Lesson video

Hello, and welcome to Drama.

This is using drama conventions to explore contemporary issues.

It's less than four out of six, a person and a place part two.

And this unit covers topics such as seeking asylum, leaving home and being a refugee.

If these are sensitive topics to you we recommend checking with an adult before starting this lesson or completing the lesson with a trusted adult nearby.

My name's Mr. Wood.

And I'm your teacher for today.

If you're ready, let's get started.

For today's lesson you're going to need some space so clear things out of the way so that you can work safely and then let's continue.

You've completed your intro quiz? Well done.

We're going to start today's lesson with a recap of the last before we move on to adapting to a new scenario and then we'll look at developing the character further, before we finished the lesson with the exit quiz.

The keywords for today's lesson are refugee.

And that is a person who is fleeing conflict or persecution.

Magic if that is a drama technique used to understand what your character would do in new situations.

Conscience alley which is a drama strategy used to give the character ideas when making a choice.

And lastly internal monologue.

And that is the a drama strategy used to tell the audience what the character is thinking.

So let's recap last lesson.

This is Taylor, and we met the character last lesson.

We understood that their situation was quite challenging and we developed the character using roll on the wall, hot seating and speaking objects.

So how do we view Taylor? Let's establish very clearly who they are.

They're 13 years old.

They're human being.

They have thoughts and feelings and they come from a turbulent background.

Although there are specific qualities that make them who they are, they're just like everybody else, okay? Taylor has the same rights as you and I.

So we needs to consider that and bear that in mind when we work through today's activities.

Now let's adapt to a new scenario, okay? Let's see how the character responds to new settings.

So our new environment.

How do you feel when you're in a new scenario personally? Well, imagine you were Taylor and you've just walked into a shop.

From your perspective, you don't stand out.

However, the other people in the shop, they're staring.

You have no idea why you look yourself up and down and you think I'm wearing clothes and I'm not covered in paint, so why are they staring? You don't know why.

Consider what it is Taylor might be thinking.

How many different thoughts could be going through their head at this moment in time, as they try to figure out why these people are staring.

Other shoppers' thoughts.

Delve into the other shoppers minds, what might they be thinking, okay? So this is similar to our speaking objects activity from last lesson, because we're seeing a new perspective around the central character of Taylor.

They clearly know something.

What is it? Is it potentially, "Who is that?" "I haven't seen them here before and I've lived here all my life," "Whoever they are, they look on edge." And things like that, okay? So just consider the different ideas that are going through the other shoppers' minds right now as they see Taylor.

You need to pause the video to be able to do this.

You can practise them verbally and then click resume when you're ready to move on.

Adapting to a new scenario.

Let's visualise for a moment, Taylor relaxing in accommodation, okay? So wherever they're staying at the moment even if that's temporary or something a bit more permanent, we're trying to visualise that now, okay? So what is in the room? For this activity, I'd like you to close your eyes.

Do that for me now, listen to what I say and try and come up with your own interpretation for the room.

What can you see? Is there a bed? Is it a mattress on the floor? Is it a pillow and a sleeping bag? Is there a quilt, duvet? Are they throws, blankets, cushions? Is it colourful? As you look at the walls, can you touch them? Is it rough? Is it wallpaper or is it painted smooth? And what colour it is? Is it dull? Is it bright? Do you have any windows? Is there much light coming through? Do you have curtains or blinds to shut out the lights for privacy? Can you hear the noises in the rest of the house from your bedroom? Do you hear people walking upstairs? Do you hear doors closing or is it quite soundproof? What does it smell like? Is it fresh? Does it smell clean? Can you smell nature outside if you have a window and it's open? Does it smell homely? Is there anything cooking downstairs that you can smell? What's the surface area like? Does it feel warming? Does it feel cold? Does it feel calm? Are you able to relax in this environment? What does it taste like? And I don't mean tasting the things in the room.

I mean, the feeling in your mouth, the enzymes and the natural chemical reactions in your mouth.

Are you tasting adrenaline through fear or excitement? Are you thinking about the next meal you're going to eat and what it might taste like? Have you not eaten for quite a while? In which case are you trying to hold on to the lingering sensation of that meal? Have you had to drink recently or do you feel quite dry in the throat? Start to think about what relaxation means to Taylor with these items and the clear specification of the room, okay? Do they get much quiet? Are they always hearing some form of noise? Do they see relaxing colours and textures in the space? Is it comfortable to be able to lie down or sit down and feel at peace? Or is there always a taste of fear in the body? Okay well done.

We're now going to start to develop the character in line with what we can visualise and what we interpret in terms of Taylor's accommodation.

What are your three favourite things about where you live? As Taylor, what are the three favourite things about where you live? Doesn't matter what they are? But let's have three clear things.

You have many friends now, okay? You've built up some rapport with people around you and you've got two best friends.

What are their names? Where are they from? What's good about them? What are their best qualities? Now, although your life may not be easy and by no means perfect, you can see your future ahead of you, okay? You're settled.

And again, you feel a vague modicum of hope, okay? Because you've got some features around you that allow you to feel at ease and comfort, okay? The parameters are there to be able to feel relaxed.

Without them, you can't, okay? So although your life is not perfect, you can see yourself having a future.

Now we're going to explore magic if.

And this is a technique used in drama specifically for the performer, okay? It's enables you as the performer to ask the character you're playing questions about how you react in a certain situation, okay? It gives you the depth you need for the character's choices, actions and reactions.

It allows them to be prepared if they were plunged into a new scenario, okay? If you were on the stage and someone said the wrong line having the background information of the character is really useful because it shows how you might respond in a new situation, okay? So in role as Taylor, what would you do if, you had to choose between eating a Mars bar and an apple? What does Taylor do? Do they go for the Mars bar, because they really liked sweet things? Do they go for an apple, because they know it's healthy and they respect their body? Do they choose neither would rather go without because chocolate gives them migraines and apples make them ill? Or do they go for both 'cause that's a little bit greedy and they love eating? What would your character do, what would Taylor do if you have the choice of eating a three-course meal to yourself or sharing it with someone less fortunate than yourself? Think about their background, think about where they've come from, the things they may have seen along the way and consider what they might do.

Is there a new alternative? Something that you might not have thought of straight away? What would Taylor do if you see someone in front of you drop a five pound note? Would they quickly pick it up because they've never really had money themselves? Would they follow the person and give it to them? Would they follow them to wait to see if they were a good person or if they're rude to people in the street in which case they'll keep it? Or would they pick it up go to give it to the person realise they don't know who actually dropped it they can't see them anymore and would they put it in a charity box? Okay, there are many options to consider.

What would Taylor do in your opinion if you are alone and see a stranger up ahead? How do they react? And lastly, what would Taylor do if you were lost in the dark and cannot locate your family? It's quite a sensitive one there, so be considerate.

Think about their guttural feelings and how they might respond instinctively to that feeling.

So I'd like you to create five hypothetical magic if scenarios for Taylor's character.

The aim is to know what they would do in that situation.

Then in role consider the appropriate responses, okay? So you might pose your question and then you might step to the other side of the room.

You might wear a particular piece of costume or hold a prop to be able to signify the difference in Taylor's character and the questioner, okay? What would you say and how would you say it? It's really important to bear in mind Taylor's background.

So pause the video to give this your best go and then click resume when you're ready to move on.

Here are some answers to magic if in reverse, okay? So we're going to pull apart this technique, we're going to deconstruct it.

I would like you to come up with some magic if questions that match these answers.

So if Taylor was to say they would find its owner, what would a possible question or phrase be in a magic if scenario to that answer? You might say, what would you do Taylor, if you were walking in a park and you came across someone's dog? You knew it was someone's dog because it has a collar with a name on it, but not a contact number.

So what would you do if you were in that scenario? Their answer could be, find its owner, okay? So you see what I mean there? Have a think now what the magic if questions would be for option two, be silent, option three, run away or option four, help youngest siblings first.

Now, if you consider their background and where they've come from and the things they've seen, think about last lesson as well, then it might be quite helpful and useful to construct your magic if scenarios.

Pause the video to be able to do this it won't take long and then click resume when you're ready to move on.

Change is daunting.

And as Taylor I'd like for you to imagine that you're relaxing in your accommodation, just like we did before.

Can you hear that? There was a bang and sounds of panic downstairs.

Someone shouts up that you're leaving in the next three minutes.

You think it was your father, but you cannot be sure.

What are you feeling? What's coming through your head right now? You have a bag, what are you going to take with you? You've only got three minutes.

In role as Taylor, you have three minutes to pack your bag.

You know what you're taking.

Try to build tension in your movements.

Improvise the actions of packing the bag while speaking an internal monologue to the audience about what the items mean to you and why you're taking them.

Okay? So don't forget your internal monologue is the commentary going on inside your head.

So, one us going on, what why are we leaving? I'm going to need that, that's really important.

I can't leave that, I've got this blah, blah, blah because of this blah, blah, blah, you know? So it's continual thought going on through your head and you're just speaking out loud, okay? So consider what you need to say.

And then how you say it will depend on what those items mean to you and what feelings you are currently holding within you, okay? So pause the video to be able to complete this task.

It's not a quick task, so take your time there's no rush and click resume when you're ready to move on.

Magic if can help a performer to come out of role.

Is that true or false? 'Cause the answer is false.

Magic if allows a performer to build the understanding of the character so they're prepared for more scenarios.

I will offer to take you to England in this boat.

You will not address me by my name.

You will keep your head down at all times.

The fee must be paid in full prior to departure.

I am not responsible for any injury during this time.

I am not liable for any loss or death during this journey.

You step onto this boat as your choice.

By stepping onto this boat in escape of war you agree to my terms. But this is your scenario.

You are in the role of Taylor and there is a boat.

You were led to believe that it will take you to a sanctuary to flee the conflict you've been brought up in.

Your choices are either to stay and risk living amongst terrifying dangers or go and hope that the place you journey to is as safe as you have been told.

First of all, do you believe that comment? That the place you journey to is a safe as you've been told? Or do you think it's probably more appropriate that it's safer than where you currently are? There's no promise that it is safe.

In other words, can you afford not to believe this? For example, is it worth the risk? I would like you to create a still image of the dangerous world Taylor was born into.

Consider it from their perspective.

So it's going to be Taylor in a still image and aim to show how they feel in this scenario in the world that they know.

You should also consider the five senses in your image.

What can you see? What can you hear? What can you smell? What can you touch? And what do you taste? Physical skills such as facial expressions and body language will be very important for your still image, okay? So pause the video to complete this task.

You may need to do this in front of a mirror to see how it looks, okay? You may need to exaggerate certain features.

Click resume when you're ready to move on and we'll carry on with the rest of the lesson.

Okay, now that you have this well done, let's create a still image of how Taylor perceives the sanctuary, okay? So the ideal world similar to that of a utopia.

So if they've been born into a world which is the still image you've just created which is quite negative, let's juxtapose this let's contrast it with something that is positive, okay? The sanctuary.

Think about what it might mean to them.

What would be there? You should consider again the five senses.

Physical skills like facial expressions and body language are still important, okay? Use the mirror if you've got one or any reflection, you may need to exaggerate certain parts of the image.

Pause the video, give it your best go and then click resume when you're ready to move on.

So conscience alley is a technique used in drama for the performer.

It's enables you to offer advice about what the character should do in a certain situation.

So think of it like an angel and a devil on your shoulders giving you advice about what you should do.

It allows us to have depth to the characters choices and their actions, okay? So it allows us to know what we might do in a future scenario.

And therefore, we can be more prepared.

So does Taylor have a choice in the boat scenario? Yes! Okay? There's either a choice to stay or to go.

And regardless of the scenario, we always have a choice.

So you are a conscience to Taylor.

The boat is going to sanctuary or so we're led to believe and that's just up ahead.

You need to suggest as many reasons as possible as to why they should get on the boat and leave where they currently are.

I would like you to consider your tone of voice, emphasis on key words and volume when speaking, okay? Those three things.

Pause the video to have a go, really do consider what it means to combine those skills, okay? In the delivery of your conscience and then click resume when you're ready to move on.

Now you are a different conscience to Taylor.

The second part of conscience alley.

You can see that the boat is going sanctuary just up ahead like before, but now you need to suggest as many reasons as possible as to why they should not get on and simply stay where they are.

Again, consider your tone, emphasis and volume when you're speaking.

Pause the video to be able to complete this task and click resume when you're ready to move on.

Okay, well done.

We've got to the point where it's now the end of the lesson, so well done for your hard work today.

We've worked on developing a character in new scenarios.

We've looked at working through magic if, conscience alley, internal monologue and visualisation, all in an attempt to understand this character from different perspectives and to appreciate that their scenario and their character is not as easy as we may have first thought, okay? So well done for your hard work today.

There is a great deal of relevance in today's lesson and that of last as well setting up these themes.

We currently live in a world where there are many people like Taylor making decisions that they should not have to.

And it's because they are exposed to situations that they never asked to be a part of.

They may have had their basic human rights infringed or removed through no fault of their own.

And I would like you to be aware of that.

That's why this content has come about.

And it's key to remember that in every scenario there is always a choice.

You know yourself better than anybody else.

And if you were faced with an opportunity where you meet a Taylor of this world, someone who through this scheme of work has been representative of a range of people in similar circumstances that are far less fortunate then I am or you may be, what would you choose to do? How do you react to a person like that? How do you engage with them on a daily basis? I would like to think that given the chance you engage as someone who is sensitive and someone who is accepting and someone who is aware, not only aware but also compassionate to that type of scenario.

So consider this lesson as opening a door to issues that are in the world around us and things that we might need to be aware of.

As ever, if you have created work that you think is particularly poignant or relevant to today's task, something that you're proud of, you can of course share it with us.

So ask your parent or carer for permission first where they can tag us on Twitter, using @OakNational and #LearnwithOak.

I look forward to seeing you in lesson five which is all about a person and a choice part one.

Until then take care and goodbye.