobcentre appointments their lunch with the company; they’re authoritative with them in the can’t be moved; people get ill and here in the office using the equipment. beginning so when it gets to the last people suddenly get grounded or They’re around and I think that helps two weeks of rehearsal I do warn arrested. Some young people have build a sense of belonging, ownership them that I will go into ‘director had to dash off really suddenly and responsibility. I was chatting mode’. But I do have to constantly because someone in their family with one of the BYTMs who did the remind myself and think, ‘Do I has been shot; really horrible things programme two years ago. She’s done really have to give that person that that you would never really plan for a lot of different projects and I asked note and is it going to break them? or expect but, of course, mean that her what was different about London How much will this note affect the doing a play is not their priority at Bubble; and she said that, ‘everybody piece and how much will it affect that moment. I think every time was allowed an idea here and that that person?’ something like that’s happened it there are no cliques.’ She felt that actually really makes the others there was no hidden agenda; her ideas AA: The other part of that is pull together. It’s never ideal but the were allowed to go into her character working with them on professional group always want to work hard to and feed into the story and that she practice: the part when you’re make the best of it however they can. appreciated that the most talented, or explaining safeguarding and I’m always impressed by the young
10 Drama Magazine Spring 2017 London Bubble Theatre
people who step up and stand in for why it is important and why this work is and at reputation. We’re devising other roles. so necessary in order to get discussions on with three BYTMs and two young these topics happening more regularly. people referred from the Youth AA: What happens to these young Jade, 23, Bubble Young Theatre Offending Service. We started by people once they finish the BYTM Maker asking ourselves who might be likely programme? to carry a knife? The character that AA: I’m aware that today you’ve the group created was a girl who MV: Different things. Some go on been working on a We Need to Act was carrying the knife on behalf to college, some go to university, On session with the Youth Offending of her boyfriend. So we created some go to drama school and some Service. What have you been doing? the boyfriend character and then get jobs. Some do other programmes we looked at both of their families. with other organisations similar MV: It’s We Need to Act On… Knife One of the most popular exercises to London Bubble and some don’t. Crime and it’s a response to the fact that we do with young people when Some have a renewed interest in that there have been 12 stabbings in we’re devising, once we’ve found drama. Some decide that actually our borough in the last six weeks. our central character, is to consider drama was never for them. Some This is obviously a massive concern all the other characters in their lives say thanks, that they’ve really to the police, the Youth Offending by asking everyone to improvise enjoyed it, that it’s given them lots Service, the hospitals and the youth and just jump in and start a typical of confidence. Some are dealing sector in general. So the Youth conversation between them. That with court cases or housing crises Offending Service are running events might last 15 seconds and from those or family issues that mean actually for parents and the community short scenes we can begin to develop they have to concentrate on that because they believe awareness of the narrative. when they leave because that’s more the issue needs to start at home. We important for them to be able to hear from many young people that AA: Have you fallen into a theatrical move on in future. their reaction to the fear of knife trap of finding the most unusual After having a work placement at crime is to protect themselves by characters to carry a knife? London Bubble many of them carry carrying a weapon, and we know on working for us either as support that those who carry weapons are MV: Most knife crime is by men and tutors on our on-going children’s more likely to be involved in violent in fact it isn’t the female character drama groups or on other We Need to crime. We’re asking the community who commits the stabbing in our Act On projects in schools. to think about how different people play; she’s just holding the knife for are impacted on different levels and a brief period of time after being AA: That’s a really important part how it doesn’t just stop with one pressured to do so. And that’s what of the programme and it’s made a victim and one perpetrator: the knock the young people wanted to say. difference to everything we do at on effect is much bigger. The piece If you’ve touched it, if you’ve held London Bubble. It’s also making looks at role models, it looks at the that knife, then you’re condoning an impact on the arts education family unit, it looks at family values it. I think, particularly because the sector more widely, with more organisations moving young people Young Theatre Makers perform at Southwark from trainees or participants to Youth Offending service ‘Stay Safe’ event workers.
I get really excited to meet a new group of young people as I always come away having learnt something new about what is important or challenging to them, and this almost always changes, which makes every workshop different. The discussions we have manifest a real sense of what ‘we need to act on’ as people in society. I love to explore ways of putting these ideas and thoughts together as theatre in order to show the audience the relevance and
Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 11 Theatre London Bubble
audience for this is parents, we don’t AA: What’s next for the We Need to to be running that at least once a want them to assume, ‘Oh I’ve got a Act On process? year. And of course I am looking daughter, she’ll be fine.’ forward to the day when some of MV: We are developing a resource the young people that have been Man Up and We Need to Act on pack that solidifies some of the working on We need to act on are Knife Crime both hit such current practice. It will include extracts from ready to make the shift from support topics that focused on both male and the plays and the exercises that to lead practitioners. female youths. I feel as though the are proven to work time and time themes in both performances allowed again even with young people who young people to voice their input on may not be experienced in drama. issues they face and would like to be able We have a CPD certified training to talk about. module to support anybody who Russeni, 22, Bubble Young works with young people to apply Theatre Maker some of the techniques and we hope
Marie Vickers is the Thanks to Tanya Muchanyuka for transcribing and Project Leader for Young Julie Power for editing. People’s Programmes. At London Bubble people are encouraged, Adam Annand is the supported and inspired to connect through making Associate Director of and watching theatre. People Make Theatre. Creative Learning at London www.londonbubble.org.uk Bubble Theatre.
The Jungle Book
12 Drama Magazine Spring 2017 Drama for Thought, Talk and Writing Patrice Baldwin
e know that Drama as a way and performance of stories. Teachers classes end up missing out. I ask them, of teaching and learning who had a minimal day of training ‘If you had a bad maths experience at W can be highly effective. We years ago, usually through the national school, would you therefore think it also know that teachers embarking strategies, seem to have forgotten about was OK to avoid teaching maths?’ I on the use of drama as a pedagogy drama or use a few drama strategies ask head teachers if they would accept require some training. With more repeatedly, namely, hot-seating, freeze some classes having maths and not initial teacher training happening ‘on frame, thought-tracking. Drama has a others, depending on whether a teacher the job,’ and primary drama specialists powerful, broad and flexible toolkit of wants to teach it or not? Drama should and Drama Advisers now a rarity, strategies that could become a valuable not be an option. the amount and quality of drama in part of any class teacher’s repertoire. If teachers (and head teachers) schools that new teachers come across Even the word ‘Drama’ seems to have the opportunity to see Drama is a real lottery. Sadly, young teachers strike fear into the hearts of many strategies being used purposefully and increasingly tell me that they have had primary teachers. They all too easily skilfully with their classes then they no experience of drama in schools at recall their fear and embarrassment are likely to want to embed it as a way all and no drama within their training. at being put ‘on the spot’ against their of improving teaching, making it more Primary drama teachers with no will as reluctant and under-rehearsed active and interactive. If they can see for training are likely to avoid it or stick performers. Some have avoided Drama themselves that the strategies can be to the straightforward re-enactment ever since and the children in their looked at through ‘thought, talk, write’
Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 13 Features Primary Drama
lenses, that lead to improvements that Drama is a main art form. In the Schools are most likely to respond in writing, then having Drama as primary national curriculum Drama is to an initiative that genuinely links a pedagogy throughout the school, just a few bullet points within another school improvement and Drama in should become irresistible! subject, English. a sustained way. Having previously ‘I did some drama training myself Drama for writing appears created and directed Drama for when I was a class teacher, when I was specifically within the lower primary Learning and Creativity (D4LC) involved in the D4LC project. Then (Years 3 and 4), programmes of study: between 2005 and 2011 (eventually I became a headteacher. Now I want ‘Drama and role-play can contribute to involving over 300 schools), I set about all my teachers to have some drama the quality of pupils’ writing by providing creating a new initiative that would training. I want their lessons to become opportunities for pupils to develop and be closely matched to fit the current more interactive and less ‘delivered’ by order their ideas through playing roles and educational landscape. I called it Drama the teacher. I know that Drama can help improvising scenes in various settings’. for Thought, Talk and Writing (DTTW) us shift the teaching here from good to Logically, the above statement and it started in 2015. It is ongoing in outstanding.’ could be applied to any year group but East Anglia and likely to be developed Headteacher, Norfolk someone (presumably not a Drama in Sussex in 2017. specialist), decided to place it neatly I advertised the opportunity first ‘ I was very nervous about being within Years 3 and 4. to Norfolk schools and soon received involved in this drama project but I enquiries and applications from several have really enjoyed it. I am using drama How can Drama thrive in primary groups of schools in Norfolk and an now with my class and I can see that schools when there is a government Academy Chain in Cambridgeshire the writing has improved. My reluctant dictated test agenda and inspection and Norfolk. I decided to work with writers are writing more now too.’ system that ignores it? one or two groups each term for a year. Class teacher, Norfolk The groups each contained between • With shrinking school three and six schools. One group of INSET budgets, schools need The curriculum in most primary schools was in Kings Lynn; another increasingly to be able to justify schools gives insufficient time to was strung along the North Norfolk Drama in relation to identified the arts. Nationally tested subjects coast; and three of the groups were areas for school improvement. increasingly dominate the school day. situated in, and close to, the Fens of Improving writing remains a key Slim amounts of arts time are more Cambridgeshire and west Norfolk. priority for many schools. likely to be allocated art and design and music, as schools want to cover • Schools are being continuously What did schools receive and their backs with Ofsted and these persuaded or forced into commit to? are national curriculum subjects. The working as groups and clusters, • Pairs of teachers from each school imbalanced and narrow curriculum increasingly as part of Academy attended an initial training day we have been dealt makes it easy chains but sometimes on a less and participated in KS1 and KS2 for schools (and children) to forget formal and flexible basis. lessons;
Children creating ‘Talking Objects’ in the hall • I visited each school within a of Heorot couple of weeks of the training day and led 2 class lessons (one in each participating teacher ‘s class). The teachers decided the lesson themes and objectives in advance, so that the lessons fitted with their curriculum and were not just ‘bolt-on.’ The teacher was an active participant with me in the lesson. ‘Just watching’ my lesson was not allowed. We evaluated the lesson together afterwards;
• The teachers all agreed to try using some Drama strategies in
14 Drama Magazine Spring 2017 Primary Drama Features
their lessons, evaluate the lessons and gather evidence of impact; • The teachers linked writing opportunities to the Drama and collected examples of writing from within or after the Drama lesson ; • Teachers attended a planning session where we planned some Drama for Thought, Talk and Writing lessons from ideas, themes and resources brought by the teachers; • I visited each pair of teachers again, in their schools. This time, the teachers had each planned their own lesson and I was an active co-participant. They could allocate me a particular role if Teachers on a training day, creating the they wished. We evaluated the monster Grendel. lesson together afterwards and considered their ‘next steps’; The schools During a couple of the • We all came back together for So far 30 schools have been involved training days, I used the story of a project evaluation afternoon. in groups of between three and six. the hero, Beowulf, as a stimulus They brought samples of The schools were all supported for a and several of the teachers children’s writing and reported term. Three of the groups were paid subsequently tried out lessons on back on the impact and outcomes for by an Academy chain, one group Beowulf, with their classes. (for themselves and their pupils.) each term. ‘My Year 5 children are loving I facilitated, using an ‘Action It was evident that not all learning about and reading Beowulf. Learning’ approach to help teachers had wanted to be involved It’s producing some of our best drama enable individual and group at the start, although most and writing outcomes yet.’ feedback. softened. Below is the unit of work on ‘I must admit that I was not Beowulf that I created and used on A selection of evaluation looking forward to this but I am using some of the training days. I also comments some Drama in my teaching now. I have used this lesson in one of my ‘I’d got out of using Drama but now I couldn’t see how drama would fit in drama workshops for Pie Corbett, have started again and I’m loving it! So before but now I can. The children as part of his Storytelling and are the children.’ are enjoying it and it is making a the Arts project at The Wroxham ‘Most of the drama techniques were difference to their writing.’ School. new to me. I’ve learned a lot and am Class teacher, Cambridgeshire The original Old English putting Drama into my planning now. version of this epic poem is readily I’ve already seen a big difference in their The Drama for Thought, Talk available but there are more child story writing. ’ and Writing (DTTW) lessons friendly versions by Pie Corbett, ‘At last I understand the pedagogy The 60+ lessons in schools Michael Foreman, Kevin Crossley- behind the drama. I knew some drama were diverse and based on the Holland and other children’s activities but didn’t really know what to teacher’s planned curriculum, authors. do with them before. It was very helpful e.g. Elizabeth 1st, The Fire of I too have written a version having it modelled by Patrice, with my London, Beowulf, Ancient Egypt, of Beowulf as a narrative poem own class. ’ The Tunnel by Anthony Brown, for KS2. Part one of my poem is ‘It made a big difference getting Rachel’s Story (BBC Learning), included in this article, to support involved in the Drama myself. It’s been Living and Growing, Superheroes, the Drama lesson plan. an eye-opener and very enjoyable.’ Rainforests, etc.
Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 15 A GREAT PERFORMANCE NEEDS A GREAT STAGE
When you’ve practised for weeks, you don’t want a noisy, clunky old stage to steal the limelight. Unistage is quiet and strong so it’s your performance grabbing the audience’s attention.
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Draft 7.indd 1 30/11/2016 16:26 A GREAT PERFORMANCE Primary Drama Features
The Drama enables and supports the class to write, as they: NEEDS A GREAT STAGE • Imagine the setting, characters and events in an engaging, • Generate and hear some possible dialogue by and collaborative, multi-sensory and memorable way; between characters, that can then be presented in written form; for example, monologue, playscript , • Are stimulated to think, speak, share and write their prose, poetry. own words, sentences and phrases associated with the above (individually and together); At the end of this article, I have included a copy of a When you’ve handout that I recently produced to highlight how various • Hear other people’s vocabulary, structured sentences Drama Strategies support the development of a story practised for weeks, and phrases associated with the above, (some of which collectively through Drama, prior to children possibly are added by the teacher as a co-participant); you don’t want a noisy, writing parts of the story themselves. • Talk aloud inner thoughts and feelings at key moments clunky old stage to steal the (their own and those of characters, eye witnesses, limelight. Unistage is quiet and reporters, objects, and so on; strong so it’s your performance BEOWOLF grabbing the audience’s attention. Still Image/Tableau What do we think Grendel might have been like? In turn, children enter the centre of a circle, adding themselves to a single, collective still image of the monster, Grendel. As each Don’t take our word for it... person gets into position they speak a descriptive sentence as the part of the monster, ‘I am Grendel’s skin. I am rough and scaly.’ Rumours What do the Danes say about Grendel? Every Dane in the vicinity has heard or seen something of Grendel over the last 12 years (or imagines they have). In role as Danes, the call now for our free children move around, creating, gathering and sharing tales, gossip and rumours about Grendel.
“JUMP UP & DOWN DEMO” Freeze/Frame The scene of Danes chatting is now frozen, (freeze frame) and the teacher passes through the scene. Whoever the teacher passes, Eavesdropping thaws and speaks aloud, so that all can hear snippets of the ‘overheard conversations’. Once the teacher has passed by, the speakers stop talking and freeze again. you will be amazed how quiet it is. Conscience Alley Should Beowulf sail to Denmark and try to kill Grendel? Teacher in Role The class makes two lines, facing each other. The teacher as Beowulf walks between the lines. Those in one line try to persuade 01254 680575 Beowulf to go and kill Grendel, whereas those on the other line try to persuade him not to go. Collective Role What is the conversation between Beowulf and Hrothgar when Beowulf arrives? Improvisation 2 groups (of about 6), take on the roles of Hrothgar and Beowulf. No child may speak twice in a row. They improvise their meeting, as www.unistage.co.uk either Beowulf or Hrothgar.
Talking Objects What can be/has been/will be seen, inside the great Mead Hall of Heriot? It is night-time. Several children individually enter the Hall and place themselves as an inanimate object, e.g. armour, table, bench, chair, goblet, tapestry, etc. They enter the space and state what object they are. They also offer a viewpoint about the chances of Easy to Store Flat Staging . Tiered Staging . Bespoke Staging. Multi-Level Staging Beowulf succeeding this night. Teacher in Role As Beowulf, the teacher moves around the hall and the objects speak directly now to Beowulf as he passes. The moment is just before Grendel is heard and seen.
Sensing the Some children (as Geats) hide amongst the objects and wait for Grendel. They speak aloud what they can see, hear, smell and touch Moment (giving a short description), e.g. ‘I can see the candles burning low, wax dripping to the floor’. ‘I can smell…’. A collective scene is built that focuses on imagined sensory experiences.
I Wonder As Beowulf passes them they wonder aloud, ‘I wonder if he is feeling fear….’
Still Image The children are now in groups of 4. They create a still image (statue) that matches a scene from the poem. These are presented as dream images and may be symbolic rather than realistic representations.
1. Beowulf sails to Denmark 4. The Geats hide from Grendel 7. Beowulf detaches the arm of Grendel 2. Beowulf is greeted by King Hrothgar 5. Grendel kills Leofric 8. Grendel dies 3. Unferth doubts Beowulf 6. Grendel fights Beowulf 9. Beowulf is celebrated as a hero
Performance These scenes can be presented in turn with no break between them, as a continuous performance sequence. Carousel The sentence is spoken aloud as a caption for the scene. staging made simple Talking Partners In pairs, one child was an eye witness of the killing of Grendel. The other was not present and wants to find out more, through in Role questioning. This may be years later or soon after. Easy to Store. Fun to Build Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 17
Draft 7.indd 1 30/11/2016 16:26 Features Primary Drama
Beowulf (Part 1) Beowulf a young and great warrior, Drunken Danes left and went into hiding. Set off to give freedom to Danes Geats stayed in the hall, filled with fear. To kill a grim monster called Grendel They listened for sounds. Was Grendel around? That would eat men and leave no remains. Would they ever just walk out of here? Grendel hated the sound of Danes feasting Grendel slithered through slime and soft nightfall. Detested their songs and their mirth. Grendel slobbered towards the dark hall It would drive him to kill, to slaughter at will Gave a blood curdling roar and lunged through the door Then he’d slide back content with a smirk. Gobbling Leofric, fresh bones, blood and all. Twelve years the poor Danes had feared Grendel Grendel ground his great teeth. Now for Beowulf! Twelve years they had dreaded his bite. Red blood flew with spit from his jaw. He could rip men apart, and gobble their hearts He’d tasted fresh meat, delicious and sweet With no real chance of a fight. And soon he’d be gorging on more. Beowulf sailed across the dark waters Beowulf grabbed the sharp claw arm of Grendel. Arrived on the bleak Danish shore He twisted it fast in his grasp. Headed straight for the great hall of Herriot He wrenched it and gripped it and lifted and ripped it, And passed through the heavy oak door. Tore the arm from the body, so vast. ‘I have come here to kill the beast, Grendel Beowulf held high the loose arm of Grendel I have come here to free you from dread. And triumph shone bright in his eyes. With bare hands, I will grab and will crush him Grendel let out a howl, that stench it was foul And I’ll not return home ‘til he’s dead.’ Then he limped towards marshland to die. ‘Welcome Beowulf’, said Hrothgar the royal Now Beowulf became a great hero ‘Please feast with us first, if you will For the momentous task he had done. You must eat to stay strong, for your fight will be long He was fearless and bold, Hrothgar showered And Grendel will be hard to kill.’ him with gold And thought of him now, as a son. ‘You cannot kill Grendel’ jeered Unferth ‘Your words, they mean nothing at all Then Wealhthow, the Queen, gravely entered. It’s action we need, you must make Grendel bleed Her plea to her husband was clear You just boast big but really, you’re small.’ ‘Give him gold if you must but he’s not one of us Not a son, not so precious my dear.’ Beowulf’s stare remained calm and determined He’d not rise to bait from this Dane. Grendel’s claw, now hung high in the great hall He knew he was strong and the fight could be long A trophy from Beowulf’s great fight. And he knew he’d earn fortune and fame. Danes returned there to sleep, feeling safe and replete Expecting no monster tonight … Then Wealhthow, the Queen slowly entered She fixed Beowulf with her eyes She wondered by dawn, would they have him to mourn Or would daybreak bring forth a surprise?
Within their poetry, children used images and language that had been generated within the drama.
18 Drama Magazine Spring 2017 Primary Drama Features
HOW DRAMA STRATEGIES CAN SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF STORY-MAKING AND STORY-TELLING
DRAMA STRATEGY
CHARACTER What is the character like? – (Description) • Ask someone who knows the character or has observed him/her. Teacher in role • Talk with the character themselves. Small group playmaking • Place and watch the character in different situations, times and settings. Performance Carousel
What does the character think and feel? • Talk with the character and ask what they are thinking and ask what they are feeling. Hot-seating; Shadowy Role • Listen to the character speak his/her inner thoughts out loud. Thought-tracking • The character stands in the centre of a standing circle and those in the circle can cross the circle, Passing Thoughts; Monologue passing the character and speaking aloud a thought as the character, to the character or about the
character.
• Divide the class into 2 lines. At a moment of indecision, the different lines speak aloud the conflicting Conscience Alley thoughts (pros and cons) in the character’s head. We hear the conflicting thoughts spoken aloud, as the character passes along the line and passes each person.
What does the character do? (Actions) • Create/watch the character in action at various key moments in scenes. Improvisation; Small group play-making • Interview eye witnesses who have seen the character in action. Eye-witness; • Create/re-create/re-enact what the character has done (or might do next.) Small group playmaking
How does the character change? (Character development) • Create/watch scenes (of a character’s key moments). Bring them to life and freeze them for comment Small group playmaking; Freeze frame and discussion about the character. • Jot comments/observations/characteristics (using removable labels or a series of outlines) around a Role on the Wall drawn outline of the character. Which labels (characteristics) would you agree to leave, keep, modify or remove at different points in the story/drama timeline and why? • If in the future, you were to write an epitaph for this character (or a plaque for a statue you create of Statues; Still image; Captioning him/her), how would you portray/present/ encapsulate the essence of this character posthumously? What is the significant sentence that you would write and/or speak aloud about them? • Interview someone, who has known the character over a period of time. Hot-seating; Shadowy Role
DIALOGUE (AND MONOLOGUE) What do characters say to themselves? (Internal monologue – thinking aloud – soliloquy) • Walk around as the character and talk to yourself (in role), about what you think and feel or about a Thought-walk (monologue); situation or event. Some children could then volunteer to be ‘overheard’ by the class, as they repeat Eavesdropping/Overheard conversations or continue their ‘thought walk’ as the character. • The character stands in the centre of a class circle (standing). Those in the circle can choose to pass Passing Thoughts by the character one at a time and speak aloud one of his/her thoughts.
What do characters say to each other? • Create a still image of a significant moment, in which each person in the scene is initially allowed to Still image; Freeze-frame; Performance speak only one sentence before freezing the scene (improvised and/or rehearsed). Bring the scenes to Carousel life one at a time to share what is being said. • Create a key scene with characters in it. The scene could be planned first, or improvised first. It can Small group playmaking; Performance be rehearsed, re-enacted and shared through performance. The characters (in role), could then be Carousel; Hot-seating; Shadowy Role questioned by the class about what they said (and did) in the scene.
What do characters say about each other? • Walk around and mutter to yourself about a character or event in the story. Thought-walk • Ask questions about a character, of someone who knows the character well, e.g. their mother, friend Hot-seating; Shadowy Role or neighbour. Get their viewpoint, personal anecdotes and opinion. • Set up a scene with a main character absent. The others can then start to spontaneously talk, whisper Rumours and gossip in role, about the absent character. This can be gossiping in pairs, small groups or the whole class.
Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 19 Features Primary Drama
HOW DRAMA STRATEGIES CAN SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF STORY-MAKING AND STORY-TELLING
DRAMA STRATEGY
SETTING Where is our story happening? • From a class circle (standing), invite them to enter a central space, (one at a time) and add themselves to the place, as an Physical Theatre; Mime; object. They should say what object they are, describe themselves and give one piece of information about it; for example, Talking Objects ‘I am the door to Heorot Hall. I am made of very old wood and am heavy to push open.’ • As above but instead of objects, they can physically become features of a natural or man-made landscape, e.g. ‘I am a deep Talking Objects swamp and I have reeds and branches hanging over me.’ • You can use an actual image or piece of text, from which they select information about the setting and choose what they will Talking Objects depict with their bodies. For example, they could look at a picture of a medieval meeting hall and recreate it by becoming the ire, the spit, benches, shields, and so on before Grendel enters. • The class can collectively (in turn or simultaneously), draw a map or picture of the setting, on a big piece of paper, placed in the Mapping centre. In turn they can each enter and add something to the map or picture. As they do so, they should say something about what they are adding; for example, ‘This is the long table that the King’s guests will sit at. It has already got blood stains on it.’
What can we see around us? • Ask the children to close their eyes and then say, ‘Let the eye inside your head look around this place where our story will Visualisation take place…I wonder what you can see….keep your eyes closed and soon you will be able to tell us what you can see…your sentence will start with, ‘I can see’. Keeping their eyes closed and following the sentence opening rule (starting with, ‘I can see…’) children can share something from their imagined picture of the setting, for example, ‘I can see wet footprints near the swamp…’ and so on.
What can we hear around us? • As above but saying what they imagine they can hear in the setting. They should start the sentences now with, ‘ I can Auralisation hear….’ For example, ‘I can hear the sound of men breathing...’
What can we smell around us? • As above but saying what they imagine they can smell in the setting. They should start the sentences now with, ‘ I can smell Olfaction ….’ e.g. ‘I can smell roasted meat and smoke from the fire…’
What can we touch around us? • As above but saying what they imagine they can touch in the setting. They should start the sentences now with, ‘ I can feel Tactile the cold floor of the hall….’ For example. ‘I can feel my sword in my hand…’
NARRATING/STORYTELLING When is this story happening? • The teacher can tell the story in episodes using the children’s ideas that have emerged through the drama activities. The Teacher as storyteller teacher uses the children’s ideas, words and phrases but may also elaborate and introduce new vocabulary.
Who is telling the story? • Key scenes from the story can be created and performed by small groups. One person in the group stays outside the scene. Small group playmaking; The scene is shown twice, the first time naturalistically and the second time silently. The person outside the group narrates Performance carousel; what is happening in the silent scene. Storytelling • Different characters can also step out and recount the scene differently, from their character’s viewpoint. Storytelling • A narration can be provided by an eye witness to the scene. Eye witness account
What’s the whole story? • The class stand in a circle. The teacher in the centre tells the whole story. As the teacher tells the story, he/she goes around Active Storytelling; the circle signalling to individuals, pairs and small groups of children in turn, when to enter the circle as the characters and objects being mentioned in the story. When the circle is getting too full of children, the teacher simply says, ‘Whoosh!’ and Whoosh! they resume their place in the circle. The teacher then continues telling the story, saying, ‘Whoosh!’ whenever the central acting space needs emptying.
Who still remembers what happened? • In pairs, one child (A) pretends to be an old person who remembers what happened in the past, as if it was yesterday. Storytelling; The other, is a child (B) who has never heard about this important event before. The first time A recounts the story of how Improvisation Beowulf killed Grendel, B listens without interruption. The second time, B can ask questions of A.
20 Drama Magazine Spring 2017 Primary Drama Features
HOW DRAMA STRATEGIES CAN SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF STORY-MAKING AND STORY-TELLING
DRAMA STRATEGY
SIGNIFICANT OBJECTS AND ARTEFACTS Who does/did this object belong to? What does it know and remember? • From a class circle (standing), invite them to enter a central space, (one at a time) and add themselves to the scene, as an Physical Theatre; Talking object in the story. They should state what object they are, describe themselves and give one piece of information, for objects; Mime; example, ‘I am Beowulf’s sword. I was given to him by Unferth.’ • Children who do not become objects, can instead ask questions directly of the objects, addressing them by name, for Hotseating; Shadowy example, ‘Sword, where are you kept?’ The object can answer or may choose not to. Role; • The objects can have conversations amongst themselves too, with the rest of the class listening in. The objects are often eye Improvisation witnesses to scenes and can comment on characters and tell you what they have seen and heard, ‘So sword, where does Beowulf put you when he is asleep?’
DRAMATIC TENSION What about the moment before the key moment? • Ask them to create a group still image and give it a caption. The image should show the split second before a key moment in Still image; Captioning; the story, for example, ‘The moment before Grendel entered the hall,’ or ‘The moment before Beowulf twisted off Grendel’s Thought-tracking; arm.’ The characters in the scenes can speak be asked to speak their thoughts aloud. The scene can then be brought to life Freeze-frame; Hot-seating in slow motion and the key moment depicted, before being frozen again for further investigation. • In groups, create (using sound and movement), a repeated nightmare that a character is having before or after a key Dance Drama; Movement moment. To make the nightmare, they will be drawing on and maybe exaggerating the character’s memories and anxieties.
LEGACY How will this story be remembered? • Devise and present a lasting visual image to ensure that future generations will know and remember the story; for example, Still image; Statue make themselves into a group, commemorative statue or painting. • Give the visual image a one sentence plaque. What will it say? Captioning • Devise and present a dance or song about the event for future generations to know about it. Music/ Dance Drama; • Retell the story through sounds alone. Perform it for a ‘blind’ (eyes closed) audience. Soundtrack
Further reading Patrice Baldwin was Chair of National Baldwin, P. (1992) Stimulating Drama – cross curricular Drama for more than a decade (until 2014) approaches in the Primary School. London: National Drama. and was President of the International Baldwin, P. (2004) With Drama in Mind; Real Learning in Drama Theatre and Education Association Imagined Worlds. 1st Edition. London: Network Education (2010-13). She is an international speaker Press. and workshop leader at Drama conferences across the world, Baldwin, P. (2008) The Primary Drama Handbook. most recently in Uruguay, Argentina, Australia, Singapore London: Sage. and Turkey. Patrice has also works as a local authority School Baldwin, P. (2009) School Improvement Through Drama: a Improvement Partner, Ofsted Inspector, Primary Headteacher, creative whole class whole school approach. London: Continuum. National Curriculum Consultant and is a published author of Baldwin, P. (2012) With Drama in Mind; Real Learning in Imagined Worlds. 2nd Edition. London: Continuum. many books on Drama for learning. Patrice also worked as a Baldwin, P. and Fleming, K. (2002) Teaching Literacy through BBC Education Drama series consultant and scriptwriter. Drama- creative approaches. London: Routledge/Falmer She now owns her own CPD and School Improvement Baldwin, P. and Hendy, L. (1994) The Drama Book – an active business, organising courses and conferences for schools on approach to learning. London: Collins Educational. the whole curriculum. Baldwin, P. and Hendy, L. (1994) The Drama Box. London: Collins Educational. Website: www.patricebaldwin.com Baldwin, P. and John, R. (2012) Inspiring Writing Through Drama Blog: www.patricebaldwin.me Drama. London: Continuum Email: [email protected]
Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 21 Discover Trinity’s Drama assessments
Trinity College London invites you to join a growing international community of drama teachers offering its recognised and celebrated assessments. ◗ Young performers certificates for children up to the age of 7 ◗ Acting grades for individuals, pairs, and groups ◗ Musical theatre grades for individuals, pairs and groups ◗ Whole production assessments for large group performances ◗ Diplomas and teaching qualifications across the performing arts ◗ And much more... Trinity nurtures a love of performance while challenging all levels of talent Alita Mills, Head of Education, Stagecoach Performing Visit trinitycollege.com/drama Arts Schools or email [email protected] for more information
/TrinityCollegeLondon @TrinityC_L The Story Behind: I Love You, Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die Mark Wheeller
On Friday 17th January 2014, Daniel Spargo persuaded his mum to let him go to a party, with a group of friends. He went to an illegal rave and took MDMA. At 05:30 the police knocked on his parents’ front door to give them the shocking news that he was fighting for his life. At 12:50 on Monday 20th January, Dan died, surrounded by his family. His family’s involvement in this play has come about as they aim to do what they can to prevent this happening to any other family. They have developed the Daniel Spargo Mabbs Foundation (DSMF – supporting young people to make safer choices about drugs. Ollie Webb in OYT’s production of I Love You, Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die. www.dsmfoundation.org.uk) Photo credit: Chris Webb
Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 23 Features Verbatim Theatre
Mark Wheeller: That is an extract story of Daniel Spargo Mabbs using Fiona (Dan’s Mum): We never from the final scene of I Promise I the words of his friends, some of whom expected this to happen to Dan. Won’t Die: were with him on the night he died; We were just a normal family – Tim and I Promise I Won’t Die which tells the (Dan’s Dad) and I both working; same story from his (and girlfriend’s) Jacob, his elder brother, just gone Fiona: I’d heard Margaret family’s perspectives. off to university; and Dan, who had Mizen speak. Her son Jimmy In the first, the chronology moves started in sixth form. All seemed was murdered in 2008. She’d forward whereas in the second it is in well. We were really enjoying having taken great comfort from the reverse to end showing all the potential the two loveliest boys in the world fact that, the night before he Daniel offered as a child. The first play for company, and we often said that, died, she’d told him she loved has a strong ensemble feel. The second despite our many shortcomings as him. So I’d started doing that is more intimate and raw. They offer a parents, we’d ended up with two with my boys. They were contrasting range of opportunities for amazing boys, who are kind, clever, at an age where they don’t students to perform or study it. funny and interesting. We got on so want their mum hugging and Why do I use verbatim plays? well with them and enjoyed them kissing them all the time, so, I love them. They motivate the young both so much. you know, it became this big people I work with and encourage a A reporter asked once what I joke. There was a whole quality strong emotional commitment. They missed most about Dan. It was the of intonation thing. So, I’d give also force a more imaginative theatrical first and only time I cried in an him a big, sort of, dramatic response as there is no obvious way the interview. I said: hug, and it was: words, which are not simply naturalistic ‘I just miss him being here.’ I still ‘I love you Dan.’ conversations, can be staged. The trick just miss him being here. And he’d go: is not to have a series of talking heads Ensemble 6: I love you, mum - lecturing the audience. Instead, they Mark: On the 3rd May 2014 I promise I won’t die. offer the audience visual interest by I received an email from Izzy the use of cast members. Hopefully, Forrester, a Croydon Drama Fiona: (Holding onto Dan – you will see evidence of this on the teacher, asking me to be involved Ensemble 6) One of the first DVD of the original Oasis Youth in something that I realised straight things I said to him when we Theatre production. I hope you will away was going to be very special. I got to the hospital was: sense the power of these projects from remain of that same opinion. ‘You promised Dan. You this article, which I assembled in a promised!’ similar way to a verbatim play, using Fiona: Dan loved drama and was blogs by the contributors! really good at it. Izzy Forrester saw (Ensemble 6 leaves, taking off the hoodie and hangs it on the hat stand. Just before he exits, he Lewis Evans as Jack IN OYT’s production of I Love You, Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die. looks back at Fiona. Fiona moves Photo credit: Chris Webb towards the hoodie and makes a loving contact with it. Freeze.)
Mark: So, what is a verbatim play? Plays that use exclusively the words of real people who experienced an event to tell that story. My first verbatim play was Too Much Punch For Judy, which I wrote in 1986-87 and was developed from the documentary plays I admired by Roy Nevitt and his Living Archive Project at Stantonbury Campus (Milton Keynes) in the 70’s and 80’s. In this instance, there are two plays. I Love You, Mum which is the
24 Drama Magazine Spring 2017 Verbatim Theatre Features
his potential early on and nurtured it, judgements and assumptions. I spoke built his confidence, and persuaded to Mark on the phone several times him to take on roles in school at some length and emailed before productions. One of his favourite we met for the first interview which pastimes was raiding the costume helped me feel more confident he cupboard in the drama studio and was someone I could trust with going around school dressed in Dan’s story. something fabulous or weird. He Dan’s friends were very wary was awarded an A* for GCSE Drama at the start and I was concerned but resisted Izzy’s attempts to take that they might feel pressured A-level. He was in The Wiz just a into contributing when they felt couple of months before he died. uncomfortable purely because they He’d really wanted to try out for wanted to help us. Mostly though, the scarecrow, but they were short they did want to tell their own stories, of a guitarist so he ended up in the and be part of making a difference band, wearing his green sequinned through this for others. They wanted Dan in Drama lessons at school waistcoat, teasing the trumpeters and to know that this precious story of eating all the biscuits at rehearsals. their friend Dan would be presented A couple of months after Dan died as he was. The mystery was how The second visit brought the we were contacted by a playwright could anyone possibly do that? bombshell of a whole new story for in Barcelona who wanted to write a We’d spent the previous six us to process, as the play tells. The play about Dan. We were amazed months telling this story to anyone excitement became more like horror someone in Spain had both heard and who’d listen because it was all that as we learned more about the story been so taken by his story. We met up filled our heads and occupied all our and its ending. For both of us it was as with him when he was in the UK but processing capacity and was all we if the clock was set back to zero and it soon felt frighteningly out of control could really talk about. Mark took we had to begin processing another – he’d already started writing, and this to another level in the way he led story and begin grieving all over made assumptions about our family and directed his questioning - very again from the start. dynamics and the kind of boy Dan probing, incisive and persistent, but was, and wanted access to all sorts without feeling invasive or intrusive. Lewis (OYT cast member): There of people for information. I panicked For us both there was (and still is) was never any doubt that I would to Izzy, who took it all in hand and always a sense of relief and release be involved with OYT no matter we never heard from him again. At when anyone lets us just talk and what the production was. This real the same time Izzy suggested we did talk about Dan. For someone to be so life story made it far more special think about drama as a powerful way interested that they listened for hours, than any other might have been. of communicating this important and pursued sometimes unexpected The messages from the play that message to young people. She avenues of enquiry which enabled us always highlighted themselves to asked if we’d mind her contacting to recall things lost, see things from me were ‘love’ and not ‘loss’: how a playwright she rated very highly, a different angle, or clear some of everyone should always cherish someone we’d never heard of, Mark the fog and mist, was the beginning those around them. Wheeller. We trusted her judgement, of what became a process that has though we were very wary now of the been very much part of our journey Olivia (OYT Cast member): The whole playwriting thing, but didn’t of finding a way to carry this heavy read through was different from any expect anything much to come from it burden of loss. I had previously attended. We just sat to be honest. After the first visit I sat in the in a circle and read the lines. Tears We knew nothing about verbatim garden in the dark for hours and were flowing. How could this cause theatre, nor much about theatre at all, cried and cried, having re-inhabited such emotion? I felt attached and I’m ashamed to say, especially as an the worst of all worst possible really motivated to help the DSMF English teacher. I couldn’t imagine moments. Tim’s response was more spread awareness. I kept thinking; how our words could possibly become consistently positive although it was if we are getting this reaction from the script of a play. We were also of course also painful for him. He was just reading the lines imagine what incredibly protective of Dan and his intrigued by the whole process, happy we could do if we manage to create a story, the more so because drugs can to be led through it uncritically, and to powerful piece of theatre? Well, that and do very easily lead to all sorts of trust Mark. is exactly what we did!
Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 25 Features Verbatim Theatre
Fiona: There was a lot of adrenalin raging around in that first year, which lent a sense of excitement to this very positive thing happening but I didn’t stop becoming overwhelmingly anxious at various times about handing my son over for public consumption, for anyone to make of him what they would, and misinterpret who he was or why he did this one last thing, and perhaps cause others to pass judgements about him we felt he didn’t deserve. As I got to know Mark, the lovely, talented young people of OYT, and the team involved in creating this piece of theatre, I knew that they, at least, were wholly committed to getting Dan right and honouring his story by recreating it as faithfully as they could. Quite an extraordinary organic feeling of community grew between and within us over the many months they worked on the play.
Lewis: I developed a fantastic relationship with Tim, Fiona and the directors of the play who supported me through difficulties I experienced during those two years. I was struggling with home life at the time and rehearsals became the one thing I really looked forward to each week.
Olivia: Meeting Tim and Fiona and presenting a snippet of the play to them for the first time created incredible emotions. How could the feeling of wanting to do this get any greater? Over time we built strong relationships with them and it made the journey a lot more ‘enjoyable’, if that’s the right word. I even socialized with Dan’s friends outside rehearsals. We did normal things together (bowling for example) and most importantly, built trust and friendship. When I asked Mark (Wheeller) if this was ok he was a bit unsure but I felt it would help them feel they could trust us with their precious memories with Dan. I feel Olivia Predergast (& Joe Tucker) in OYT’s production of I Love You, Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die. we did that and, in the end, Mark was Photo credit: Chris Webb very supportive of it all. Rehearsals
26 Drama Magazine Spring 2017 Verbatim Theatre Features
were never dull and I am sure all of the world… and set us back in rehearsals as positive thing, and a huge part of all cast will say we wanted to do well for we had to do everything again… but it we’re doing to make Dan’s death Mark as well as Tim and Fiona. improved the final production beyond work for good, to make it count and measure! As I always say… necessity is make a difference to others: a big Fiona: For us both, the growing the mother of invention. mess and muddle of all sorts of very relationships with OYT through our strong emotions. visits were an incredibly important part Lewis: At first, it was incredibly Right now, I never want to see it of the process of the growing place the worrying to think, again. I thought it would get easier play took in our lives. These people who ‘Am I doing this right? Is this how they every time I watched it but it didn’t, cared so much about our son, and for would have done it?’ it got harder. Tim, on the other hand, us too, immediately came to mean so I remember one moment where, looks forward to the next opportunity! much to us, and along with the during a performance, I made eye play became a very important part contact with my real life character Lewis: The media coverage was very of our journey. (Jack) and we shared a smile. This strange. Driving down the motorway was beautiful; taking audiences on a and your own voice is on the radio Mark: I’d like to think we at OYT journey that this audience had already or eating your dinner and your face make what we do look easy. It isn’t. lived through! It became an honour appears on the national news! The ease we show hides sheer hard to perform for the friends and family, I have changed my outlook on work. The cast rehearse for eighteen having developed close relationships life. I remember thinking on my way months six hours a week (term-time) a with them. home from rehearsals how lucky I luxury I’d never get with a professional was. My only problem being that my company. They undergo a new script at Fiona: The showcase performances phone wasn’t charged! virtually every rehearsal. They lose and helped prepare me, in little glimpses, for gain lines and cope with that without what was to come, when to steel myself, Fiona: We are both so pleased by amusement rather than a fuss. They and most importantly, when to keep my how positive the responses have are wonderful. I overcast knowing eyes closed and cover my ears. been from young people, parents, that there will be young people who For Tim the experience of watching teachers, and professionals. And can’t cope with the commitment OYT the play has always been a deeply nobody seems to have judged Dan demands over this period. We still positive thing. For him it’s like looking for this terrible mistake. have crises. The biggest we faced led at a photo album, and being able to to our best moment of creativity. The see other people’s photos too, and Olivia: I went to see it being lad playing Dan had to drop out as have his own memories augmented by performed by students at another suddenly his boxing career started those of others. It brought us another school and was strangely nervous. to take off eight weeks prior to the side of Dan, through the words of his I was nervous because I had a production. Should we bring someone friends, which enriched the Dan we relationship with the real people new into the cast and give them the already knew. For Tim, the play keeps and seeing them hurt was an awful lead role? Should we promote someone memories and relationships alive and, feeling and I wanted it to be amazing else and create another role to be although it freezes those young people to spread DSMF message even learnt? Suddenly I thought: Dan was in that moment in time, he finds it further, which they did! I cried almost the only person in the play who I was comforting. It is all so hedged about in the whole way through, some of unable to speak to… so… perhaps he paradox though. At times, he’s been course being happy tears. After the doesn’t need one person to play him. laughing while I’ve been sobbing. production we went backstage and Perhaps he can be represented by a For me it’s a terribly bittersweet congratulated them all. It was an cap, or a hoodie, and represented by thing. I very much wanted to see what’d amazing feeling knowing that the someone from the ensemble giving been done with this precious story, story was reaching new people and everyone an opportunity to play Dan by these people who had become so will affect a lot more young lives. and have a greater role in the play they precious to us, but there’s a sort of dark had created. It was the idea that came magic to the play. It both brings back Fiona: I was particularly pleased to define the whole production and met Dan, even if only in the tiniest most that the responses to this production with the approval of the real family and shadowy way because that’s all that were so positive as we had no direct friends as they didn’t have to see Daniel could be possible, but it also locks me involvement to sway or intensify being played by one person. into the most terrible of times, and people’s experience. It proved to It sounds simple but on the night it throws a harsh spotlight again on his me that Dan does still live through arose it seemed like the end of the absence. But it’s also an incredibly this play. People feel they develop a
Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 27 Features Verbatim Theatre
relationship with him, and for them major venue… oh… and it would be them to take away so much more. The it comes to matter that he isn’t here, a great for it make the GCSE set text continuing use of this play in schools that he went too soon. lists at some stage… in English as was always vital to the success of what well as Drama! we knew we were starting. Olivia: Following on from our performances I’ve visited Tim, Fiona Fiona: We are so pleased that the Adrian New (Stopwatch Theatre and Jacob at their home in Croydon. play is now published and endorsed Company Director): I’ve been I hope to do so again very soon. by Bloomsbury (Methuen Drama). associated with Mark’s work As a result of this production we Dan would have been over the throughout my whole professional have created a strong bond that will moon! He would have definitely life. Hard to Swallow was the first remain important to me for the rest chosen it to be placed with the Theatre-in-Education tour StopWatch, of my life. publisher responsible for Harry produced. It became apparent that the Potter! Being on the Methuen list power of telling a true story in Mark: When we started Too Much will hopefully mean it reaches more a vibrant accessible style was without Punch back in the late 80’s my young people in more schools than it compare in affecting the hearts and aspirations for it were humble. otherwise it would have done. minds of young people wrestling With success my ambitions have with all the big decisions faced increased. I always wanted this to Lewis: I am incredibly proud that in adolescence. have a professional life and tour the play being toured as a TIE When we wrapped up that tour, schools. I wanted it to be published production. Drama was very much we knew we wanted to have education by a mainstream theatre publisher. in the foreground of my school at the heart of our artistic policy. One ambition remains. I’d like education. People will be drawn Mark’s plays have frequently featured to see it performed by the National into the performances, feel the real, in our programme, with our most Youth Theatre or in have a run in a raw emotions and that will enable performed play Chicken! celebrating The Actor’s Toolkit Learn, develop and thrive with these essential books for actors Visit www.TheActorsToolkit.co.uk
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28half Drama page drama Magazine mag ad version Spring 2.indd 2017 1 22/11/2016 17:24:59 Verbatim Theatre Features
its 25th anniversary in October 2017, the audience from their emotional with over half a million young people response to the play, (to change their seeing it in that time. attitude or behaviour towards the In 1991 we were commissioned subject) to develop a personal action to create a workshop programme to plan with two or three key ideas they respond to the death of a 15 year old can put into practice immediately. boy from aerosol inhalation. We wrote Our workshop will leave them Choices, which promoted informed considering how they would react decision making, and the assertiveness should they be in Daniel’s situation, skills necessary to stick to your or with someone in that situation. decision in a peer pressure situation. We have engaged a fantastic director We delivered this workshop over for our production. Julie Addy. In 200 times across Hampshire in the the last two years she has directed following year to fantastic feedback. verbatim plays Muvvahood and Five The original ensemble of 15 for I Guys Chillin, the latter of which she Love You, Mum needed to be reduced will open in New York shortly before Dan’s story, to become one of his to a touring (multi-roling) cast of she returns for this play. Mark and I friends, one of our children. The four, and the 100 minute running are very excited to see what she does impact of what the loss of them time needed to be halved. These are with this play. would mean to their own friends not artistic necessities, but practical Our professional production and parents is enacted on stage or ones as we create a programme that premieres at the end of January 2017, represented on the page through the will fit into the pressured secondary and then embarks on a 2 month tour loss of Dan. Their perceptions of risk school timetable and delivered at an of Croydon and South London… and and consequence will – we hope and affordable cost. The version we take beyond. We then deliver showcase pray – be reshaped and reconfigured. into the rehearsal room conveys the performances around the country Drama teachers have the potential central story and emotions of the full and hope health promotion, crime to be part of this transformative script, but in a more focused and direct prevention agencies and drugs process, through choosing the play manner to maximise its impact within education charities, will be inspired as an excellent piece of theatre with a the time of a single lesson. to bring the programme into their vitally important message. schools. Dan’s story will help other Fiona: I was unsure how the play young people facing similar choices, Mark: I have a strong feeling that would condense into a shorter touring and his name will help save lives this will end up being the play I am version, but Mark has done an across the UK. remembered for. I will certainly be incredible job and I feel it keeps the very happy about that. I can’t wait to most important elements of both parts Fiona: The reason we started telling see the professional production and of the original play. We are both very Dan’s story the day after he died then various productions presented excited about the tour bringing change to reporters that kept knocking on by schools, where it began. Please to hearts and minds. our door was because we wanted to invite me! I will try to attend! do anything to stop this happening Adrian: The play will be followed to anyone else. We wanted to keep by an interactive workshop with the young people safe from harm, and I Love You, Mum – I Promise whole audience combining elements make parents aware of risks their I Won’t Die is published by of the Choices programme with the children face and what they can to Methuen Young Drama 2017. excellent ideas that the DSMF have help them stay safe. developed in the last two years of We believe this play has the The DVD of OYT’s original working in schools. potential to change and save young production is available from We have always prided ourselves lives. We believe it has the power to [email protected] on delivering workshops that take enable young people to step inside (note the double e double L)
Mark Wheeller is (one of) the most-performed living playwrights. Too Much Punch For Judy has just celebrated its 6,000th licensed performance. He taught Drama for 36 years and still directs his Oasis Youth Theatre. His latest production (in March 2017) Can You Hear Me Major Tom? celebrates the life of of his hero, David Bowie, from a fan’s perspective.
Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 29
Actor Training: A time for a
revolution? Production shot of Fourth Monkey’s professional graduate touring company Fourth Monkey Ensemble’ s Off-West End nominated production of The Elephant Man directed by Steven Green. Steven Green Photography: © Anthony Hollis
t a time when so much noise turned actor representing the masses had been disenchanted by due to the is made of the need for different of us ‘normal’ folk within the arts. manner in which it was taught- again A voices to be heard, the heralded We’d like to see more normalised raise a glass! In addition, her first season buzz phrases of ‘diversity’ and ‘access representations of ‘normal’ on a more broke box office records and shifted a to the arts’ ring loud in our minds, regular basis to encourage more time-warped theatrical venture into the something we all acknowledge is urgently ‘normal’ into the industry, wouldn’t modern age- give that woman a rise! required on a multitude of levels. we? Not a revolutionary concept, surely, Right? Yet there is so much lip service to demystifying an accessible yet seemingly No. this argument it is astounding. In an age elitist art form to a much wider Within weeks of the season closing when so much more should and could demographic. Something Emma Rice she’s bafflingly informed she’s out of be happening it is uninspiring at best to was most certainly succeeding in doing touch with what the theatre and it’s hear established yet jaded institutions, in her first season at The Globe before audiences needed. Booted off stage right companies and even drama schools still she was stunningly stunted in her before taking a bow. frozen in time talking of quotas and efforts recently. This is the first implausible tragedy; the like as a remedy. Is this really the Rice is one of the most dynamic and yet there is a second… destination of this long and winding gifted directorial talents the UK has to For the best part a term now I have argument? offer (also by way of coincidence she discussed and debated this deflating If it is, then is it not time for the whole happened to be a woman of course) demise of one of the most exciting and industry to holler halt and take a long known as the lesser spotted theatre inspiring contemporary theatre voices hard look at doing things differently and director in general theatrical parlance. with my informed, motivated final from a totally different perspective? She was determined to reimagine year students, each, to a woman and There are a host of campaigns Shakespeare for a modern audience in man, bewildered by the events at The currently making a ruckus in the a theatre that, until present, has been Globe; each somewhat disenfranchised wider industry: act for change and actor artistically directed with talented, yet by a decision that calls into question awareness are two that spring to mind. timid, wands of theatrical wizardry their entire expectation of the limitless Yet there are many others all trying to without ever being able to get away world of imagination and creativity they make us sit up and take note of the age- from the fact that the whole project, believe the world of the arts to be. old issues still reverberating throughout since conception, felt somewhat like an We have to reinvigorate and our industry. They all deserve praise Elizabethan theme park. reimagine what theatre is; and it starts in trying to address the imbalances in Within one quick sweep of the stage by breaking down the DNA of what regard to the representation of minority Rice entered stage left and proclaimed theatre training itself is and how we voices and those from less privileged a 50/50 male/female representation on want to view the arts as a whole in the backgrounds. I think it’s fair to say a the stage- hurrah! For young audiences, 21st century. majority of us would prefer not to see offered an exciting and dynamic And please let it be noted that simply yet another Oxbridge English graduate approach to work which she herself adding another black face to a graduating
Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 31 Features Actor Training
year group in response to the current gifted, crosses our threshold. This is not thinking. That’s all it is. We are open and ‘frenzy’ of noise is not enough of a ‘token’ an inverted snobbery: it is merely our way like to open doors. Wouldn’t it be lovely if to celebrate an active participation in of ensuring our learning and collective this was the industry we lived in, one that genuine change. The change genuinely thinking is fresh, relevant and in touch wasn’t so afraid of it’s own shadow? Just comes from us as an industry looking at with what is breaking and setting new like the one Emma Rice was cut so short our exclusivity and unapologetic white ground now. We particularly look to those of shaping at The Globe. middle class male snobbery and shake who are challenging convention. This is The revolution awaits. I do hope the whole damn thing until it breaks! not to be different, it is to be relevant and it comes soon I really do; none of us It starts with those who teach of our age. It works. It’s also exciting and are getting any younger…but in the our actors of tomorrow and how we inspiring, much like Emma Rice. meantime we’ll settle for a continued encourage and inform them to view the We cast gender blind, colour blind drive for evolution, borne of those who industry: after all, it is theirs to define. and ability blind in all we do. We do not share our philosophies and desire for It is a policy of mine only to employ limit. We do not discriminate. We do not inclusivity and boldness of mind. Rules practitioners who are currently working typecast. We do not pigeon hole or look are there to be broken and a bold new as professionals within the industry; no backward to how it used to be. In short, world awaits if only we are brave enough institutionalised teacher, no matter how and in simple terms, we celebrate new to really go there and open the door.
Steven Green is the founder and artistic director of multi-award nominated theatre school Fourth Monkey Actor Training Company. Having been established in 2010 as means of providing an alternative approach to traditional actor training, Fourth Monkey’s graduates work across all mediums of the industry from London’s West End to The Globe and the Old Vic, the BBC to ITV & Channel 4; you don’t have to look far to find a graduate Monkey. With alumni employment and industry retention rates far exceeding a number of the traditional training routes Fourth Monkey has rapidly evolved into a leading and viable consideration for actor training in the UK for those looking to enter the arts. www.fourthmonkey.co.uk
Thursday 6 April to Saturday 6 May and in repertoire Tuesday 18 to Saturday 22 July
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32 Drama Magazine Spring 2017 Half Moon History brought to life L-R: Daniel Day Lewis and Judy Holt in Dracula, 1984. © John Haynes Maggie Steed in Sink the Belgrano! 1986. for students © Michael Le Poer Trench Grand Larceny (1977). Linda Marlowe
fter 10 months of research, those interviewed: Founders and Artistic Holloway University of London and archiving and digitisation, Directors describe their vision for Half Tower Hamlets Local History Library A Half Moon Theatre’s new Moon from its beginnings as a fringe and Archives. The young people found Stages of Half Moon heritage venue to its shift to being the UK’s out about a range of social and political website was launched in July. leading small-scale young people’s venue issues from the 1970s and 1980s in www.stagesofhalfmoon.org.uk provides and touring company; Steven Berkoff London and the East End and heard public access to a vast and varied explains why and how he wrote his stories from members of the sometimes collection of the theatre’s records for the famous play Sink the Belgrano!; Frances ‘radical’ theatre collective that started first time since its inception in 1972. de la Tour describes her memories of and continued Half Moon’s work from The site is a treasure trove when it playing a female Hamlet; Josie Lawrence Aldgate to the Mile End Road and finally comes to research for GCSE and A Level remembers her first professional acting to the current home in Limehouse. Drama students and anyone doing their job in The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists; Stages of Half Moon launched on Arts Award. Loaded with rehearsal Chris Bond talks about his influential Saturday 2 July 2016 with a festival of snaps and production shots, posters production of Sweeney Todd; Deborah Youth Theatre performances, inspired and programmes, newspaper articles Bestwick discusses the importance by some of the company’s iconic and reviews, scripts and devising notes, of Half Moon’s bilingual English and productions. Some Half Moon alumni costume designs and lighting plans, Sylheti-Bengali plays, including Kola also performed that day including Josie videos and music recordings, the site also Pata Bhut with writers Mary Cooper and Lawrence, Linda Marlowe, Anna-Maria brings productions to life through oral Shamim Azad; Nick Stafford tells of Nabirye and Michael Irving, one of the history interviews. Teachers in Tower exploring homelessness through his play original founders of Half Moon Theatre Hamlets who had a sneak peek of the site Bad City; Jenny Sealey describes being in 1972, who performed the lines first before everyone else were particularly a young deaf actor working in schools uttered on the Half Moon stage over 44 keen on how the production archive in Tower Hamlets; audience members years ago. would be a great resource of stimulus describe watching a young Daniel Day- material for their students, particularly Lewis in a production of Dracula in 1984 Half Moon are still given how many production pages that they remember vividly to this day. looking for photographs, include script extracts available An award from the Heritage Lottery reviews, design sketches, to download. Fund Young Roots programme in 2015 programmes, photographs More than 100 local residents and enabled Half Moon to work with more and other artefacts from its history, theatre professionals connected with the than 100 local young people in Tower particularly from its time at Alie theatre’s 44-year history tell their stories Hamlets to create the Stages of Half Street and Mile End Road in the 1970s from the rehearsal room to opening Moon website, a collection of new young and early 1980s, as an arson attack in night; stories of audience reactions and people’s performances and an exhibition 1981 destroyed some of the archive. relations with the local community. In of posters and photographs that began Anyone who has a story to tell or total, there are over 400 oral history at Half Moon before touring to other some memorabilia from shows can video clips to digest and enjoy. Among venues: Whitechapel Idea Store, Royal email: [email protected].
Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 33 New titles to get your teeth into...
If you’re looking for something new, a challenge or an old favourite our catalogue of over 100 shows has a musical for you.
34 Drama Magazine Spring 2017 Acting and seeing the world through someone else’s eyes About continuity of fiction and non-fiction Yukari Ishino
Reconstructing a scene and community-building activities with social agendas where you are expected to stand Utilising ten years’ acting in front of a large group of people. experience I want to incorporate Students conduct fieldwork on site theatre into education from two for organisations such as NPOs for angles. One angle is the concept of disabled workers, and apartment understanding strangers through complexes with aging residents. theatre. In our daily lives there are Students then recreate what they instances where trouble occurs have witnessed. Students and because we do not understand individuals from the fieldwork site other people’s feelings. However, by attend performances and discuss acting as someone else, you become the best possible approaches for aware of different perspectives and different situations. Students have interpretations other than your told me that this process has made own. The second angle is artistry. them aware of things they did not Moving your body while imagining understand before, and allowed what your character is feeling gives them to acknowledge their own birth to new ideas and expressions. viewpoints and values and In class at university we practice reset them. methods that allow us to influence society by using techniques for Grasping reality as if you situations where we must stand do a preliminary sketch in front of various individuals and In order to act and see the world provide solutions to problems. This through someone else’s eyes, you Author on stage simple approach of ‘trying to be must not simply role-play others Photo credit: ©Atsushi Yamaguchi someone else’ is useful for volunteer based on your shallow imagination.
Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 35 Features Theatre Theory
If you do so, your perspective does not in their daily life. In the latter case, I ask change. You need to get rid of your own them if they might be assuming that they perspective first. Then, you can change understand well enough but actually your perspective. do not, and tell them that we tend to In reality, it is very difficult to see the miss reality if we simply assimilate world through someone else’s eyes. We others though it is important to find tend to stick to what we already know or common ground. Unless we are aware to create something that fits into certain of the danger of assimilation, we end up selective images when we try to play acknowledging people with whom we others. Therefore, in my class students can only sympathise. In other words, are instructed to reconstruct actual events understanding others through sympathy as detailed and realistically as possible. could lead to exclusion. This method is based on the training I often use the word ‘spokesperson’ that I received from an acting coach as well as ‘being real’ when I speak who was teaching in Japan and United to students. Students need to feel States at the time. He was developing responsible for representing someone a unique training for actors, and he else when they play others realistically. instructed actors to copy an actual person It is not impersonation. You need to played ‘witnesses’ who testified very realistically, to which I thought, be responsible for what you do, and be how they observe stoning as one of ‘This is like a painter who practices aware of why you do. Students usually the Israelis. a preliminary sketch as the basic take this concept very seriously. During the first session, Nakagawa training.’ This method worked very well. just informed students of the setting Impersonation is about exaggerating. To become someone totally mentioned above, and requested them This method is about being real. different from yourself to be able to testify as ‘witnesses’ by the I have started thinking about how I can following week. Suspending your own apply this method to a fictional stage as The students made great efforts to perspective well, and we gave a public performance build a concrete profile and created As mentioned above, you need epoché with students. None of them has played convincing testimonies. During (suspension of judgment, by Husserl) to on stage before, but they went on stage the second session, students were be realistic at this level because others’ with professional actors. requested to answer questions bodies and perspectives are different We need to be careful not to rely spontaneously such as, ‘Why did/ from yours. You cannot reconstruct heavily on imagination when we prepare didn’t you take part in stoning?’ Their anything realistically unless you suspend for a role. While TiE and DiE emphasise answers conveyed the real emotion, your judgment. You need to ‘trace’ what the use of children’s imagination, I would and they were very convincing, but I others are experiencing without your rather not. was slightly worried about the fact the judgement. You can also become more You could argue this method works majority of them said that they ended aware of your own perspective after well for university students as they up throwing stones because everyone this process. are intellectual enough to distinguish else was doing so even though they did I demand that my students play the difference between reality and not want to. others very realistically. If I feel students imagination and understand the I gave my comments to the have not fully become others, I stop the intention of my method. students by saying that they have process and check what the reality was A dramatist and stage director, been embedded in the point of view by encouraging them to picture what Mashiro Nakagawa, is a supporter of my of students living in the contemporary they saw vividly during their fieldwork. method. He used the concept ‘a witness’ Japan. Here is the problem. We tend By asking other members of the fieldwork based on the image of documentary to depend on our own understanding if that is the case they can check if they theatre. His original work Cities of Refuge, and try to find something that you can are stuck into their own perspectives. which premiered in November 2015, has share when we play others by using Students tend to fail to become others its setting in Israel 2000 years ago. The our imagination. Here is some of the when their fieldwork was not sufficient key point of the story is stoning, which feedback from the students after they or when they play a bit of themselves as was the form of capital punishment received my comments: they find common ground quite easily for adultery at the time. Moses set up I was actually feeling that my lines with the person they are playing. stoning, and it was regarded as a way of are a little bit too much about myself. In the former instance, I encourage maintaining discipline and rule among Therefore, I asked myself what my students to be aware how little they see Israelis 2000 years ago. Our students motivation could be if I felt that I had to
36 Drama Magazine Spring 2017 Theatre Theory Features
how I advised students when they people who killed a family member by encountered problems: accident. These students tried not only I did not understand that anyone could to understand the meaning of their kill people by throwing stones at all. I first statement, but also managed to realise tried to become someone obsessed with sensitive feelings by reconstructing God’s will. But I could not say ‘because actions, expressions and tones of voice. God tells us to do so’ naturally as I did not As the history of acting techniques agree at all. I was at a loss, so I asked the shows, human action contains a lot of professor what to do. information which cannot be expressed She said that even though stoning, by spoken language. which was in place in Israel 2000 years The reason why I instruct my ago, cannot happen in contemporary Japan, students to adopt such a unique we can think of something as significant procedure is because I want them to as stoning, which is happening in Japan. stay away from an image of someone ‘Cities of Refuge’, in Israel 2000 years ago I see…we can think of a lot of problems based on their assumption and find happening in contemporary Japan that is something that is obtainable only when equivalent of stoning such as bullying at they get rid of their own perspective. take part in stoning by becoming someone school, discrimination against a certain race One student who became so confused completely opposite to me. Then I ended up and so on. Stoning might not be as remote as by my instruction that he became saying that I had started taking part after I originally thought. unable to play a role any more gave the my parents went through stoning, which I was also advised to build a character following feedback: was unexpected. in details. The person who throws a stone ‘You need to put yourself into a I went on to rehearsal while I was not is obviously a fictional character, but it neutral position to play others. That is the prepared or confident enough to explain is effective to build a character based on starting point to become others. Yourself > how I felt in details, but words came out someone you know in real life and copy their nobody > others’. from my mouth more smoothly than I had thinking and action. Who you choose as the expected. I think the reason why I was able model is up to you, therefore the character From others’ problems in a to speak on behalf of someone that was not will be different, depending on who you fictional world to your own like you is that I tried to stay present to the chose as the model. problem in the real world process where the thoughts from others There are always people who bully a Students will realise the process of were generated. schoolmate and attack someone weaker bridging a gap between others and It is effective to let go of a profile than themselves. So we can pick one of themselves and between fantasy and that is easy for you to sympathise those bullies and copy their life and a way reality after they manage to reflect with and go along with someone of thinking. Then I might end up realising I how deeply they were stuck in what that is totally different from yourself myself am trapping or hurting someone else they already knew. The student who when you want to avoid simplification without physically punching or attacking. was too confused to play, mentioned based on your own perspective. But it While I do not understand anyone who kills above, said the following: is not enough to build a clear profile people by throwing a stone at all, I came to First of all, we replace stoning which of someone else. You would need realise that I might have a feeling which is was taking place in Israel 2000 years ago combination of imagination and as significant as the ones associated with a certain phenomenon happening realism based on real people. with stoning. in the contemporary Japan. For example, ‘Speak on behalf of someone else’ As mentioned above, we come across hate speech towards a certain race, is another key phrase. Students are someone we can refer to by trying to find bullying at school, and so on. These instructed to undertake the task while similarity between unknown situations problems are not exactly the same as they feel responsible to represent in different times and places and the ones stoning, but you can find something in someone that you are playing. in the contemporary Japan. common. I assume everyone has seen or This method is fictional in the even taken part in bullying when they Building a gap between now sense that time space is different but were primary and secondary school and 2000 years ago is realistic which we advocate in the students. By ‘replacing others’ problem in You cannot reconstruct an event you class as there are realities we can refer a fictional world with your own problem saw during your fieldwork in full to. One student obtained the image of in the real world’, you become able to details, but you can take in the essence stoning which is still taking place in the play a role more realistically and you can of playing as real as possible. The modern world. Another student collected reflect yourself and problems in your real following students’ comments illustrate a video footage showing confessions by life through the whole process.
Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 37 Features Theatre Theory
If you feel real by playing a fictional character, that is, someone you have never seen before, you can also use your imagination for someone in your daily life too. Obtaining a point of view of someone who lives in different time and space and that you cannot see is more difficult than to understand someone in your daily life. Students who have gone through such a process will be able to approach a wider social problem, such as starving children on the other side of the world, as their own problem. Seeing the world through someone else’s eyes is not easy as it requires a professional training, but students who experience my workshop become at least more aware of the change of their perspective. An actor who makes fiction as real as possible can bridge the gap between fiction and non-fiction. In order to do that, you need to play non-fiction realistically, stay away from your own perspective, avoid easy assumptions, and place yourself into other people’s shoes. It would be a shame for audience and actors if a fiction remains in fantasy world. When After the show workshop we acquire the continuity of fiction and non-fiction, fiction takes on power to change our daily life.
Yukari Ishino is Professor of the Volunteer Centre at Waseda University and actress. She has developed the original education programme using the essence of Anthropology and drama, and has held workshops and lectures to universities, NPOs, and companies. She received the Alec Dickson award from the Japan Volunteer Learning Society in 2015 for her original action research thesis on the development of acting method for active learning by students.
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38 Drama Magazine Spring 2017 Sketches From The High Country Teaching Drama Education in the Rockies, British Columbia, Canada Phil Duchene
here are two cats: one calico forced to sit in the ‘primary row’ Part Two: and one black. They sidle in of non-readers for his final year of A foreign country? T through the wide, open front school, and his deeply concerned Not always… door into the one room Victorian young schoolteacher. But that schoolhouse on a bright, cool, fall tension blinks and briefly dissipates afternoon in a Kootenay heritage in a puff of humour in the cats’ easy ‘The past is a foreign town in the Canadian Rockies. It is familiarity with everyone; happy country; they do things the cats’ space, after all. They are the as they are to sit on shoulders and differently there.’ town’s permanent residents and they explore backpacks. They jump from have come to check us out. desk to desk with the minimum L.P. Hartley: We have been building of effort, distances judged with a The Go-Between atmosphere and tension for an hour practiced nicety, cajoling for strokes as we explore the relationship of a and fussing. We are all charmed dirt poor twelve year old immigrant by the ordinariness of this pet life boy, with ‘Eaton’s catalogue English’, introduced to a drama class as they
Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 39 Features Drama Notes
move from student to approving groups and smile when they see as a drama instructor in a teacher student. something happening with folks education programme to use material Our setting, Fort Steele, British in historical roles; something of a aimed squarely at beginner teachers as Columbia, is best described as a dramatic nature in the schoolroom. beginner-teachers- in-role, particularly working ghost town. If you are Except for the eight year old boy, from another century. The usual initial British or European, you first have to wielding a plastic sword, and approach in working with story drama appreciate that the 1890’s gold rush in apparently on a cat hunt, who walks material to be used in Elementary British Columbia really did happen a straight down to the front of the class, school is that teachers get to learn and long time ago. The sense of history in a couple of metres away from me, and test ride the drama forms in a safe the preserved town is palpable sits himself down briefly in a hard working environment, in role as their and just as valid to its visitors as wooden seat and desk. I get a sense of future students. The next step is to Windsor Castle or Versailles; probably a flicker between worlds; as if to him, take the full story drama into a real more so, since you will not likely we’re hardly there. Perhaps we, too, classroom for a trial canter. find an actor in role as the Queen are not acting as though the ghosts So, to start, we compare time or Louis XV taking you around the we chase are here either, though I’d periods. One hundred years royal apartments. Volunteers here, like to believe we’re not really alone in ago, we consider the grade level though, are scrupulous about staying the schoolhouse this afternoon. accommodation demands of teaching in historical character as tradespeople, And rightly; because the K-6 in one classroom; the lack of administrators and professionals, with presences that may be with us are collegial support, when as a new folks in role as farmers, dentists, bakers, not the stuffy, imperial, teacher, you may get a visit once a blacksmiths and schoolteachers. ‘dicky-bird watching pictures of year from the district superintendent. Open houses, workshops, offices, the dead’, That might have brought with it some stores, corrals, not forgetting the Wild in Dylan Thomas’ great phrase, independence, however. Tongue in Horse Theatre, with this summer’s that stare down in portraits from cheek, I point out that the teacher of production, The Pirate Queen of the the whitewashed plank walls. Not the time, Miss Bailey, declined to Kootenays, bring the town back to the Empress Queen Victoria nor the teach Science, seasonal Western life. The bakery is Governors General of other people’s ‘because she didn’t believe in it’. one of my favorite buildings. The smell countries who knew nothing of any of I ask, alone, of spices and cedar, is stunning the children who spent years in this ‘How does the schoolhouse physically and it boasts warm cinnamon buns room; not even one of their names. differ from your first practicum?’ the size of a baby’s head. Next door, I once had a house in the west The lack of electric power back visitors can even pan for gold. You of England that was built in 1652. then is profound in so many ways; have to be particularly churlish not to I was once asked if there were any this was a cursive, chalk, wood and appreciate the workmanship and enjoy ghosts. I’d said, I thought not, but slate Little England place where text the sense of historic detail as well as sometimes I felt as if too many and penmanship rules. And we are the modest Canadian entertainment people had lived there in the dusty all amazed by how much light floods values that never stray into the crass rooms with the thick Cotswold stone into the room from the wide mountain American levels of a theme park. walls, tiny leaded windows and sky, and the over exposed photographs We have come to the schoolhouse under the straw-thatched, fairy tale later reveal that brilliance dispelling partly in search of a ‘period rush’, roof. Looking carefully around the the popular idea of gloomy, Victorian as the Civil War re-enactors term classroom, though, I’m not sure that rooms lit by kerosene lamps. it. Evocative text and accomplished applies to children’s presences, even As regards the curriculum of the storytelling can bridge time and create for the hundreds who had passed day, I share an interesting thought a happy familiarity with fictional through this schoolhouse. They have pointed out by my colleague, British characters; but how much deeper much lighter footprints…just like our Columbia Education historian, Dr. might we get into the story in this cat guests today. Helen Raptis. At the turn of the last wooden schoolhouse, crouched in the We are here to explore the story century, newly qualified teachers, screwed down desks in three severe of Jim McGugan’s Josepha, a fictional with the equivalent of a modern rows? None of those ‘put your desks reminiscence of an immigrant Grade 10 education were given real together for group work’ modern child of fourteen, struggling with freedom to interpret the curriculum, teacher phrases were ever used here. his broken English in a one-room whereas today’s aims and objectives We are conscious of a steady prairie school, arranged into a (until recently in British Columbia) procession of the town tourists who story drama by Carole Miller and got tighter and tighter despite pause at the open door in family Juliana Saxton. It is unusual for me the four years of post-secondary
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education British Columbia teachers on Josepha. On sharing notes, what on the diasporic nature of Canada; and experience. You would think the very surfaces are Josepha’s forbearance, I remember that, indeed, Steve Jobs’ opposite would apply. fierce loyalty, courage, intelligence, father was an immigrant from what To find out more about the constant good humour and generosity. was once the city of Homs… backgrounds of the new children to Without spoiling the story, his We end the class as the October be taught, we explore contemporary fundamental virtues highlight both temperature starts to dip sharply with photographs of soddy houses, rugged, his capacity to learn and the terrible the fading late afternoon sun. The remote farms, and dour adult faces wastefulness of the system. building cannot be heated for safety who were, so they say, instructed not We explore the characters further; reasons. The unlit original, large, to smile. Despite all the unreasonable we ‘tap in’ to Josepha’s thoughts as if ornately cast iron stove only a head hardships, by modern comparison it he could speak English, and students shorter than myself, with exposed must be said, they all maintain their go into role in pairs with himself and overhead piping, reminds a student of dignity. We also view pictures of the teacher. They are briefed, steam punk theatrical props. immigrants, of child workers, some as ‘It would be so much easier if you didn’t Before we lock up the schoolroom young as four, from the dark, satanic have to deal with the language problems,’ and return the key we gather for a mills of the Victorian world. Some of and as Josepha, readers theatre performance of David these children would find their way ‘What sort of responsibilities do you Bouchard’s poem, If You’re Not From the out west as the government promoted feel towards your parents?’ Prairie**, a fine piece of Canadiana settlement; sometimes with little We work towards his decision… with one verse shared here: regard for sharing the true conditions Josepha has a gift for the teacher in of the climate, the ‘towns’ that were the story and students are invited to If you’re not from the prairie, you no more than surveyor’s plans or the draw one in return. Before Josepha’s don’t know me, you just can’t know ME. rights of the Indigenous people. last walk, down conscience alley, You see, my hair’s mostly wind, my In our story drama, A Wealth of letters are written to him sharing eyes filled with grit, Knowing to be Reaped,* our students how the teacher felt about what had My skin’s red or brown and my lips are told that a Dr. James, a new happened and her hopes for him in chapped and split superintendent for a new century, the future. I’ve lain on the prairie and heard has determined that Elementary Reflective work considers what kind grasses sigh, students will stay in school a little of future may wait for Josepha without I’ve stared at the cast open bowl of longer. He is aware that for so many education. Does schooling make one a the sky, of these older children with little better person? What are the parallels I’ve seen all those castles and faces English from the poorest families between the story’s time and today? in clouds, this is extremely difficult: Extensions take us into tableau My home is the prairie and I cry ‘This was the way for all of them, work that out loud. those older ones. One year, shamed. ‘best illustrates the issues always, not Maybe two. And then they’d be gone just from history, faced by those students It is a memorable afternoon. from class. They’d be gone forever.’ for whom school represents difficulties, The cats are waiting outside the (p. 11). challenges or marginalisation.’ schoolhouse, and they see us to What can these new teachers After a consideration of the rich our cars. in their isolated schools bring to nature of diversity, students raise and * A Wealth of Knowing to be Reaped, a story drama classrooms to keep the children discuss the day-to-day classroom designed by Juliana Saxton, Carole Miller and Linda Laidlaw, based on Josepha; a prairie boy’s story by Jim in school? demands that greet every new teacher. McGugan was published by Pembroke in July, 2016.
Using the text as evidence, Someone shares that the Syrian ** Geographically, the term ‘prairies’ is a bit of a stretch students are asked, in role, to refugee issue and its opponents to for us at Fort Steele, BC; but they do begin just three hundred kilometers to the east, over the Rockies Crow’s compose an observational report government policy once again focuses Nest Pass.
Phil Duchene has taught in the Teacher Education Programme at the University of Victoria, BC., as a sessional instructor for 15 years, both in Victoria and at the companion East Kootney Teacher Programme at the College of the Rockies, Cranbrook, B.C. Concurrently, he taught in Elementary and Middle schools as both a classroom and a specialist Drama teacher. Prior to coming to Canada in 1989, he taught in the Cayman Islands for three years after the initial 15 years of his career in the UK. His interests have always been focused on the Fine Arts for younger students, specifically Drama and its role across the curriculum, and in particular on improvisation, the use of story drama, and large scale theatre-in- education projects.
Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 41 Photo credit: Kelly Hunter
with the BBC Today programme, Kelly explained that the games, ‘simultaneously tell the story of The The Tempest Tempest and at the same time challenge the children’s autism allowing them to explore Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond 26th Oct 2016 eye contact and facial recognition, their speech and language and have an enormous Andy Kempe amount of fun at the same time.’ At the heart of the workshop/ Tell me where is fancy bred 2017 where it will be played in Catalan. production lies Kelly’s belief in what she Or in the heart or in the head? The production is designed so that calls Shakespeare’s heartbeat, that is, the up to 15 children can work alongside natural iambic cadence of speech which elly Hunter’s book, Shakespeare’s six actors sitting around a floor cloth could, arguably, be the first rhythm we Heartbeat, details how children representing the island. At the core of encounter in the womb. The production Kand young people on the the production, which runs for around starts with the young people and actors autistic spectrum can become engaged 80 minutes, are words selected from sitting in a circle tapping their chests with with, and indeed enthralled by, the Shakespeare’s text in order to illustrate the palm of the hand. This communal words, characters and situations in the main characters and key events of heartbeat has a calming effect to which Shakespeare’s plays. Having the the narrative. Most importantly, they is added a gentle, ‘Hello’. Much time opportunity to see her ideas realised by are exemplars of how Shakespeare uses is taken to set the tone and pace here. her company, Flute Theatre, was not just rhythm to convey action and emotion. Another layer is added by inviting the a matter of academic interest for me but Participants are invited to say the words players to say hello with an angry face, a an experience as joyful and moving as in tandem with the actors or repeat them happy face and so on. The emotive face the best theatre visits I’ve made in the themselves as they take on character is then ‘thrown’ by one player across the past few years. roles. Sometimes this involves just one circle where it is adopted by another who Flute Theatre’s raison d’être is to bring participant working with one actor; throws it on to a third, and so on. Shakespeare to inclusive audiences. The sometimes duologues become team The first piece of Shakespearean text production of The Tempest originated games. Sometimes one participant is to be employed is Caliban’s, ‘This island’s in a collaboration between the Royal substituted by another, and sometimes mine,’ which gives a chance to release a Shakespeare Company and Columbus the actor bows out altogether allowing lot of the energy and frustration arising University, Ohio. First performed in Ohio another participant to take his or her from being disempowered - a feeling July 2014, it was a part of the Bloomsbury part. Side coaching is kept to a minimum doubtless experienced by many autistic Festival in October 2015. Following its and participants’ extemporisation is people. In contrast, Ariel’s, ‘I go’ is used as presentation at the Orange Tree Theatre, celebrated (there were some brilliant a catalyst for jumping around the space the show will go to Barcelona in March ad libs the day I went!). In an interview and experiencing the feeling of being
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alive and sensate (I couldn’t help but again, there is a resonance between Dorothy Heathcote’s advice was be reminded here of Naoki Higashida’s the situations explored in the fancy to always work slow, work deep. Kelly account of his own autism in The Reason and the everyday. Hunter’s production of The Tempest is I Jump). One of the things that struck me a beautiful exponent of the aesthetic Further physicalisation emerges during my afternoon at the lovely power of taking time to immerse in from Prospero’s instruction to Ariel, Orange Tree Theatre was how swiftly the moment. The measured use of ‘Go, take this shape,’ and his curse and seamlessly the actors could lead repetition becomes almost hypnotically on Caliban, ‘Tonight thou shalt have the participants from one emotion ritualistic with the result that even those cramps’. A sort of Columbian hypnosis, to another. The touching exchange who were initially reluctant to become as Boal would call it, is used to enact between Ferdinand and Miranda involved couldn’t help but be drawn becoming enchanted while the scene (‘Here’s my hand.’ ‘And mine, with my into the circle eventually. between Miranda and Ferdinand, heart in’t.’) switches to the vicious but Kelly’s work with young autistic captured in the line, ‘O you wonder’, is equally heartfelt animosity between people succeeds in artistic, educational both comedic and touching. Caliban and Prospero: ‘Toads, beetles, and humanitarian terms precisely A fight scene is built up to become bats light on you!’) then to the comic because it cuts through complexities a piece of choreographed movement relief of the drunken shenanigans of and superficialities to touch the rhythm involving two teams. This use of Stephano and Trinculo. At every stage of life itself. Many of her strategies space and one to one physicality words are suited to actions, actions to would add depth and delight to then becomes a vehicle to explore an words, none more so than with the mainstream drama classrooms not element of acceptable social behaviour intriguing line, ‘The isle is full of noises,’ just because they make Shakespeare as Miranda attempts to teach Caliban when the young participants could inclusive but because they rest on the to speak with some social graces such further explore their senses by shutting truth that without the heart beating as not invading personal space when their eyes and following the sound on the head doesn’t work at all. meeting and greeting someone. Here Indian bells.
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Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 43
BOOK REVIEWS
Writing Music for the I felt there was an underlying Stage. A Practical Guide thread throughout the chapters, for Theatremakers. offering the importance of Michael Bruce communication; a skill that can make or break a process. In Act 3 Writing music for the Stage is a the writer explores the maintenance structurally interesting book, of relationships: offering a step-by-step guide to ‘Working with a live band is a an audience wishing to explore privilege, you should endeavour to make the process of writing music for it an enjoyable experience for all.’ the stage. The writer encourages This was a joy to read; as a the reader to focus on the point of harpist who has performed in writing music for stage and believes large concert orchestras as well as that the music created should smaller groups, it makes a difference offer an alternative language to when the MD and composer are the story being told on the stage. approachable. Michael Bruce refers to his own Michael Bruce’s Writing music experiences and ensures that we for the Stage offered an incredibly readers understand how realistic his interesting viewpoint of this suggestions are. The various case vital aspect of the creation of a studies included in his book refer performance. It is designed and National Theatre of Scotland after a (‘a deep, shuddering resonance to his vast and varied experiences written to take the reader on a 100 year campaign. to do with that transition from of working at Donmar Warehouse, journey from the moment of ‘Getting It is fascinating to relive the peasant to urban culture, from a The National Theatre, The West End Started’ to the ‘Curtain Call,’ with newly encountered works of David world driven by muscle power and and on Broadway. He continues to moments of reality and inspiration Grieg, Suspect Culture, Grid Iron, simple implements to one driven by inspire his readers with detailed blended together successfully, to Nicola McCartney, Gregory Burke language and technology, which has words of advice from his experiences teach the reader the art of writing and many other names which have been one of the universal human of writing music for performances music for the stage. now entered the canon of Scottish stories of the modern age, and one such as Privacy, Winslow Boy, Noises theatre establishment. Throughout to which many of us in Scotland are Off Stage and Strange Interlude Mrs D Watkins McMillan constantly questions her still far closer than we think’) or amongst others. own relationship with the work, skewering the ‘reactionary, divisive Writing Music for the Stage offers originally regarding ‘theatre as an and fundamentally damaging to guidance to a variety of audiences Writing Music for the Stage. old-fashioned art-form, already Scottish life’ humour of Battle Royal including actors, musicians, A Practical Guide for half dead on its feet’ subsequently from the Scottish Theatre Company composers, directors, sound Theatremakers. attracted to the shared experience (1984) – a company for whom she engineers and designers. Michael Michael Bruce of theatre and the changing world eventually finds some respect as the discusses in depth the composer’s Nick Hern Books of Scottish theatre ‘evolving fast 1980s progress. As Howard puts in role in rehearsals and how important ISBN 978-1-84842-383-0 and freely after a long age of in his foreword, McMillan has ‘an it is to be personable and respect quiescence and marginalisation’. almost unblemished record in never all members of the production McMillan’s work conveys an urgent having failed to spot a great new process. He relays moments of Theatre in Scotland – sense of theatre playing a pivotal play’. This takes us through the Blair extreme pressures as a writer, and A Field of Dreams role in shaping the nation from the government and the restoration of a successfully conveys his passion Joyce McMillan, lowlands to highlands to islands. devolved Scottish Parliament to the and work ethic, constantly inspiring edited by Philip Howard The book covers McMillan’s new National Theatre of Scotland. the reader and encouraging us to journey from Sunday Standard in the McMillan says of NTS’s debut Home continue to learn from his words. Joyce McMillan is the undisputed early 1980s where, ‘Scottish theatre – ten site-specific productions across In Act 2: Composition there is a empress of Scottish theatre critics. was caught in a strange, subdued Scotland: ‘the new company has detailed section on writing lyrics. As As a student at Glasgow University place, somewhere between hope achieved a dazzling geographical a secondary music teacher, I found in the late 1980s and early 1990s I and despair’ to present day as lead reach, and a real sense of connection this really useful as a reminder of the became aware of her work through critic and a political commentator with local communities….designed difficult challenge that I frequently the extraordinary period that marked for The Scotsman. Seminal Scottish to smash and rearrange many set my GCSE music students. It Glasgow’s year as European Capital productions are covered such as John hostile Scottish pre-conceptions encouraged me to delve deeper into of Culture. Here was a fiercely Byrne’s The Slab Boys Trilogy (1982) about theatre.’ the creative art of lyric writing and intelligent critic who holds Scottish in the cramped confines of the old It is McMillan’s impassioned not skip over the intricate detail that theatre of the day up to society, Traverse (‘there were a hundred hot ability to contextualise the work could serve to improve the students’ unashamedly batting for Scotland and sweaty and delighted people which makes this book of interest lyrical writing. on the international stage. I became in the audience who needed no to those who wish to read about There is a detailed section increasingly aware of McMillan’s convincing about the stature of theatre but also contemporary on Music Technology, which status as THE critical voice in the Byrne’s work’) and Liz Lochhead’s political history. Of the power of provided a fascinating insight into midst of the collective madness of Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head the arts to transform, there perhaps digital ‘comping’ and ‘mixing.’ I the Edinburgh Festivals - never Chopped Off from Communicado can be no better example than particularly enjoyed reading the afraid to champion as well as skewer. Theatre at the Lyceum (‘rich and Glasgow’s march towards city of short case study of Michael Bruce’s Theatre director Philip Howard tattered, shabby and sharp, bloody culture. McMillan says of Peter experience while working on the has edited this superb collection and yet unrepentant, like the history Brook’s The Mahabharata (staged play Privacy, where vamping cues of reviews, articles and reflections of Scotland itself, or, for that matter, in a former tramshed, Tramway), were input digitally and timed illustrating 40 years of Scottish of womankind’). It is as a champion it marks ‘a key moment in the perfectly in order to enhance the theatre and McMillan’s personal of new Scottish work for which city’s re-emergence from decades action and lines delivered on stage. relationship to the work as McMillan is perhaps best known, of industrial decline to take its This provided a valuable real-world Scotland breaks free of the shackles whether praising young writer David place again as one of the great example of the implementation of of Thatcher, forms a devolved Harrower for Knives in Hens at his second cities of the world, vigorous, his recommended techniques. government and achieves the debut Traverse production in 1995 cosmopolitan, handsome even in
Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 45 Reviews Books
dilapidation, fizzing with creative pictures and diagrams linking Medicine can be used as imaginative approach but it is useful nonetheless energy and civic pride and – most directly to exercises would have been tools to create traits for a character as a reminder of how to get back-to- important of all – living proof that far more helpful. Part 2 contains and to explore the physical expression basics. the spirit of the city can survive the exercises for the actor to create a of a role. However, the addition of worst ravages and humiliations of rich emotional life and backstory for a further two theories is somewhat LM Lewin the post-industrial age.’ their character. The sub-heading, An cursory. One is by Klocek, which McMillan wrote in The Scotsman Integrated Approach To Acting For shares some similarities with The Five in 1998: ‘When Scottish theatre Stage And Screen, was somewhat Elements of TCM but doesn’t quite fit, The Energetic Performer works that magic over the coming misleading as Parts 1 and 2 were thus making it quite confusing as to Amanda Brennan years, I will be there, to try and catch themselves not very integrated. Many which theory we should pay attention Singing Dragon the moment in print, and to tell it of the exercises in Part 2 were very to, Klocek or TCM. The other is about ISBN 978 1 84819 097 9 as it was. And believe me, on the brain/head-led and seemed not to chakras, ‘for sketching out ideas for good nights and the bad ones, the relate back to the balance and body- how [a] described behaviour can be privilege will be mine; to be paid to led principles of Part 1. experienced physically.’ The lack Teaching Voice – go looking for joy, and occasionally The Energetic Performer draws of specificity about the chakras’ Workshops for Young to find it.’ heavily on qigong but with role in Vedic philosophy felt like Performers elements of somatic psychology cultural appropriation. Vedanta is Max Hafler Andrew Loretto and biology. The writing is most a spiritual practice whose goal is vivid, compassionate and thought- enlightenment, it has little to do with In the preface of his book, Teaching provoking when Brennan sticks to feeling more authentic when acting. Voice - Workshops for Young Performers, Theatre in Scotland – A Field what she knows best and relates More importantly, the way these two Max Hafler says that he hopes the of Dreams her qigong expertise to the actor’s theories are tagged on at the end of reader finds the book useful and fun... Joyce McMillan, edited by Philip experience. Unfortunately, her the chapter only dilutes Brennan’s and it certainly is. Howard desire to prove that this book has argument about the importance of When considering exercises Nick Hern Books a foundation in physiology and qigong and meridian lines. or workshops associated with the ISBN: 978-1-84842-292-6 anatomical science means that much Part Two is full of exercises to development of a performer’s voice, I of it reads like an undergraduate broaden the options one has when think many of us would immediately essay quoting numerous research playing a scene; be it to interrogate think of any text written by Cicely The Energetic Performer studies but without sufficient depth, perceptions and expressions of Berry; and before reading Teaching Amanda Brennan thus belying a lack of confidence in a character both physically and Voice I did have reservations that Max her own argument. For example, emotionally, or to explore text Hafler would have simply reinvented In The Energetic Performer, Amanda the Central and Peripheral Nervous through changes of energy rather the wheel. However, these concerns Brennan shares the wisdom from her Systems are described in order to than the literal meaning. Although were completely unfounded. Whilst work as an acting coach and qigong make the point that memory and they are the staple of any drama the author does make reference to practitioner to help actors prepare mental patterns are made throughout school training it is useful to have Cicely Berry, this is more as a nod themselves for performance. Her the body and not just in the brain. so many exercises collated in one of respect than anything. It is clear sympathetic step-by-step approach However, there is a complete absence place. The techniques are helpful that the original, imaginative and shows she cares deeply about those of information about the body’s reminders of how to keep possibilities fun excerises that are found within she works with. However, The microbiome and Enteric Nervous alive in every take – thus making a this book have been thoughtfully Energetic Performer, although well System, how the 100 million nerves performance look fresh, spontaneous put together by someone who has intentioned, comes across as quite lining our gut are as numerous as and alive. a wealth of experience in his field muddled and this is not helped by those in the brain and thus hugely The Energetic Performer leaves and that each session has been the frequency of typographical errors important in influencing how we feel me with the impression that successfully tried and tested with his which at best confuse and at worse and how we make decisions. Brennan’s skill is in working with own students. frustrate because they distract from ‘Less is More’ is a chapter individual actors. She demonstrates Hafler has trained and worked the explanation and impact of her heading to which Brennan ought immense empathy for actors’ fears as a professional actor for many argument. to have paid heed, as including too and insecurities. I appreciated years. He now works as a teacher, As a physical theatre practitioner, much information at a superficial the gentle wisdom about how to director, deviser, writer and lecturer. the title The Energetic Performer led level only weakens her argument. I approach an audition; what is in Since 2000 he has been teaching me to expect a movement-based was intrigued by the idea of how the or out of your control and practical Voice and Chekhov Technique on approach with ideas of how to Five Elements in Traditional Chinese suggestions of how one can the BA and MA programmes at the express my work energetically and open up to the experience and be through a new physical language. adaptable to whatever is going on Instead, Part 1 focuses on Brennan’s in the room. Her writing reflects an discoveries from the practice of understanding of the issues faced qigong about how to centre and by all actors but particularly those balance oneself. It serves as a working on screen where there is handbook for teachers/directors to often no hope of a company read- enable less experienced actors to through let alone a rehearsal with explore their physical and emotional the rest of the cast and the director. awareness by letting go of negative Thus, under such circumstances, thought patterns and physical habits actors are expected to do all the by focusing on releasing the body background work themselves. In and bringing everything back to the this way the book offers a solid set breath. The exercises reference the of preliminary exercises for actors meridian lines of qigong and the who have not had the rigorous body’s nervous system and whilst Stanislavsky and Michael Chekhov- some of the book’s illustrations based approach taught in UK drama are interesting to look at they are schools. The Energetic Performer is neither biologically accurate nor not what it claims to be in terms clear enough to be useful. Functional of an ‘innovative and integrated’
46 Drama Magazine Spring 2017 Books Reviews
National University of Ireland, so his Goldie has taught and facilitated This is a magic box you can The Working Actor credentials speak for themselves. in different settings, in classrooms, unearth and dip into; the briefest Paul Clayton The book is written very much as companies, rehearsal rooms, here look will reveal a gem. There are a practical teaching tool for all youth and internationally, and for reasons tried and tested games for warm ups, This is what they ought to teach theatre leaders, workshop facilitators, ranging from the professional for contact, for the awkward and the you as part of your drama school teachers or lecturers who want to the educational to personal more experienced, on Verbal work, training, but either there is not to help their students to develop development. on Characterisation, on Devising, enough time, or the tutors are more their voices; although I suspect Her voice is convincing, on Performance, on Life Lessons. focused on improving your acting that there are plenty of exercises experienced and friendly and endless My favourite is the one on risks, skills. The Working Actor addresses that would benefit the professional reassuring, however wonderful reminding me how important the what it’s really like to be an actor actor who is looking for some new or excruciating your past impro moment is, rather than obsessing -as day-to-day and how to remain approaches to vocal development. experiences. we are all encouraged to do - about focused on being a Working Actor It is divided into a course of nine What Goldie says about impro the perfect outcome. even through those tough days, sessions, followed by a series of quality is great: ‘Don’t judge the In another notable chapter, weeks, months (I could go on) of micro sessions. Each of the main content that students come up with Releasing the Imagination, she has being out of work. It’s a practical sessions are designed to last between or you’ll be censoring them and a concise few pages on why the handbook that explores the various 75 and 90 minutes, although there putting the fragile genie of their imagination matters, inhibitions, ways to manage one’s career and is an acknowledgement that school imaginations back in the box... education, vulnerability and maximise one’s potential, so at the teachers or those with less time you can, however, constructively openness that is entirely refreshing. very least you know that you are, may need to split each session into examine when and why ..a game I had just read an article (Observer ‘every day do(ing) at least one thing two. The exercises in the book are or scene breaks down...Mistakes 9.10.16) where Laura Mvula talked that might lead to work, and then primarily for groups between the are the best bits’. The expectation about teaching in Music being, getting on with living your life’. age of 14 and 20; however, they that everything will always be witty ‘profoundly challenging,’ warning Having read Paul Clayton’s could easily be adapted for use with and wonderful can be profoundly that young people will see The X successful biog on the opening page, younger children with little time and inhibiting. In the time Drama Factor type shows as the only way I must admit my initial trepidation effort. It is written without hyperbole teachers have this open, reflective into a career in music because of cuts about the book. In acting as in and Hafler’s ‘no nonsense’ clarity approach is easy to forget in time- to creative subjects in schools. She life there are a greater number of in his step by step instructions and limited assessment-bound GCSE- worried about Music and the arts opportunities for white male actors theory of voice means that anyone tied schemes and infrequent lessons. being ‘cast off to the bottom of the than any other casting bracket. is able to pick up the book and I would urge you to open this little curriculum’. The article referred to However, from the outset Clayton is confidently deliver a workshop in book and every so often, remember the Warwick commission’s warning honest and realistic; he admits that voice. I particularly liked the sections to experiment, to play. The games that, “arts and creativity were being times have changed since the days where texts are used as stimuli. The are safe, as easy or challenging as ‘systematically removed from the UK when he was given a grant to study Blood Wedding and Caucasian Chalk you need, and adaptable. There education system’”. Reading both at Manchester Poly. Actor training is Circle excerises are inspiring. The are over two hundred activities, Goldie and Mvula championing expensive and competition is fierce. basic vocal warm up section which something for every Drama context, creativity, fighting back through The Working Actor is written is also available as a downloadable and for other social and professional assured expertise, stating the case from Clayton’s first hand experience resource is also a great touch contexts. that the arts do matter, are fun and what better person to give and feels like you are getting If you need activities that and important, and effectively advice than someone who genuinely added value. let nervous children develop standing on their bright and brave knows what they’re talking about? Teaching Voice is a must for confidence; suspicious adults build soap boxes was welcome tonic. He begins with a chapter on anyone who is interested in vocal trust; acting students develop Goldie’s book could be lighting up a Getting Started and it’s here that training, whether you are looking characterisation; screen-fed children shelf near you... this book differs from some of the for a structured programme of enjoy human interaction; and keen more patronising tomes, of which workshops or simply for some but culturally inexperienced students Zeena Rasheed there are many, along the lines of, fresh ideas. work more creatively: this will work. ‘So you think you want to act. Have If your context demands activities you got what it takes?’ Instead this Elliot Montgomery for building quick thinking and the IMPROV book book acknowledges the reader as positivity, this will work. If you want Alison Goldie an actor not a wannabe starlet and to build teams, encourage respectful Oberon Books accepts the time, money, angst and Teaching Voice communication…you get the idea. ISBN 978 1 78319 180 2 energy spent training in pursuit of Max Hafler The central message is that Nick Hern Books you can teach improvisation and, ISBN 978-1-84842-579-8 even better, everyone can get better at it. You know this already; it takes practice. Goldie is good at the IMPROV book: common sense quick tips. There Improvisation for Theatre, are pitfalls, they can be avoided, Comedy, Education and mistakes are part of learning. Life There are key qualities that support Alison Goldie stronger creative engagement. This, metaphorically, is the box With its jaunty sunshine yellow marked, ‘What Really Matters’ that cover and glowing endorsement has been pushed to the back of the from Phil Jupitus, this book’s cover is cupboard, now crammed with the approachable and inviting. Happily, last five variations of specifications so is the book’s content. It is informed for different boards and different by the peerless Keith Johnstone’s qualifications, Ofsted demands, Impro and Goldie’s significant career accountability measures and the in performance improvisation crates of pressures that make up and impro as a pedagogical tool. normal teaching life.
Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 47 Develop your passion! Apply now for: • Acting Part-time • BA (Hons) Opera Studies (Online Learning) - Part-time • BA (Hons) Theatre Studies (Online Learning) - Part-time • MA Ensemble Theatre • MA Theatre for Young Audiences • MPhil/PhD Research Degree Programme • Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (Theatre and Performing Arts) PGCLTHE • Summer Masterclasses 2017
bruford.ac.uk different, diverse, distinctive Rose Bruford College, Burnt Oak Lane, Sidcup, DA15 9DF Books Reviews
that career. Rather than pretending bonus myself. explored is not a set of instructions verbs can be embodied in rehearsal to be an expert in areas he is clearly Being something of a on how to build formulaic or through full range of voice and not, for example, casting websites veteran and cynic I was curious mechanical performance. Key is physicalisation. Moseley is keen to or promotions work, Clayton as to whether I would discover breaking down a script into chunks stress that these tools do not block researches the area to find out more, anything new here that would be of text related to ‘action-verbs’. the actor’s capacity to respond seeking advice and information of relevance to me. I have to say I Moseley describes action-verbs in the moment but rather, ‘each from professionals then offering was pleasantly surprised. Certain as being very much the junction thought-change is amplified into useful facts and his own opinions. chapters reassured me that I was box to which all Stanislavskian a strong physical and vocal shift, It’s interesting to hear directly doing the right thing, while others interrogations are connected. which allows you to experience from the liaison managers of encouraged me to try out websites Moseley argues that actioning, both your own and the other actor’s casting services, casting directors, and organisations that I’d previously developed in the 1970s, is more thought-changes as events rather agents, an accountant and various dismissed as not worth bothering useful than ever, given societal than abstract concepts.’ It removes managers from Equity. with. Each chapter ends with a changes in how student actors use assumptions between actors so that I was struck by the respectful selection of practical work tasks their bodies. With dependence they can understand one another tone of the book and the way that feel manageable rather than on social media and online and their shared world more clearly. in which the many and varied daunting or overwhelming. I now technology as prime methods The final section of the book pitfalls the Working Actor faces have seven tasks that I hope will of communication in everyday explores how action-verbs are on a regular basis are addressed: improve my chances of getting more life, Moseley explains that young related back to objectives and the stress of auditions, frequent work but at the very least will boost actors increasingly use only their ‘unpacked’ so that they don’t become rejection, how to contact industry my morale. eyes and facial muscles as sole a mechanical means to an end. professionals in an appropriate way My only criticism of The communicators, meaning that, ‘the ‘Resonators’ are explored through and so forth. Perverse though it is, Working Actor is that I wanted an body hangs limply or engages in detailed exploration of known and when feeling depressed and poor I additional chapter on how to find awkward ‘displacement’ activity, invented backstory. Action-verbs, found it helpful to read, ‘only 2%, an agent and how to change an simply because it has no function ‘should never be seen in isolation of actors earn over £20,00 a year agent, as this is something that within the encounter.’ It could be as a template for playing a role.’ from their acting’ to remind me preoccupies most actors. It felt like said that young actors have always Ultimately some choices will stay that I’m not alone. I particularly this significant career-marker was been awkward and self-aware in until performance, others will be enjoyed how personal The Working skipped over slightly. Likewise, the their physical expression, but the discarded as Moseley adds in the Actor is alongside being an essential voice reel chapter felt quite short in notion that our use of technology final layer of ‘Signposting’, using handbook. Clayton shares his comparison to the others. I would requires renewed approaches to Chekhov’s Three Sisters to explain own anecdotes, experiences and have appreciated more specific actor training to ‘reset’ our physical how, for example, heightened cock-ups and has asked other actors information about how to find a capabilities is a fascinating one. physical gestural responses using to contribute theirs too, all of which voice agent and recommendations This book takes us through a actioning could be reduced to make it a highly enjoyable read. For of reputable voice reel companies. very clear series of logical layers to changes in eyeline or vocal shift in the most part I valued his opinions It’s not a glaring omission so build up the actioning toolbox of the the playing of a scene. and agreed with his advice. Once or much; rather that other chapters actor. Moseley starts with applying The actioning toolbox is twice I raised an eyebrow although had significantly more detail and action-verbs to very straightforward clear, logical and explained well I appreciated his honesty. Clayton it would have been beneficial here surface character transactions, throughout; but it does beg the states his aversion to paying for too. of the sort that might emerge in question of how it can be applied in a Equity membership, but having The Working Actor reminds us two-way improvisations with young rehearsal process where the director spoken to various Equity staff that, employed or not, we need to actors, to more complex text using and/or other actors do not also follow on a range of matters he ends up actively manage our careers and an example from Oscar Wilde’s The the same methodology. Moseley does extolling the benefits and support it present ourselves to the world as Importance of Being Earnest, where touch on how the actor can still use offers. Between the time of writing professionals. Even during the action-verb choices can only be aspects of the process for personal and publication the world has dark times there are lots of things made with understanding of the full use. But it does seem more limited to changed and so the idea of putting we can do to be a Working Actor. play and research around its context suggest actioning to a director unless money away for one’s tax bill into a Highly recommended: a refreshing and social structure. This brings us they fully understand it and wish it ‘high interest account’ is nice, albeit read and an invaluable tool for the to the world of objectives and super- to be embedded in their process. The something of a fantasy. Find me an trained actor. objectives, working backwards danger, as always, is that, misused, it account that pays more than 1% to come up with suitable action- could become mechanical and close interest and I’ll give you a LM Lewin verbs. Moseley shows clearly how down some options, rather than be action-verbs should be overt and the enabler Moseley clearly intends. not about subtext and warns the As Moseley ultimately says: The Working Actor reader against various blind alleys ‘If our bodies are not ‘alive’, present Paul Clayton and traps, whilst acknowledging and in relationship to other bodies, Nick Hern Books that choice of action-verb is never an and if we do not practise this form ISBN 978 1 84842 436 4 exact science. of communication daily, we lose The next stages take us through some of our capacity to feel Actioning – and How to layering on subtext, which Moseley empathy, to sense emotional change Do It illustrates in moment by moment in another person and to pick up Nick Moseley textual break down and associated non-verbal signals that mediate action-verbs. Throughout the book between the words spoken and the Actioning – and How to Do It is aimed he demonstrates this in tabular meaning read.’ at a broad audience of student form for purposes of reader clarity. actors, those who train them and In reality these notes would, he Andrew Loretto professionals, written by Nick recommends, be made by the actor Moseley, Principal Lecturer in in his/her rehearsal script. Moseley Acting at The Royal Central School says it is vital actors learn action- Actioning – and How to Do It of Speech and Drama. Throughout verbs as well as spoken text. Nick Moseley the book Moseley is at repeated Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull Nick Hern Books pains to stress the methodology is used to illustrate how action- ISBN: 978-1-84842-423-4
Spring 2017 Drama Magazine 49 INDEX OF ARTICLES
DRAMA 19.2 (Summer ‘13) How Are We ‘Keeping Drama Strong’? Home Nadia Falls Book Reviews Reflections from the Chair Holly Barradel, Ali Warren and Storytelling With Our Students Second Person Narrative Jemma Kennedy Patrice Baldwin Zoe Merritt David Heathfield This Changes Everything Joel Horwood Messerschmitt ‘v’ Spitfire: A Love Story Boys Without Drama David Logan Anthony Haddon The Light Burns Blue Silva Semerciyan At Home With Shakespeare Miles Tandy DRAMA 21.2 (Summer ‘15) Drama Menu: Theatre Games in Three Justice for Johnny Clare Williams Courses Glyn Trefor-Evans Silent Witnesses Marigold Hughes Surya’s Story Sharon Muiruri Reflections from the ChairÁine Lark Does Story Drama Benefit Pre-school Taking Drama Teaching Outside the Directing Young People in Theatre Children’s Psycho-social Competence? Using Process Drama in a Thinking Classroom Holly Barradell Samantha Lane Sibel Guldali and Ruken Vural Maps School Peter Short Year of the Fat Knight: The Falstaff Diaries Drama and Employability Lisa National Theatre Drama Teachers Anthony Sher Easter Rising Sharon Muiruri Greenwood Conference Anna Quiros, Ali Warren & The Art of Effective Communication David Lawson-Lean The Time Traveller’s Guide to British Theatre Kathryn Stapley Staging Change Glenn Fosbraey Talk and Drama for Writing Aleks Sierz & Lia Ghilardi Black Roses: The Killing of Sophie Patrice Baldwin Multitudes John Hollingworth The Saddest King Patrice Baldwin Lancaster Julie Ward Theatre Review of Any Good Thing Working in the Muck to Keep Kids The Domino Effect and other plays for Julie Ward Book Reviews Safe (Part 2) John Coventon continues Teenagers Fin Kennedy The Brylcreem Boys Peter Durrant the interview with Peter O’Connor Future Conditional Tamsin Oglesby Book Reviews Stand or Fall Brian Woolland Nonsuch Theatre: Partnering with Beginning Shakespeare 4-11 Joe Winston & Education Edward Boott Miles Tandy Drama Lessons for the Primary School Year: DRAMA 22.2 Calendar-Based Learning Activities Keeping the Memory Alive (Summer ‘16) So You Want To Work In Theatre? Susan Elkin John Doona Samantha O’Reilly Reflections from the Chair Aine Lark The Theatretrain Way: a handbook for Drama Writing the 10-Minute Play Glenn Alterman It Always Seems Impossible Until The View from the Gods Holly Barradell teachers Kevin Dowsett It’s Done Rosie Devine Ensemble Theatre Making: A Practical Guide 100 Great Plays for Women Rachel Tyrell How Qualifications Are Developed Rose Burnett Bonczek & David Storck Contemporary Monologues for Men The Importance of Community Karen Latto Trilby James Theatre Abi Wright ‘Let’s Meet the Red Lady of Paviland’ I Have A Dream Levi David Addi & Qi Debrah Plays for Large Casts in Schools Konstantina Kalogirou, Sian Sarwar & The Porridge Pincher David Wood & Contemporary Monologues for Women Trilby Michael Theodorou Konstantinos P. Trimmis Tom Percival James To Sir With Love E.R.Braithwaite (adapted by Leave Hitler to Me Lad Review of How Contemporary Theatre Practice In the Rue Bel Tesoro Lin Coghlan & Ayub Khan-Din) Duckegg Theatre by Viv Kerridge Can Influence Teaching Methodology Philip Bannister Book Reviews Keith Burt Crime and Punishment Fyodor Dostoyevski Feet of Clay; The Rinse Cycle; Unseen Girl Power: A Transformative Act DRAMA 20.1 (Spring ‘14) (adapted by Chris Hannan) Academicals Terry Pratchett Jane Polley Secondary Drama: A Creative Source Book Reflections from the Chair John Doona Playful Plays Volume 1 David Farmer New Writing in Schools Patrice Baldwin Truth in Play Debbie Nyman & Adrienne Ferguson Taking Drama Teaching Outside the Wendy and Peter Pan J.M.Barrie (adapted by Jill Lloyd-Jones Using Research Partnerships Classroom Holly Barradel Ella Hickson) Kristina Toma, Joanne Lui, Lois Adamson Let The Right One In John Ajvide (adapted by Falling and other short plays Angie Farrow & Jane A. Davis Dynamic Drama Carolyn Booth Jack Thorne) The Active Text – Unlocking plays through Our Crop Our Land Marie Jeanne Physical Theatre Dymphna Callery Notes From a High Country Campus McNaughton Phil Duchene DRAMA 21.1 (Spring ‘15) So you want to be a theatre designer? ‘I Love You Mum, I Promise I Won’t 96 Souls: A Survivor’s Story Michael Pavelka Die’ Review of Mark Wheeller’s latest play Richard Smith Reflections from the Chair The Actor and the Camera Denis Lawson by Holly Barradell Mortal: A Drama Elizabeth Lynch Áine Lark Taking Drama Teaching Outside the What Do I Know? People, Politics and the Book Reviews Re-Imagining Dr. Faustus Ella Macfadyen Classroom Holly Barradell Arts Richard Eyre Red Velvet Lolita Chakrabarti Good Show! You Should Get It Working in the Muck to Keep Kids Safe Forum Theatre for Children Nick Hammond Nell Gwynn Jessica Swale Published Andy Kempe John Coventon interviews Peter O’Connor Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage Robin Soanes Mr Foote’s Other Leg Ian Kelly National Treasure Susie Ferguson Krabat: Four Languages and a Drama 1984 George Orwell: adapted by Robert Icke Children in Theatre from the Audition to Surya’s Story Beverley Naidoo Andy Kempe and Anke Coster & Duncan Macmillan working in professional theatre Jo Hawes Book Reviews Drama through Dialogue John Dickson Children on Screen landing a role in Film and The Crowstarver Daniel Jamieson Bás Henry Collie DRAMA 22.1 (Spring ‘16) Television Frederick Levy There’s A Leak! Ben Hales Learning Through Drama Reflections from the ChairÁine Lark Tomcat James Rushbrooke The Spaceman Rob John Jennifer Chamberlain Taking Drama Teaching Outside the Yen Anna Jordan Making Theatre – The Frazzled Drama Letting Your Students Co-direct Classroom Holly Barradell Surviving Actors Manual Felicity Jackson & Teacher’s Guide to Devising Joss Bennathan Jennifer Little Which Board to Tread? Samantha O’Reilly Lianne Robertson Speaking the Speech: an Actor’s Guide to Hewin’ Goals Review of Backscratch & Holly Barradell Consensual Evan Placey Shakespeare Giles Block Theatre by Julie Ward The Stages of Half Moon Beccy Allen National Theatre: All About Theatre National The Integrated Voice: A Complete Voice Book Reviews Theatre Course for Actors Sarah Case Burying Your Brother in the Pavement ‘Miss, I’m Good at the Practical but I Jack Thorne don’t like the Theory’ Kate Parsons Plays From Vault Florence Keith-Roach, My First Play: An Anthology of Theatrical Arts Award: Supporting Young Camilla Whitehall, Rosie Kellett, Oli Forsyth & Beginnings Nick Hern Same Deborah Bruce Performers for 10 Years Carrie Wootten Stephen Laughton Theatre Studies: The Basics (2nd edition) The Wardrobe Sam Holcroft Making, raising and waving the Drama Around the World in 80 Days Laura Eason Robert Leach Creative Shakespeare: The Globe flag John Somers Dramatic Adventures in Rhetoric Giles Taylor Girls Like That Evan Placey Education Guide to Practical Shakespeare Finding Ways through the Mad Forest & Philip Watson Fleabag Phoebe Waller-Bridge Fiona Banks Andy Kempe Sweet William: A User’s Guide to Does Anyone Know Anything About DRAMA 20.2 (Summer ‘14) Shakespeare Michael Pennington this Old Suitcase? Jan Buley Reflections from the Chair The Complete Brecht Toolkit Student Reflection Asta Tomasdottir Patrice Baldwin Stephen Unwin BACK ISSUES King Charles III Mike Bartlett They Dream of Home Review of John National Drama Publications Taking Drama Teaching Outside the Somers’ community play by Sharon Muiruri 107 Verona Drive, Surbiton, Classroom Holly Barradel This Flesh is Mine Brian Woolland Product Review Helen Burge reviews Surrey KT6 5BD The Case for Drama Louise Pendry Pronoun Evan Placey Opus lighting system Email: [email protected]
50 Drama Magazine Spring 2017 PASSIONATE ABOUT THEATRE STUDIES
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@ftt_reading | /FTTReading | /FTTReading Taking the drama out of your stage lighting
OpusStudio™ Creative control at your finger tips
• Comprehensive lighting & sound solution • Easy to operate for staff and students • No capital outlay – five year rental plan • 5 year schools warranty and support • Featuring a central teaching console • Permanently installed overhead grid • Optional projection & stage curtains • Low energy & low maintenance
Please call for a free review of your school’s needs [email protected] www.opus.technology 0333 014 2109