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AKneehigh Theatre Company

Key Skills And

Stretch and Challenge Questions

The Key skills required for this unit of work are Creativity, Confidence and the ability to adapt a story.

1.Bronze: How successful were you in adapting a traditional story for a modern audience? What could you have improved?

2. Silver: How successful were you in performing confidently? How might you improve this?

3. Gold: How successful were you in bringing creativity and originality to your work? When and how might you have improved this?

Key Vocabulary Definition

Ensemble: When every member of the cast is as important as everyone else, with no “main roles”.

Direct Address: Breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to the audience. It is a way for characters to communicate their thoughts to the audience.

Projection: Using your voice loudly and clearly to ensure the audience can hear..

In Unison and In Canon:

Unison= at the same timeCanon= One after the other

Physical Theatre: Using body language, facial expressions and levels to create objects, set and props.

Frozen Image: A frozen image often highlights a key moment in a scene or story. Attention must be paid to your use of space, levels, body language and facial expression.

Audience Sightlines:

You must be aware of these at all times, ensuring you face the audience and everything is visible to them.

Levels: Different levels on stage create visual interest. Levels also suggest status, meaning the power one character has over another.

Exaggerated physicality

Using facial expression and gesture in a non-naturalistic and heightened way.

MultifunctionalProps:

Using a prop in a variety of ways. For example, using a stick to create a windowsill, or a broom as a baseball bat.

Kneehigh is a band of brave storytellers that make theatre

and take risks.

For more

information have

a look at the

Kneehigh

Cookbookonline!

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ACostume DesignKey Vocabulary Definition

Atmosphere/mood: Atmosphere and mood refers to the feeling of the scene or play. Your costume designs would need to reflect this eg. comedic, sinister, serious, tragic or perhaps magical play.

Era/setting What time period will your costume be set in? Modern day, Elizabethan, futuristic or what about a mythical setting? How might this impact your costume design?

Colour: What colours do you want your costume to contain? Muted colours? Bright colours? Only one colour? What do these colour choices tell the audience about the character?

Condition Would your character have new clothes which are clean and pressed, or would the costume be tattered and patched? This can tell us a great deal about the character wearing them.

Fabric and Texture What material do you want your costume to be made from, cotton, satin, silk, polyester or velvet? In choosing silk for example, what does this tell us about your character?

Shape and fit How tightly or loosely does the costume fit the characters figure? Does the costume extend or exaggerate a specific part of the actor’s body?

Key Knowledge and Skills:

1. Do you understand the importance of the work done by a Costume Designer?

2. Have you been able to design a costume for a character in a performance of Roald Dahl’s Cinderella?

3. Have you been able to suggest setting and create a mood through by costume design by using a number of the following design elements; colour, condition, shape, fabric and texture?

Key Skills Definition

Thinking creatively and “outside the

box”

In order to create non-naturalistic work, it is important to be able to think creatively and come up with ideas which are less obvious.

Exaggeration Extend gestures and movements. Make emotions more “over the top” in order to really grab the audience’s attention.

Script learning Find ways to learn your lines off by heart egREAD, COVER, SAY, CHECK.

Confidence Learning to remain in role and ignore the audience. Not worrying about others’ judgementof you.

Projected voices Use your voice expressively and always loudly enough so that you can be heard by the audience.

Non- Naturalism and Modern MelodramaD

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Key Vocabulary Definition

Non- Naturalism: This style of performance does not reflect real life.

Physical Theatre: A non-naturalistic form of Drama where the body is used more than any other acting skill. For example the actors’ bodies can become objects and part of the set.

Essence Machines:

A non-naturalistic Drama technique, using repeated and stylised movements and sounds.

Exaggerated Over the top, extended, larger than life.

Stylised Exaggerated and simplified.

Stock Characters In Melodrama these are the Hero, Heroine (Damsel in Distress) and Villain. Stock characters are those which appear in all plays of this genre and are easily recognisable to the audience.

Melodrama A style of theatre, popular during the Industrial Revolution, and characterised by a very exaggerated and unrealistic acting style, highly dramatic storylines and predictable happy endings. The audience would participate noisily by booing the villain and cheering the hero.

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AThe Flannan Isle Mystery

Key Vocabulary Definition

Sustaining Character

Remaining focused in role and not coming out of character by corpsingor saying something inappropriate.

Mime: Using non-verbal communication such as facial expression, body language and gesture to communicate meaning.

Facial Expression: Using different parts of your face to communicate meaning. Eg. if you furrowed your eyebrows, this suggests that you are angry.

Improvisation: Improvised drama is work that hasn’t been scripted or planned but is made up as you go along.

Responding to a Stimulus:

A stimulus can be either an image, a video, a piece of music or a story. In this case, you are using the true story of the Flannan Isle mystery. You need to use the stimulus as inspiration for your ideas. You need to explore the characters and improvise scenes based on them and their families.

Voice: You must consider how you will use the pitch and tone of your voice to communicate meaning. You must also use your voice to create tension. You could do this by changing the volume, tone or pace of your speech.

Frozen Image: A still moment from a scene, often used to highlight a key moment in the story. It is important to carefully consider your use of space, levels, body language and facial expression.

Accent: Changing your tone, pitch and vowel sounds and other vocal characteristics, to sound as if you come from a particular part of the world.

Dramatic Tension: This occurs when the audience are asking “What will happen next?” or even “When will it happen?” meaning that they are excited and intrigued to see the outcome of the scene/story.

Duologue: A dramatic piece performed by two actors only.

Thought Tracking: This always begins with a frozen image which characters step out of, to speak their thoughts aloud, they then return to the frozen image. This gives the audience a glimpse into what the characters are really thinking.

Action Narration: Response to a narrator using mime, facial expressions and movement.

Docudrama: A piece of Drama depicting real events. It is often atmospheric and tense. Your docudrama should include reconstructions, interviews and flashbacks.

Key Skills Definition

Imagining: This skills links to improvisation, you must use your imagination to consider what life would be like working on a boat and a lighthouse.

Listeningand responding:

Listening to their ideas and suggestions and trying these out, is vital when working in groups. You should never reject anyone else's idea before trying it out.

Working in groups:

Being respectful of all members of your group by making sure they comfortable and included. Taking it in turns to give ideas and suggestions and working efficiently to complete group work on time.

Stretch and Challenge QuestionsBronze:

How successfully did you work with your group when creating your docudrama?

Silver: How successfully did you manage your time? How might you have improved?

Gold:How successfully did you use your physical and vocal skills to create dramatic tension?