DRAMA STRATEGIES
Drama strategies – also known as drama techniques or drama conventions – are the everyday tools of the drama teacher. They help to develop enquiry skills, to encourage negotiation, understanding and creativity. They can enhance performance skills such as character development and storytelling and can be used across the curriculum to actively involve students in their own learning.
3D Living Pictures
Bring characters from works of art, book illustrations and photographs to life through drama.
Action Clip
Action Clip is the perfect way to bring a freeze frame to life – with a clap of the hands!
Conscience Alley
One person walks down an alleyway made by the group and makes a decision based on their advice.
Cross-Cutting
Cross-cutting is a drama technique where the action switches quickly between two scenes in the same space.
Developing Freeze Frames
Developing freeze frames in exciting ways through movement and exploring the curriculum.
Flashbacks and Flash Forwards
Expand on a freeze-frame to create the before and after images. Great strategy for story building in drama.
Forum Theatre
The power lies with the audience, as they replace characters on stage to change the outcome of a scene.
Freeze Frames
Freeze frames and still images can be used to communicate ideas, tell a story or bring images to life.
Hot Seating
A character is questioned by the group about his or her background, behaviour and motivation.
Hot Spotting
An amazingly fun and easy way to mix up hot-seating and freeze frames to develop characters
Image Theatre
Participants rapidly sculpt their own or each others’ bodies to express attitudes and emotions.
Mantle of the Expert
Mantle of the Expert involves the creation of a fictional world where students assume the roles of experts in a
Marking the Moment
A drama strategy used to highlight a key moment in a scene or improvisation, using slow-motion, freeze-frames and more.
Role on the Wall
Draw a body shape and add your ideas about any character! A brilliant collaborative class activity for developing thoughts and
Teacher in Role
Teacher in role is an invaluable technique for shaping the dramatic process and developing students’ learning. The teacher takes on
Thought Tracking
In Thought-Tracking, characters in a freeze-frame speak thoughts and feelings aloud.
Where Do You Stand?
A fast, fun and effective way of discovering everybody’s opinions about a subject
Whoosh! Bringing Stories Alive through Drama
An interactive technique in which participants become characters and objects in a story as it is told.
