Educational Drama

Each class receives one Drama lesson per week. The aims of this Educational Drama are not to encourage a career as an actor but to develop the child in a pure educational sense. Drama lessons endeavour to encourage the development of the imagination by placing pupils in other people’s shoes. Pupils learn to create a narrative and structure a play. Skills are developed in dramatic improvisation so that the child is able to imagine him/herself in another place, at another time as another person; thus the world is experienced by proxy.

 

Like all experience, this is maturing and enriching. The shipwreck, the tropical jungle or the argumentative daughter can all been experienced, developing social awareness and an understanding of life but from the safe confines of the school hall.  Negotiation skills are developed in team work: accepting ideas as well as offering them, learning sensitivity to others, learning to listen to others and to reflect. Performance skills are learned, developing confidence. Communication skills are learned as well as self discipline, self expression and self knowledge. Vocal and physical expression develops. Drama helps the academically bright pupil to expand and diverge and the academically weak pupil to conquer feelings of inadequacy and to feel a sense of achievement. During all this we have a lot of fun.

 

Year groups also go on trips to local theatres to watch productions.

 

The Crowstarver - C Form Theatre Outing

Adapted by Daniel Jamieson for Theatre Alibi

The whole of the C Form went to watch The Crowstarver by Dick King-Smith at the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil. I thought the set was particularly exciting because it had lots of popup. These were made to change the scene (stable, hut, school and a fence). There were five actors and my favourite actor played Spider, the main part. He was very funny because he said “Good un!” instead of “Thank you”. He was good at animal noises because he loved animals. The sound effects and music were created by a piano and a violin. I liked them because they added extra excitement. The sound effects made a very dramatic plane crash. The best bit was the action. Spider was very scared when a fighter plane crashed in the farm. The other one was where some dogs came and attacked Spider.

Alex (CJ)