Drama and Theatre

You need to do three things to be a top quality dramatist – watch theatre, read plays and create. The more you do these three things, the more you will fall in love with theatre, deepen your appreciation and understanding of the art form and develop your ability to produce sophisticated pieces of theatre. Doing any of these will develop your knowledge and ability, but the top drama students find the balance between all three:

 Watching theatre is the best way a drama practitioner gets inspired and generates initial ideas. You will see things on stage which will make you think or feel a certain way; it may prompt a cathartic response, shock you or make you consider a topic in a completely new light. As practitioners, we are constantly stealing and adapting each other’s ideas to create great theatre.  Reading plays gives you a deeper appreciation of the history and tradition of theatre. It also allows you to consider a story and imagine your own directorial, design and performance interpretations. The more you read, the more you exercise your imagination.  Creating is crucial to actually applying and practising the skills and ideas you get from watching and reading theatre. You cannot be a top quality dramatist if you do not practise the craft. And the process works both ways. Watching theatre and reading plays will make you a more inspired and informed creator. But creating will also give you a deeper and richer appreciation of the plays you watch and read.

Below, I have outlined 16 of my favourite plays, all of which have made an incredibly important cultural contribution to theatre history. I don’t expect you to read these all over the summer holiday (although, if you want to take your drama studies further into university, I would challenge you to try and read or watch them all over the next two years), but I offer them here so that you can pick and choose and form your own independent research project. The more you work on this, the better prepared you will be for A Level but I would encourage you, at the very least, to read two of these plays, watch one (either live or recorded) and work on one.

Plays to Watch/Read

Please tick Worked Watched Read Title Playwright Year Genre Why it’s worth looking at On* Oedipus Rex Sophocles 430 b.c. Greek tragedy One of the earliest classics, Oedipus Rex establishes many of the key conventions we (also known as associate with the genre of Tragedy. Focus especially on how you would present the Oedipus the chorus. King) Henry IV (Part William 1598 Elizabethan; Falstaff is one of Theatre’s greatest characters. The cowardly and whimsical One) Shakespeare history; drunkard is amazing fun to perform but has profound depths to explore throughout comedy the play. Watch Simon Russell Beale perform as Falstaff in The Hollow Crown (BBC adaptation) and compare it to Roger Allam’s portrayal at Shakespeare’s Globe. Focus especially on Act 2 Scene 4. If you were playing Prince Hal, how would you choose to deliver the line “I do, I will.”? Doctor Faustus Christopher 1604 Elizabethan; Tapping into the collective Elizabethan fear and obsession with the dark arts, Marlowe tragedy Marlowe presents an old German folk-tale about a man who sells his soul to the devil so he can learn magic. Approach this one as a director. As you read, think about how you would stage certain scenes, especially those involving magic and illusion. Also, consider how you would use costume, staging and performance styles to present Mephistopheles and the Seven Deadly Sins. A Doll’s House Henrik Ibsen 1879 Naturalistic Possibly the most controversial piece of theatre in the 19th Century, A Doll’s House is drama; social famous for its portrayal of Nora and was widely criticised for the decision she makes criticism at the end of the play. Once you have read the play, return to the first scene and consider how you would play Nora. How could you add subtle clues in your characterisation that suggest that Nora might be more than the trophy wife she appears to be at the beginning of the play? The Importance Oscar Wilde 1895 Farce Oscar Wilde is famous for his use of wit and irony in his plays. Consider comic timing of Being Earnest as you read this. How would you deliver Lady Bracknell’s withering put-downs or present the comic revelations at the end of the play? Pygmalion George Bernard 1913 Romantic Most famously known by its musical adaptation, My Fair Lady, Pygmalion tells the Shaw comedy; social story of Eliza Doolittle, a working class commoner who is trained by Professor Henry criticism Higgins to speak and act like a lady. A great challenge for a performer. Consider how you would play Eliza and show her transition throughout the play. Private Lives Noel Coward 1930 Romantic Heaps of fun for a male and female duo, showing the ever-shifting and dysfunctional comedy relationship between Elyot and Amanda. Consider how you would use space and body language to show the love-hate relationship between these two characters. A Streetcar Tennessee 1947 Family drama; “STELLLLLLAAAAAAAA!!!!” This is considered one of the most important plays in southern gothic; American theatre. Read it alongside A Doll’s House to compare Williams’ and Ibsen’s Named Desire Williams th 20 Century portrayals of family life and the mistreatment of women. American The Caucasian Bertolt Brecht 1948 Epic theatre; Brecht is one of the most influential theatre practitioners of the 20th century and any Chalk Circle political decent drama student should have a solid grasp of his work. Whether it’s this or Mother Courage or Threepenny Opera, you must make sure you have read at least one of his plays during your A’ level. Waiting for Samuel Beckett 1952 Tragicomedy; Do not wait for this one to start making sense. Samuel Beckett was a postmodern Godot absurdist writer who kick-started a whole new movement in theatre, the Theatre of the Absurd, with this bizarre play. It is strange and wonderful and, for a performer, absolute gold. Due to the lack of any meaningful narrative, you can experiment freely with the characterisation of Vladimir and Estragon as they argue, philosophise and wait for something that never seems to come. The Chairs Eugene Ionesco 1952 Absurdist; Ionesco was the godfather of absurdist theatre. In The Chairs, an old man and tragic farce woman set up for a party of invisible guests to hear a life-changing speech. You have to be experts in mime and physicality to make the audience imagine that an empty stage is absolutely packed with guests. The Crucible Arthur Miller 1953 Modern Another crucial piece of work for American theatre. The Crucible has important tragedy cultural and historical significance. Although it is set during the witch trials of the 1690s, it is an allegorical criticism of the United States’ treatment of communists in the 1950s. Read this and make directorial notes and annotations, considering how you might stage the play to reflect current political issues. The Birthday Harold Pinter 1960 Comedy of Famous for his long pauses and strangely unnatural characters, Harold Pinter has his Party Menace; 20th own unique style of theatre (often referred to as Pinteresque). The Birthday Party is Century strange and sinister and is a perfect play to consider and practise the art of tension postmodern on stage. The Real Thing Tom Stoppard 1982 Drama Stoppard is one of the finest current British playwrights who plays with language beautifully in his plays. This is a family drama which explores the themes of truth and honesty, looking at the difference between art and reality. Crave Sarah Kane 1998 Postmodern; Those who studied GCSE drama at Becket Keys have looked at this briefly already theatre of (“concrete, paint and eggshells”. Remember?). While there is no specific narrative cruelty here, the exploration of themes is stunning and the random layout of dialogue gives you complete freedom to create whatever you want with it. History Boys Alan Bennett 2004 Comedy Only 13 years old, this play was completely sold out in the West End and Broadway for years. It is beautifully written and is a fascinating exploration of education and knowledge. As you read, consider the three teachers: Irwin, Hector and Lintott. Think about how you would present these characters to reflect their very different philosophies on education.

* “Worked on” means that you have studied the play beyond simply reading it. This could mean that you have carefully annotated certain scenes, focusing on how themes and/or characters are presented. Or you may have written notes or a short essay, answering the questions or challenges I have set in the “Why it’s worth looking at” column. Alternatively, you may have staged, designed, directed and/or performed a scene or a monologue from the play. Whatever the case, ticking the “worked on” column means that you should have something to show your teacher (written, performed or otherwise) in September.

Watch Theatre

Watch as much as you can over the summer holiday. And make sure it is good quality stuff. While West End musicals have their own dramatic value, they do not really count here (and are often crazy expensive). Watch theatre that is going to stretch you and prepare you for A Level (and not cost you the earth).

Mainstream/Popular Theatres in London National Theatre Barbican Young Vic Old Vic

Fringe Theatres in London Usually weird and interesting, fringe theatre tends to be much more experimental in style. Audiences will be considerably smaller, creating a far more intimate setting and you are more likely to experience different types of staging (e.g. in the round, traverse, promenade). They are also often much cheaper than mainstream theatres. Here are some of the top fringe theatres to visit: The Pleasance (Camden) The Cockpit Theatre (Marylebone) Pentameters Theatre (Hampstead) The Canal Café Theatre (Little Venice) Tristan Bates Theatre (Covent Garden) Upstairs at the Gatehouse (Highgate Village)

Site Specific Theatres These are theatres where the space itself creates meaning and can transform the whole piece being performed. These often have a very different feel and dynamic to mainstream theatres and it is well worth checking out at least one of these venues: Shakespeare’s Globe Regents Park Open Air Theatre Alice’s Adventures Underground (The Vaults – Waterloo)

Alternative Options If you are struggling to afford theatre tickets, getting into London is problematic or you just want to watch as much as possible between live visits to the theatre, consider these alternative options:  National Theatre Live – The National Theatre regularly film and broadcast their plays to cinemas around the country. For the price of a cinema ticket, you can sit and watch a piece of theatre on the big screen while it is being performed live.  Digital Theatre – The home option. For a small fee, you can download previously performed pieces. They do not have a huge selection but what they do have is brilliant and you can rent a play for just £1.99. The other bonus here is that top-quality productions of four of the plays on the reading list (Doctor Faustus, A Doll’s House, Private Lives and The Crucible) can all be found on this website.  Amateur Dramatics – There are lots of am-dram performance companies in Brentwood. These are great to checkout. They are local (less travelling), tend to be cheap and they show you what you can do with a non-professional cast and a shoestring budget (exactly the kind of constraints you will be performing under).

NB: Make sure you check the suitability of the performance before you book the tickets. Many of the theatres listed above sometimes put on plays containing adult content. But they should add disclaimers to their website if a play contains nudity, violence or other mature content. It is your responsibility to ensure you are watching theatre that is appropriate for you. Theatre Log

Give a brief review Where did you Date Play Playwright (What was interesting about this piece? What did you like about it? Did anything about see it? the performance, direction or design inspire you? Are there any ideas you can steal?) Continue on a separate piece of paper if necessary

Create

Finally, spend some time imagining and creating over the holiday. Here are some ideas:

Learn a Monologue In the 16 plays on the reading list, there are some absolutely stunning monologues. Make a note of monologues you like the look of as you are reading the plays and then pick one or two to learn off by heart. Consider staging and delivery. How can you keep the audience completely engaged while you perform this? How can you communicate subtext and explore the subtler themes through your performance? Think about your use of space, movement, pace and pause. Spend time focusing on your voice. Try different interpretations of the character and make notes on how each one shifts the meaning of the monologue. Carefully construct it and have something ready to perform by September.

Stage a Scene Pick a scene in one of the plays you have studied and make notes on how you would direct it. Annotate each line, suggesting notes and delivery ideas for your actors. Draw diagrams of how you want the stage to look and how you would design the sound, costume and lighting. Make sure you are able to justify why you have made those creative choices.

Create a shoebox set This may seem a little childish at first but is a very common technique used by professional designers in the early stages of designing a piece of theatre. It is the clearest way of seeing how a set might look in 3D. As an A’ level student, this kind of exercise will prove crucial in helping you refine your ideas when answering the design questions in your exam. Choose a scene from one of the plays you have read and design a mini shoebox set, using string, playdough, card or whatever else you can find.

Brainstorm a devised piece A big component of your A’ level will be creating, rehearsing and performing a devised piece of theatre. Get a head start by brainstorming ideas and making notes on what you would like to cover, what performance styles you would like to experiment with and what techniques you would like to use. You could plot out a story or even start to write a script.

Get together and devise something Hopefully you know who is going to be in your A’ level class after the sixth form Bridging Week. You have all seen top quality devised pieces in your final exam and should be able to pick out the best bits from each group. So why not try to get together with two or three other students over the holiday and devise something? Identify the top performances in the devised exam and attempt to create something that tops them all (as I said right at the beginning, reading as many plays as you can and watching as much theatre as you can will help you achieve this).