Introduction:

Why do drama? …Add to this list if you can . . .

‘We live in an age which has switched on to what is visual rather than merely spoken . . . ‘

‘It makes a message clearer’

‘It can set the scene for a sermon or help illustrate it’

‘It captures people’s attention’

‘It’s different’

‘It can open blind eyes if it is relevant’

‘It’s a powerful tool for outreach and evangelism’

‘it’s fun to do’

Transcript:

Top Tips

1 Thou shalt not be inaudible

Practice being heard.

If doing drama on a noisy street, choose a quiet area

Vary the tone of your voice,

Vary its speed . . .

Never speak quickly: just come in quickly on the next line

Use variety,

Pronounce your words clearly

Narrate a script using a microphone, (with mime)

Q: Why is it so very important to be heard? Test this out:-

A Jack and Jill workshop

an exercise in ad lib drama: In twos, put together a brief scene from the nursery rhyme, ‘Jack and Jill’ Make up what will be said by Jack and Jill as they go up the hill. Why are they going up the hill anyway? (five minutes only rehearsal time) Then, a panel of ‘experts’ will sit at the back of the room and offer constructive criticism. Will they be able to hear?)

* Using Music in drama:

If music is ever used, put someone in charge of sound control and have it tested it out.

Challenge:- Try the Chopsticks drama (Drama 69 in Ready, Steady, Act Now~ see ‘drama’ link for free booklet)

2 Thou shalt not be boring and lifeless . . . be active

Use humour whenever possible

Facial expressions are important

There’s power in a still moment

Look at your body language

Feel the emotion

Empathise with your character

Never turn your back on an audience

Choose relevant and appropriate scripts

NOW PUT THIS ADVICE INTO PRACTICE IN THE NEXT CHALLENGE

Challenge : A pattern of walks. Mime the following ‘walks’:-

• along a narrow ledge

• along a tightrope

• through a minefield

• along a row of cinema seats

• through deep snow

• through water

• inside a mine

Challenge: Put yourself in these situations

• a wasp gets too close for comfort

• put your large python back in its cage after a zoo demo

• climb into a all in one suit made of tissue paper

• you are the first person to land on the moon

• you have just been transported into a computer game

• you are dying of thirst and the oasis you see ahead of you, turns out to be a mirage

•

3 Thou shalt not be hidden

Discuss how a character can become unnoticed! How can we remedy this ?

Problems and solutions…

If there is no stage ? …use staging blocks

In dying /sleeping/seated scenes ? …change the script/ use ‘vertical’ beds?

In a dark environment ?… lighting

Where there is bad positioning ?…don’t ‘upstage’ other actors.

If there are pillars, choir stalls ?…use them to your advantage

If there is very little space allotted to you at a venue?…then get there early and say how much space you will need/move furniture. Check sound.

Q: What would make a character more visual? e.g. costumes and props, (don’t overdo this)

Make a collection of props and costumes by visiting jumble sales, autumn fairs, charity shops raise funds etc

Challenge: Now try ‘The Story of Cinderella’ drama, (Drama 90 in Ready, Steady, Act Now~ see ‘drama’ link for free booklet)

4 Thou shalt not go undirected

Discuss ‘Why do think a drama group need a director ?’

What kind of person should volunteer?

Challenge: On a piece of paper write an advert with the title ‘Director wanted’,

listing what qualities you are looking for . . .

Challenge: Try out ‘Mother I’m feeling ill drama’ (Drama 47 in Ready, Steady, Act Now~ see ‘drama’ link for free booklet) (groups of seven)

GO AND FIND A QUIET PLACE FOR YOUR GROUP TO PERFORM THIS . . . a strong director will be required to put this together, someone who is in complete charge, and who can also act . . .you should choose him or her wisely.

5 Thou shalt rehearse and rehearse . . . and learn thy lines?

How important do you think it is to rehearse . . .

How important is a regular time to meet . . .

…and pray (Christian groups)?

How important is commitment?

How important is it to learn your lines?

How important is feedback?

Are these all necessary? Are there ways around this?

Discuss your tips? Your experiences?

Now without using your scripts, perform one section of the last drama, number 47 in front of everyone.

After the performance discuss how confident you were , HAVING NOW HAD TIME TO REHEARSE AND LEARN YOUR LINES?

How did you feel?

6 Thou shalt not rule out auditions

A drama done badly is not worth doing at all, so you must either know your actors well, . . or audition for each part

i.e. Look for …

a rich tone of voice

enunciation

sense of humour

acting ability

whackiness

study strengths and weaknesses

look at confidence

ability to learn lines

ability to engage with the audience . . .

ability to speak with a different dialect.

It is important to get right into the character… body, mind and spirit

so try reading a common script in several different ways below…

e.g. The Courtship of the Yonghy Bonghy Bo…

…or choose another script or rhyme which is suitable for the age of your actors.

The Courtship of the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo

On the Coast of Coromandel,

Where the early pumpkins grow,

In the middle of the woods

Lived the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo.

Two old chairs, and half a candle,

One old jug without a handle,

These were all his worldly goods:

In the middle of the woods,

These were all the worldly goods

Of the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo.

Of the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo.

Edward Lear 1812-1888

Read it our in the style of:-

Someone who speaks a different dialect, broad Geordie, Cockney etc

A drunken person or someone a little tipsy

A reception teacher or a strict Victorian teacher

A rap artist or goth

a vicar or televangelist

An alien or robot

A person with flu or someone who is about to ‘expire’

TV presenter or newsreader

A shakespearean actor or a teacher they know

A person from the future or the past

A horse racing or football commentator

HOW WILL THE READER ‘ACT OUT’ the piece as well as read it? How will they ‘add to’ or alter the script to demonstrate who they are?

OR

Do auditions offering various reading parts

so that the best character is chosen for the role

Challenge: Try auditions for What Christmas Is Not, (Drama 1 in Ready, Steady, Act Now~ see ‘drama’ link for free booklet)

Always first identify the main characters before you audition for them…

Here in this script, they are

1 The irate man …

2 A spoilt child

3 Santa

4 A tired housewife

5 A well-to-do lady

6 A mother, hot on house rules

Decide which lines from the drama would be best for audition

7 Thou shalt be creative : Try writing your own scripts!

Starting points that I’ve used . . .

• scripture

• an assembly story

• an ‘in’ televison programme style e.g. the apprentice, bb,

• an ‘in’comedian style e.g. Catherine Tate

• quiz

• poem or rap

• narrator

• a musical

• a five day ‘series’ of scripts for schools

• mime

• cartoon pages i.e. stills

• joke style

• newspaper report

• an interesting setting, i.e. toy shop at Christmas

• children’s book characters

• shadow drama

• puppet scripts

• a demonstration

• letter to…

• an inspiring story

• an inspiring piece of music

• adapt a script, change the locality, the characters, setting

8 Thou shalt not hide thy light under a bushel !

Where can drama be performed?

Schools …assemblies, Christian clubs, lunchtime clubs,

Parks …open air witness, festivals, fayres, bandstands

Streets…shopping centres,

Public places…pubs, restaurants, elderly care homes

Seasonal places…where the people gather,

For which of these would you need permission? Don’t forget to get it.

9 Thou shalt do research, and explore many different drama ideas from other sources i.e. libraries, internet, drama books

Here are a few ideas of mine for school lessons, youth groups or drama workshops

Put students to sleep with imaginary ‘magic’ gas . . . and say ‘when you wake up you will be…

*stuck in mud

*trapped in a paper bag

*part of a still group photograph of a e.g. wedding party

*or film poster for e.g. speed

*climbing a rock face

*watching a horror film

*threading a needle

*face to face with a poisonous snake or crocodile

Back to the future . . . groups of four

The Setting :- the breakfast table, having conversation

As Victorians * As a futuristic family unit* As a modern day family, but not speaking the local dialect

How will names, movements and accents have to be altered ?

Radio broadcasts: reading a selected piece of writing . . .

In the style of . . .

*a horse racing commentator

*teacher in reception

*a vicar preaching

* in bed with flu

* dramatic actor

*one drink too many

*alien or robot

In Roots amagazine , recently, they suggested inventing a drama which began and ended with a song title…what a wonderful idea.

If you can’t think of one try ‘He ain’t heavy he’s my brother’, and end with ‘All you need is love’.

In a circle, each person will choose an Indian name and mime it, e.g. falling rain.

The next person remembersthis one, and makes up one too, and so on.

Act out a tableau. E’g’ from history, mythology, inventors etc.,

Try mirror images…

‘Prop’ led dramas…

Who am I?: think of a character and act him/her out as you travel around the room guessing who others are.

Pass the buck : someone starts telling a story, and once they pass the ‘buck, the next person must take up the story.

Structures: Build a suspension bridge: a cathedral: a dome: a crane: aeroplane: a bus: antenna ~ using bodies in groups of 5/6/7

10 Thou could contemplate sharing your ideas with others, like I’m doing, so that others benefit. Why not?

What ideas have worked for you?

Available on this website

www.sheilahamil.co.uk

Free drama book: ‘Ready, steady, act now’

Free assembly ideas :

Free sermon ideas:

Free solo CD’s : -

Giving It All To You

Called To Serve

Without Love I Am Nothing

The Best of United Folk

* Easter Story

*Christmas Story

*Try using Easter Story and Christmas Story as Drama Experiments, using puppets

Download the songs and act them out, . . . . first without the music.

Discuss as a team how best they can be done, then perform them for others to see.

Final Challenge; Look these dramas up in Ready, Steady, Act Now: see drama link for free booklet.

KS3

(family service choices here also)

What Christmas is not

Angels in White

The Lord’s Prayer

Radio Jerusalem

Cindaerobics

Butterfly and Chrysalis

Parable of Rich Fool (C Tate)

Love is

Let’s try& listen

Maximilian Kolbe

The Body of Christ

Dives and Lazarus

Soap

Mother I feel quite ill

Happy New Year

Christmas Photograph

The £8,000 challenge

Let’s Talk it Over Instead

The Master Returns

Transfiguration: gang show

Inside the Courthouse

Question Time/ Resurrection

A Case of Mistaken Identity

A Deadly Stalemate

Chopsticks

The Gift Experience

There’s Plenty of Time

A Way of Loving

Tragedy

Transfiguration,movement/music

Mr Men: Make Poverty History

The Wind and the Sun

The Ten Bridesmaids

Four Goats and a Community Tap Stand

Nuclear War

The Story of Cinderella

Banana Drama

Beggars and Broth

The Apprentice

E Mail

Extreme Makeover

The Who’s Got Talent Show

KS 2

Pharisee and the Tax Collector

What Christmas is not

Angels in White

The Lord’s Prayer

In the beginning God Created

Radio Jerusalem

Cindaerobics

Butterfly and Chrysalis

Listen with Mother

St George/ Bold Slasher

Chanticleer / Pertelote

Shadow Dramas

Parable of Rich Fool

Magic Wishing Mirror

Let’s try and listen

What is a mum?

The body of Christ

Mean Jake

I’ve come to light that candle

Harvest exercises

Breakfast at Tiberias

Supper in the Upper

Hallowe’en

The Hare and the Tortoise

Round the Back

Christmas Photograph

Transfiguration: gang show

Chopsticks

There’s Plenty of Time

If I were not upon the Stage

Transfiguration,movement/music

Mr Men: Make Poverty History

Mr Big and Mr Small

The Great Blondin

The Wind and the Sun

The Ten Bridesmaids

Nuclear War

It’s Time To Get Ready

The Story of Cinderella

Banana Drama

Beggars and Broth

A Brand New Team

Extreme Makeover

A New Heaven and a New Earth

KS1

Pharisee and the Tax Collector

The Lord’s Prayer(simpler)

Little Red Hen

Oi be a farmer

Parable of Rich Fool

The body of Christ

I’ve come to light that candle

Ask and It Shall Be Given

John the Baptist

Mr Big and Mr Small

The Wind and the Sun

The Story of Cinderella

Family Services

You can’t be calling me?

When I needed a neighbour

Sinners and Saints

Radio Jerusalem

Butterfly and Chrysalis

Love is

Let’s try and listen

The Prodigal Son

Ten Striving Christians

Luke’s Fish Shop

What is a mum?

Fire ! Fire!

Dives and Lazarus

Soap

Dungeon of Despair

Mother I feel quite ill

We don’t speak the Lingo

I will enter his Gates

Happy New Year

Round the BackChristmas Photograph

Big Brother

Let’s Talk it Over Instead

The Master Returns

Transfiguration: gang show

Question Time/ Resurrection

I am the Greatest

There’s plenty of Time

A way of Loving

Come Follow Me

I Never Knew You

Transfiguration,movement/music

Do you Believe In God?

The Great Blondin

Where did you get that top

The Ten Bridesmaids

Whom Shall I Send?

Banana Drama

Bad Press

The ‘Who’ Got Talent Show’

The Healing of the Paralysed Man

The Apprentice

Orchestral Harmony

Take up your cross

Easter

The Roman Centurion Speaks

Barabbas the Brigand Rap

Question Time: Resurrection

Palm Sunday Newsflash/Radio Jerusalem

Palm Sunday shadow drama (silhouettes behind a sheet for young people)

Good Friday Shadow drama

Easter Sunday Shadow drama

Breakfast at Tiberias

Supper in the Upper

Outside the Courthouse

A Case of Mistaken Identity

A Deadly Stalemate

The Easter Story Musical

Christmas

What Christmas is not

Angels in White

Cinderaerobics

It's better to light one candle

Christmas photograph

The Gift Experience

Four goats and a community tapstand

The Christmas Story Musical

Pentecost

120 Striving Christians

Beggars and Broth

We Don’t Speak the Lingo