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KS3 Drama – Performance Analysis
KS3 Drama
Performance Analysis
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For more detailed instructions, see the Getting Started presentation
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Teacher’s notes included in the Notes Page
Web addresses
Accompanying worksheet
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© Boardworks
Boardworks Ltd
Ltd 2008
2008
Learning objectives
Learn how to be a perceptive and analytical
member of an audience.
Evaluate the importance and effects of stage
space and layout.
Effectively analyse the roles of the acting, set,
costumes, lighting and sound used in a
production.
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© Boardworks
Boardworks Ltd
Ltd 2008
2008
©
Performance analysis
Much of what you learn in drama is about performing. But of
course, the theatre could not exist without an audience, and
learning about how to be perceptive members of an
audience is an important part of drama.
Performance analysis is about how you think about drama as
an informed member of the audience. Many people are only
concerned about how entertaining a play is. But someone
who is studying drama is also able to structure their ideas
about what they see on stage.
So performance analysis is about breaking down your ideas
into particular categories.
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The theatre
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Acting
What the performers do on stage is usually the most
important aspect of any piece of drama, whether it is a short
improvisation in class or a play in a professional theatre.
These are the main aspects
which need to be considered:
how did the actors play their
individual characters? Were
they well cast in their roles?
what use did they make of
voice, movement and gesture?
were there particular moments when individual
actors created moments of tension, tragedy or comedy?
did the actors use props or costume effectively?
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The set
It is usually quite easy to describe a set, and a diagram
often helps. What is very important to remember is that
the set is only there to support the actors’ performance.
So it is not enough to simply describe the set.
You also need to:
explain how the actors used the set
what mood or atmosphere the set created
how the set changed during the course of the play.
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Costumes
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Costumes
When writing about costume,
try to describe:
what each costume communicated
to the audience about the character
why you think particular colours
were chosen
what time period the costumes
were from
what materials were used to make
the costumes.
Discuss the answers to these questions
for the character on the right.
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Lighting
It is easy to miss the powerful effect lighting has
on an audience because it often works on our
subconscious. Lighting is a very powerful tool for
directing the audience’s attention and creating atmosphere.
When writing about lighting design, comment on:
how different moods were created with intensities of light
how light of different colours was used for different scenes
whether the lighting was trying to give a ‘natural’ effect,
such as daylight or the lighting in a room
whether there were any special lighting effects
for particular scenes in the play, such as gobos
whether projection was used in the production.
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Sound
Sound can be a very important aspect of a production, not
only in creating particular effects but also in establishing
the mood or atmosphere in a scene. The
simultaneous use of music and speech is
common in films but is becoming more so in the
theatre. Also listen out for subtle effects, such
as birdsong or distant traffic noise, which help
to locate the play in a particular place.
Consider the following points:
any special sound effects which stood out
the use of recorded or live music
how sound contributed to the atmosphere
of the piece.
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Useful websites
Professional theatre reviews
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/theatre/drama
http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/entertainment/theatre/theatre
_index.shtml
http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/reviewsindex.htm
http://www.independent.co.uk/artsentertainment/theatre/reviews/
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