Studying the set play
- In Section B of the Understanding drama paper, you answer questions on one set play from AQA's list (check which one your school studies).
- Questions ask how you would perform a character, how you would design for the play, and how the context affects a production.
What to know
- The plot, characters and relationships, themes and key moments.
- The context: when and where it is set, when it was written, and the social, cultural and historical background.
- The playwright's stage directions and what they suggest about staging.
- The genre and style, and how the play could be staged.
Answering questions well
- As a performer, name specific vocal and physical skills, apply them to specific lines or moments, and explain the effect on the audience.
- As a designer, describe exact choices (colours, materials, lantern types, sound effects) and explain how they support the action and context.
- Use drama vocabulary accurately, and keep linking back to the play and the audience.
Key terms
- Set play
- The play studied for the written exam.
- Context
- The social, cultural and historical background of a play.
- Stage directions
- The playwright's instructions about staging and performance.
- Theme
- A central idea explored in a play.
- Key moment
- An important point in the play's action.
- Interpretation
- A particular way of performing or staging a play.