Frantic Assembly's Guide to Devising by Scott Graham

As Frantic Assembly move into their twentieth year of producing innovative and adventurous theatre, this book demystifies the process of devising theatre in an unusually candid way.

Analyse and explore the different rehearsal and performance techniques. Can you use these to inspire a workshop?

Read any plays written by Bertolt Brecht. For example:

• The Caucasian Chalk Circle

• The Threepenny Opera

• Mother Courage and her Children

Consider how Brechtian techniques are weaved into the plot.

• National Theatre Connections 2022 10 Plays for Young Performers. Available in the LRC.

• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Available in the LRC.

• Telling The Truth: How to make Verbatim Theatre by Robin Belfield

• The Director's Craft by Katie Mitchell

• Our Country's Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker

• The Servant to Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni

Use the digital theatre app and watch 'Private Lives'

Draw on this for inspiration.

Independently watch a production of your choice. Analyse and identify key strengths and weaknesses and be ready to explain these with justifications as to why you came to these conclusions.

Use Drama online library to watch - One Man, 2 Guvnors.

One Man, Two Guvnors is a play by Richard Bean, an English adaptation of Servant of Two Masters, a 1743 Commedia dell'arte style comedy play by the Italian playwright Carlo Goldoni. The play replaces the Italian period setting of the original with Brighton in 1963

How does this impact on your understanding of the plot and context?

Use Drama online library to watch - Our Country's Good

Our Country's Good is a 1988 play written by British playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker, adapted from the Thomas Keneally novel The Playmaker. The story concerns a group of Royal Marines and convicts in a penal colony in New South Wales, in the 1780s, who put on a production of The Recruiting Officer.

How does this impact on your understanding of the plot and context?

Carry out online research to further broaden your understanding of devising original theatre.

Click here

Read 'The Directors Craft' by Katie Michell

Research theater companies 'KneeHigh' and 'Complicit' and use their ideas to inspire and formulate your own.

Can you include or adopt into your final piece?

Take park in the 'Young Actors Company' in the role of a Director. Assist the teacher in the organisation and running of the extra-curricular rehearsals.

Attend and support the primary school tour.

Use the website DialectsArchive to research an accent.

Work to master the accent?

Identify a monologue where this accent will be used and then rehearse and perform it to an audience.

Take part in the annual whole school production. This could be in an acting role or offering technical support in the Sandpit theatre.

Attend rehearsals and the show nights.

Support and direct the annual lower school production.

Take responsibility of certain scene, costume and props. Be available for rehearsals and the performance evenings.