What are Flashbacks and Flash Forwards?

Expand on a freeze-frame to create the before and after.

Performers in a scene are asked to improvise scenes which take place seconds, minutes, days or years before or after a dramatic moment. This enables the exploration of characters’ backgrounds, motivations and the consequences of their actions.

The method can be used to quickly bring depth to activities involving freeze frames or improvised drama. Adding Flashbacks or Flash Forwards creates a context – it shows what led up to a particular moment, how it might be resolved or how it may lead onto additional challenges. The technique helps to flesh out a dramatic moment or create the beginnings of a story.

How to do it

With a group that has created a still image, explain that when you clap your hands, you would like them to move silently in slow-motion to where their character was a few moments before. When they are frozen still in the new image, you can use thought-tracking to explore character motivation.

Now ask them to move back to their original image – which is the present moment. Then you can use Flash Forwards – participants move in slow-motion to indicate where their characters might be a short time after this moment. In this way you have created an episode with a beginning, middle and end and can develop it in any number of ways.

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Market Scene, Northern Town (1939) by L.S.Lowry

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Action Clip

Action Clip is a quick way to bring a freeze frame to life – with no preparation!

Conscience Alley

One person walks down an alleyway made by the group and listens to thoughts or advice.

Cross-Cutting

What is Cross Cutting? The dramatic action switches quickly between two scenes in the same space. Cross-cutting (also called split-screen)

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Exciting ways to use freeze frames across the curriculum and in performance.

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

Why use it? The strategy breaks through the barrier between performers and audience, putting them on an equal footing. It

Freeze Frames

Freeze frames (also known as still images and tableaux) are a fast and effective method to use with any age.

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

Image Theatre is the use of still images (freeze-frames) to explore abstract concepts such as relationships and emotions, as well

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.

Narration

Narration is a technique whereby one or more performers speak directly to the audience to tell a story, give information

Role on the Wall

Role on the wall is a collaborative activity for developing thoughts and ideas about a character.

Role Play

Role play is the ability to suspend disbelief by stepping into another character’s shoes.

Soundscapes

The group is conducted to create a sound picture or “soundscape” using their voices and bodies.

Spotlight

Spotlighting is a useful teaching technique for sharing improvised drama when you have divided the class into smaller groups. When

Storytelling

Storytelling is one of the simplest and perhaps most compelling forms of dramatic and imaginative activity. A good place to

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

Characters in a freeze-frame speak their thoughts and feelings aloud.

Whoosh! Bringing Stories Alive through Drama

An interactive technique in which participants become characters and objects in a story as it is told.

3D Living Pictures

Bring characters from works of art, book illustrations and photographs to life through drama.

Action Clip

Action Clip is a quick way to bring a freeze frame to life – with no preparation!

Conscience Alley

One person walks down an alleyway made by the group and listens to thoughts or advice.

Cross-Cutting

What is Cross Cutting? The dramatic action switches quickly between two scenes in the same space. Cross-cutting (also called split-screen)

Developing Freeze Frames

Exciting ways to use freeze frames across the curriculum and in performance.

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

Why use it? The strategy breaks through the barrier between performers and audience, putting them on an equal footing. It

Freeze Frames

Freeze frames (also known as still images and tableaux) are a fast and effective method to use with any age.

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

Image Theatre is the use of still images (freeze-frames) to explore abstract concepts such as relationships and emotions, as well

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.

Narration

Narration is a technique whereby one or more performers speak directly to the audience to tell a story, give information

Role on the Wall

Role on the wall is a collaborative activity for developing thoughts and ideas about a character.

Role Play

Role play is the ability to suspend disbelief by stepping into another character’s shoes.

Soundscapes

The group is conducted to create a sound picture or “soundscape” using their voices and bodies.

Spotlight

Spotlighting is a useful teaching technique for sharing improvised drama when you have divided the class into smaller groups. When

Storytelling

Storytelling is one of the simplest and perhaps most compelling forms of dramatic and imaginative activity. A good place to

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

Characters in a freeze-frame speak their thoughts and feelings aloud.

Whoosh! Bringing Stories Alive through Drama

An interactive technique in which participants become characters and objects in a story as it is told.

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Flashbacks and Flash Forwards

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