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St. George's Catholic School

Drama

I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being

Oscar Wilde

The Drama Department is developing rapidly at St. George’s and there is becoming an increasing demand for Drama, both as a curriculum subject and as part of our extensive range of after school extra-curricular activities. Drama is highly respected at the school and is recognised for the extraordinary impact it has on the students’ lives, including their ability to engage in group activities whilst developing the confidence to be an outstanding public speaker, performing in front of an audience.

The wide variety of skills taught in Drama are developed over time and are often used in other subjects and in later life.

Our Drama Curriculum includes a wide variety of cross-curricular topics which make a vital contribution to students' social, moral and cultural education, whilst developing the students’ skills of communication, teamwork and creative problem solving. Drama is taught throughout the school at Key Stages Three, Four and Five. During this time, students develop the skills they need to achieve in a professional workplace, preparing them for many possible future careers including Law, Journalism, Politics, Medicine, Education, Psychology, Advertising, Hospitality, Tourism, Theatre and many other industries which involve the key skills of communication. Through the experimentation of Acting, Directing and Stage Management and the participation in whole school productions, Theatre in Education and Community Projects, students are taught how to be professional, reliable young adults, learning a wide variety of interpersonal skills in the process.

At St George’s we offer Drama at GCSE Level. Each academic route offers experiences to engage in innovative acting methods which are tailored to meet the students’ individual needs. Students are given the opportunity to increase their knowledge of Drama in the professional industry, not only working with our experienced full-time teaching staff, but also with Theatre Practitioners, Directors, Designers, Choreographers, Musical Directors, Actors and Stage Managers. Students find it extraordinary that we offer such diverse opportunities to work with professionals who are keen to share their passion for this fascinating expressive arts form. Their knowledge of the profession is further enhanced through external theatre trips to see live theatre productions in London’s West End Theatres!

St George’s Catholic School would like to welcome you to join the Drama Department, a melting pot of technique and opportunity. 

Staff

  • Ms E McNulty - Head of Department

Want to find out more? 
If you wish to find out more about Drama at St George’s please feel free to contact Ms E McNulty at E.Mcnulty1@stgeorgesrc.org

KS3

YEAR 7

Autumn One: Melodrama

Basic skills: Introduction to public speaking and building confidence onstage.

Explore the history of Melodrama; 19 Century melodramas and its effect on modern theatre, and its plots.

Autumn Two: Circus

Basic skills: Cooperation, respect and physical skills

Explore the origins of the circus, exploring elements of the Italian theatre of Commedia dell’arte, and understanding physical skills. Students create their own circus performance, so must work together to produce a piece of theatre.

Spring One: Evacuation

Students explore both world wars, with particular focus on WW2 and children being evacuated. Students work with scripts to improve their speaking and reading skills.

Spring Two: The Pied Piper

Students work to improve their debating and characterisation skills, with focus on the story of The Pied Piper, where they must play characters to convince the mayor of Hamelin to hire the Pied Piper. They explore myths and legends and how stories are passed down orally.

Summer One: Greek Theatre

Understanding Greek mythology and the origins of Greek Theatre. Students particularly focus on Greek Tragedy and its elements, e.g. tragic hero, tragic downfall.

Summer Two: Creepy Corpse of Cal Capone

Students work with a script based on Al Capone’s brother Cal – exploring the history of prohibition and Al Capone’s role. Students continue to develop their speaking and reading skills as they work with a script.

YEAR 8

Autumn One: Darkwood Manor

Students understand the differences in genre, focusing on horror. They begin to explore building suspense, and skills such as body-as-prop and general physical theatre skills.

Autumn Two: Pantomime

Students explore the history of Pantomime and the stock characters created in it – linking back to their knowledge of Melodrama from year 7. They begin to explore the importance of costume in helping create characters, like The Dame.  Students also begin to explore audience interaction.

Spring One: Pop Culture

Students begin to explore TV and film, particularly Soap Operas – again linking back to prior knowledge of Melodrama from year 7. Exploring both comic and tragic characters, focussing on creating their own script to develop into a Soap Opera – (Westenders or Northenders being a favourite!)

Spring Two: Characterisation

Exploring how to effectively portray character on stage. Focusing on both physical and vocal skills – students begin to explore the Theatre Practitioners Konstantin Stanislavski and his theory of Naturalism – creating believable and relatable characters onstage.

Summer One: I Don’t Like Mondays

Students explore the story of Brenda Ann Spencer, and how to accurately portray historical events onstage. They explore skills such as verbatim, tableaux and thoughts aloud to help develop their performances.

Summer Two: Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations

Students explore Alan Ayckbourn’s script, ‘Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations’. Enhancing reading and speaking skills, with particular focus on staging and proxemics. Where an actor stands and what this suggests to the audience.

YEAR 9

Autumn One: Devising: Persecution

Students explore creating their own original theatre, using a stimulus focussed around the theme of ‘persecution’. For students choosing GCSE, Devising is one of the components students explore.

Autumn Two: Theatre Practitioners

Students explore a range of different theatre practitioners and their techniques, for example Antonin Artaud and his alienation techniques, Stanislavski and emotion memory, and Brecht and breaking the fourth wall. Understanding how theatre has developed and adapted.

Spring One: Blood Brothers

Students explore Willy Russell’s play ‘Blood Brothers’ exploring script work and the importance of understanding context of a play. Liverpool during the 1950s and 1980s, with particular focus on unemployment and social divide.

Spring Two: Theatre-In-Education

Students explore how theatre can be used to educate on particular topics, for example teaching students the consequences of bullying etc. Students create theatre with audience in mind; are they performing to children, teenagers or adults?

Summer One: Derek Bentley: ‘Let Him Have It’

Students explore verbatim theatre, with particular focus on the history of Derek Bentley, and his supposed words of ‘Let him have it’ to Christopher Craig. Students explore the importance of respect when creating theatre on real events.

Summer Two: Theatre Project

Students are asked to create their own piece of theatre, using given stimuli which they must use to create a devised piece. Students must work in groups, with focus on directing, as well as lighting and sound design – understanding the design elements of theatre as well as the performative side.

 

KS4

KS4: 2 hours per week

Exam board: Edexcel

Throughout the GCSE, students take ownership for their own creative input. They deepen their knowledge of how the techniques are applied in performance and get a wide-range of experience creating, developing and performing their own devised pieces, and those from a text. The three components studied at GCSE (see below) provide students with the opportunity to experience the academic aspects of drama and theatre studies. Students build on their practical and written skills, whilst gaining a deeper knowledge of the elements of stagecraft. Through ontological considerations, students make connections between the elements, mediums and explorative strategies of Drama, and how they can contribute towards the overall vision and implementation of the directors overall production concept.

Component One: Devising – devised performance & written portfolio

Component Two: Performance from Text – scripted performance

Component Three: Theatre Makers in Practice – written exam

- Section A: An Inspector Calls

- Section B: Live Theatre Evaluation

 

Careers

The subject of Drama teaches students a wide variety of transferrable skills, which can lead to a range of different careers.

Potential careers include: Lawyer, Politician, Police, Advertising and Marketing, Theatre/TV/Film Designer & Operators, Director, Actor, Stage Management, Drama Therapist, Radio/TV Host, Hospitality, Teacher.

Drama skills highly valued by employers:

- Time management and organisation

- Leading and participating in discussions

- Team-working to present ideas

- Creative problem-solving abilities

- Oral communication skills

- Initiative

- Motivation and commitment