Subject Leader:	Ms Cearns
Drama Teachers:	Mrs Lintern Goodall & Mrs Yorke
Website:	St Wilfrid's Catholic School:  Drama

 

Overview
Drama and Theatre Studies is a practical, creative, artistic subject involving the whole person intellectually, physically, emotionally, creatively, aesthetically and spiritually.

We pride ourselves on delivering a well-rounded and exciting curriculum. Students explore a range of themes and topics from the origins of Greek Theatre and evacuation of WW2 to Radio Drama and physical theatre. We give students the essential life skills that they need to fulfil their future potential. Many of our students have gone on to train at esteemed Drama schools such as Central School of Speech and Drama, Rose Bruford, Guildhall and Bristol Old Vic.

The curriculum is supported by a wide variety of extra-curricular projects including national festival productions, whole school shows and clubs.
 

Key Stage 3

Drama is taught in Years 7, 8 and 9. Topics cover various stimuli from social issues, plays and stories to theatre history.  Drama is explored collaboratively in a dynamic and fun way, students learn skills in leadership, team work, presentation, problem-solving, acting and directing.

• Year 7 topics include: Mime/ Movement; Greek Theatre; Evacuation; Commedia dell’arte; Monologues and Duologues and Puppetry
• Year 8 topics include: Creating Tension; Pantomime; Physical Theatre; Mystery Drama; Refugee Boy and Romeo and Juliet.
• Year 9 topics include: Radio Drama; Reportage and Verbatim theatre; Slow Time by Roy Williams, Reviewing Live Theatre a project on Devising Drama.

 

Key Stage 4
GCSE Drama is about creating, performing and evaluating. Students play many parts in different imaginary situations.  They have the opportunity to devise their work as well as look at plays written by other people. Students do written work as well as practical work.

Component 1 – Practical exploration, performance and creative log (40%)

Students will produce a devised piece of theatre based on a stimulus set by the exam board and performed in front of an audience. Students will need to use either the techniques of an influential theatre practitioner or a genre.

Assessment

• Students are marked on your performance (or design) (15 marks)
• Students produce a portfolio of supporting evidence (30 marks)
• Students write an evaluation of the final performance or design. 1 ½ hrs. (15 marks)

Students can be assessed as either a performance OR design candidate.

Component 2 – Practical performance/design (20%)

Focus

Students will study two extracts from the same performance text which will then be performed in front of an audience. They will need to participate in one performance using sections of text from both extracts.

Assessment

• Performance assessed by visiting examiner (60 marks)

Students can be assessed as either a performance OR design candidate.

Component 3 – Written exam (40%)

This is a 1 ½ hr written exam focusing on 1 play (An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestly) and a review of a piece of theatre. Students need to demonstrate their understanding of the text and how it could be interpreted onstage.

Assessment
Section A

• A series of questions based on An Inspector Calls (45 marks)

Section B

• Students will answer one question from a choice of two, requiring analysis and evaluation of a given aspect of a live theatre production seen during the course. (15 marks)

Key Stage 5
The new A Level course is a fantastic and well-rounded qualification from Eduqas (WJEC) and sees the students study 5 contrasting texts over the 2 years. The course is split into 3 distinct components.

Component 1 – Theatre Workshop - 20%

Focus

Students will participate in the creation, development and performance of a reinterpretation of a play (A Doll’s House) using the techniques of an influential practitioner or recognised theatre company.

Assessment

• Students are marked on your performance (or design) (30 marks)
• Students produce a creative log of between 1200-1500 words which includes supporting evidence focusing on the creation and development of the piece and reflection on it in detail. (30 marks)

Students can be assessed as either a performance OR design candidate.

Component 2 – Text in Action - 40%

Focus

Students will participate in the creation of 2 pieces of theatre. One is a devised piece using the techniques of an influential practitioner. The second is an extract from a text in a different style.

Assessment

Performance assessed by visiting examiner.

• Students are marked on your research and development (20 marks)
• Students are marked on you performances (60 marks)
• Students are marked on your reflection and evaluation (40 marks)

Students can be assessed as either a performance OR design candidate.

Component 3 – Text in performance - 40%

Focus

2 ½ hr written exam in 3 sections. Sections A and B focus on 2 plays. The first is a pre 1956 text  and the second is a post 1936 text. Section C is based on a 10-15 minute extract from ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Assessment

Section A - Analysis of the text (40 marks)

Section B - Thinking about how the text could be adapted for a contemporary audience (40 marks)

Section C - Thinking about how this extract could be performed, thinking as performers, designers and directors.