Digital @ The Arts Unit Creative Teachers

Devising drama with Frantic Assembly

Explore the art of devising drama with Frantic Assembly

Teacher secondary drama resource developed by The Arts Unit

Who are Frantic Assembly?

Frantic Assembly are world leaders in devised and collaborative theatre. The accessibility of the Frantic Method has empowered and inspired people to participate, educate, collaborate and make thrilling work.

“Every movement on stage tells us a story, it places words in our head just like text. They are one and the same.” Scott Graham

About | Frantic Assembly

Explore 'Frantic Digital' for their resources, including Frantic flashbacks, rehearsal videos, production pages and warm ups.

Select to go to the 'Frantic Digital' resources

Frantic Digital | Frantic Assembly

Frantic Digital - Teacher Week

Frantic Digital - Teacher Week includes videos of a selected panel of teachers representing schools and colleges all over the UK who have put the most asked questions about Frantic Assembly to their team.

The video 'Frantic Create' by Simon Pittman the Creative Associate at Frantic Assembly explores using The Presumptions as a director, helping students find meaning in their work using the Frantic Method.

Frantic Digital - Students' Week

Students have asked their burning questions about Frantic Assembly - questions about their work and shows, about Devising Theatre, about the Frantic Method, basically about anything they wanted to know.

Frantic Digital - Students' Week includes videos with the Artistic Director Scott Graham, the Learn and Train team and practitioners doing their best to answer these student questions. There is also a Careers Q&A with a host of theatre legends.

Students can engaged with a typical Frantic Warm-Up for them to try at home or in class.

Writing a personal creative statement

Allow your students to reflect using the following statements:

Twelve statements for creative people:

I’m great at …
I want to ...
I am fascinated by …
I believe …
I’m inspired by …
I’m working on …
I want people who experience my work to …
I’m looking for …
I collaborate with …
People don’t often realise …
What I look for in theatrical experiences is …
I do what I do because ...

You might want to repeat these questions at the end of the unit of work and compare your students' thoughts on collaboration with the class.

Frantic warm up

Watch the video 'Frantic Assembly Student Week Warm-up' with Frantic Assembly Practitioner Sean Hollands.

He takes students through a typical Frantic warm up to get them moving. This could be used for individual students or as a class activity.

'Frantic Assembly Student Week Warm-up'

Duration: 42:20

Activating your body

Watch the video 'Things I Know To Be True: Warm Up Teaser' as it provides a warm up for your students.

Student exercises

Students stand in a circle

Keep eye contact with each other
Physically work together to keep the ball in the air
Count each bounce, what number can you get up to? 1? 10? 25?

Note: The Frantic Assembly Australian company record is 874.

Repeating this activity with your students prior to each new activity is useful.

Things I Know To Be True: Warm Up Teaser

Duration: 03:13

Devising using The Frantic Method

Watch the video 'The Frantic Method: Building Blocks for Devising' with Artistic Director Scott Graham as he demonstrates how to start devising using The Frantic Method.

The Frantic Method: Building Blocks for Devising

Duration: 10:39

Student exercises

Working in pairs stand opposite your partner - for example:

go around your partner
go through your partner
go by your partner.

Give resistance weight to your partner.

Get closer to your partner - for example:

squeeze around
squeeze through
squeeze by.

Create interesting shapes and use space and proxemics to create tension.

Student discussion questions

What is a Round By Through? Describe the exercise.
Why is physical theatre a useful way to start devising?
How does squeezing the physical movement create a relationship between both people?

Extending your physicality

Watch the video 'Frantic Assembly Masterclass: Learning to Fly', as it provides an activity for you to explore with your students.

Frantic Assembly Masterclass: Learning to Fly

Duration: 11:38

Student exercises

Working in a group stand in a horseshoe shape.

The person at the bottom of the horseshoe is the rock and all of the people cascading to the top of the horseshoe are providing ledges.

For example:

person flying leans forward with arms on to shoulders of the rock
person flying pushes down
ledge people push up
person flying is let down legs first.

The person flying needs to send body signals to the push hands group to control the direction of the flying.

For example:

person flying leans forward with arms on to shoulders of the rock
person flying pushes down
ledge people push up
flyer leans towards where they want to fly to
person flying is let down legs first.

Chair duets

Watch the video 'Chair Duets Step-by-Step Instructions' as it explores a way to explore a strong of material with your students.

Chair Duets Step-by-Step Instructions

Duration: 03:22

Student exercises

Working in pairs place 2 chairs next to each other.
One person is responsible for putting their hand on or moving their partner’s.
Make sure that your hands connect with your partner or yourself. Avoid limbs floating in the air.
- Move 1
- Move 2
- Move 3
Repeat until the moves are clear and memorised.
Now the second person takes over for between 2 and 4 moves
- Move 1
- Move 2
- Move 3
- Move 4
Repeat from the beginning until memorised.
Keep going until you have at least 15 moves.
Create a move that joins the last move to the first so that the string of movement can continue as a loop.
As the moves get faster and slicker think about your gaze
- Look out the front and agree on a single focus point to look at.
Record your students performances.

Student discussion questions

What is a Chair Duet? Describe the creation process.
Why is context important? Why is it important to let the audience create the meaning and story of the movement?
How does the string of material create a story between the two characters in the Chair Duets?

The following 2 videos are useful examples of Chair Duets performed by Frantic Assembly that can be used with your students:

1. Chair Duets: Othello Cast

Duration: 00:51

2. Chair Duets: Frantic Ignition 2015 Company

Duration: 02:16

Extension activities and questions

Play with the speed / tempo of the movement. How does it change when really fast or really slow?
Change the gaze. How does it change when you look at the sky? At each other?
Change the location in which you are performing. How does it feel different performing outside at school, in the bathroom or on a park bench? What meaning does it give to the piece?
Add in a transition to another person or two other people. How does this change the meaning of the relationship?

Further resources

Select the links to discover more resources by Frantic Assembly

Frantic Digital | Frantic Assembly

You can also keep up to date with Frantic Assembly and the resources they offer on their website and social media platforms.

Select each logo to visit Frantic Assembly's Facebook, Instagram or YouTube accounts.

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Drama syllabus links

Stage 4

4.1.2 improvises and playbuilds through group-devised processes

4.1.4 explores a range of ways to structure dramatic work in collaboration with others.

Stage 5

5.1.2 contributes, selects, develops and structures ideas in improvisation and playbuilding

5.1.3 devises, interprets and enacts drama using scripted and unscripted material or text

5.1.4 explores, structures and refines ideas using dramatic forms, performance styles, dramatic techniques, theatrical conventions and technologies.

Stage 6

P1.2 explores ideas and situations, expressing them imaginatively in dramatic form

H1.3 uses knowledge and experience of dramatic and theatrical forms, styles and theories to inform and enhance individual and group devised works

H1.4 collaborates effectively to produce a group-devised performance

State Drama Festival

Photo credit: Anna Warr

Recording your professional learning

Frantic Assembly delivered professional learning workshops in 2019 and the following resources are to support all teachers in their process of devising drama.

By developing your knowledge and understanding of these techniques you can then use them in your classroom with students to provide them with these methods.

For further assistance or inquiry please contact The Arts Unit.

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

2.2.1 Content and teaching strategies of the teaching area - Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area.
2.2.2 Content selection and organisation - Organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence.
3.3.3 Use teaching strategies - Include a range of teaching strategies.
3.3.4 Select and use resources - Demonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning.
6.2.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice - Understand the relevant and appropriate sources of professional learning for teachers.
7.7.4 Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities - Understand the role of external professionals and community representatives in broadening teachers’ professional knowledge and practice

Information for logging this into ETAMs towards your professional learning hours.

Activity name - Frantic Assembly devising

Activity type - Professional reading

PD Type - Elective

Duration -

Standards - 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 3.3.3, 3.3.4, 6.2.2, 7.7.4

How did this activity address the standard descriptors? - Developing knowledge and skills on how to deliver the key content area of playbuilding to drama students through Frantic Assemblies devising techniques. The Arts Unit developed this resource to upgrade the knowledge and skills of drama teachers in this specific area.