Download GCSE Drama - School

GCSE Drama
Year 11
Response to Live Theatre
Blood Brothers
In the exam in June you will need to answer a question about a live
production you have seen. (You will also be answering a similar
question for your mock exams in January.)
Many of you will choose to write about Blood Brothers, so it’s very
important that you make notes NOW that you will be able to revise
from in 8 MONTHS time.
You will have a choice of questions.
 Questions about the acting skills of at least one of the performers
 Questions about the use of Theatre Design in the production
 Questions about how the production affected you “emotionally”
Before we go to see the production we will go over the story with
you. This is so you will know what is going to happen, and how the
story ends, before you see the show.
We do this because, if you know what is going to happen, you will be
able to concentrate on aspects other than plot, such as:
 How does the actor playing Mickey show his character aged 8,
then aged 14 and then as a man in his 20’s?
 How does the same actor show how Mickey’s health and mental
state has been affected by his time in prison?
 How do the actors playing the adult characters show the
passing of the years?
When answering questions about the actors’ performances, you
will need to write about how they use their voices, their faces, their
bodies and their movements. So be prepared to pay particular
attention to this and make notes on what you notice as soon as you
get home.
 How do the designers use costume to show character, class and
period?
 How do the designers use lighting to create atmosphere and
what atmospheres do they create?
 How do the set designers create the various locations in the
play?
When answering questions about the costume, you will need to
write about style, colour, materials.
When answering questions about lighting, you will need to write
about colour, intensity (brightness), shadow and direction.
When answering questions about the set, you will need to write
about texture, colour, size / scale and how they change from one
location to another.
Make sure you take careful note of the use of design in the show
and make notes as soon as you get home.
To help you with your note making, use the “prompt sheet” to help
you, and hand them in for checking straight after half term.
Blood Brothers
Prompt Sheet
Acting
 When the actor is playing Mickey aged 7, 14 and as a young
man, how does he use his voice? Think about his;
o Volume?
o Tone of voice?
o Expression?
o Accent?
o How do these change?
 Think about the actors playing Eddie and Linda. Ask the same
questions
 How does the actor playing Mickey show the change in age
through his body and face? Think about;
o Gesture
o Movement
o Facial expression?
 Ask the same questions for the actors playing Eddie and Linda
 When Mickey comes out of prison, how does the actor show the
effect it has had on him? Think about;
o His voice?
o His movement?
o His body language?
Design
Costume
 What are the characters wearing when we first see them? Think
about;
o Mickey
o Eddie
o Lynda
o Mrs Johnstone
o Mrs Lyons
o
 What does this tell us about;
o Character?
o Class?
o Period?
 What has changed when the action moves on 7 years?
 What has changed when the action moves on again to the time
of the robbery?
 Comment each time on colour, style, the materials used, and
what this tells the audience about the characters?
Lighting
 What is the atmosphere at the start of the play? How does the
lighting help to create this atmosphere? Think about;
o The colours that are used
o The intensity (brightness)
o The use of shadows
 How does the lighting help to show the change when we are in
the Lyons’ house?
 How does the lighting change when we move to;
o The country?
o The fair?
Set
 How do the Set designers show the streets where the
Johnstone’s live? What sort of area is it? Think about;
o The use of colour?
o The use of texture?
o The use of size and scale?
o The shape of the performance area?
 How do the Set designers show the Lyons’ house? In what way
is it different from the Johnstone’s? How do the designers use
colour, texture, shape and scale to show the differences?
 How do the Set designers show the differences in location and
atmosphere when the Johnstone’s move to the country? Again,
think about colour, texture, size, shape and scale.
You should find that the overall effect on the audience is as a result
of ALL THREE areas of design, but in the exam you may be asked
to write about only one area, so make sure you have plenty of notes
for all three.
The more detailed you make your notes now,
while the production is fresh in your mind, the
more use they will be when revising for the
exam.
So:
Take your time, be thorough, cover everything!