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Lesson 2 of 35
  • Year 9

Helen Edmundson on adapting 'Small Island' for the stage

I can use Helen Edmundson’s comments to explore the processes and challenges of adapting a novel for the stage.

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Lesson 2 of 35
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  • Year 9

Helen Edmundson on adapting 'Small Island' for the stage

I can use Helen Edmundson’s comments to explore the processes and challenges of adapting a novel for the stage.

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Share activities with pupils

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Edmundson suggests there is a “freedom” to writing adaptations that requires you to think differently.
  2. Edmundson describes the challenge of shortening or reworking character stories.
  3. Edmundson explains the significance of direct address and its link to the personal stories the characters tell.
  4. Edmundson describes the importance of the close working relationship she had with Andrea Levy.
  5. Edmundson and Levy made a conscious decision to keep challenging scenes and moments in the play.

Keywords

  • Adaptation - changing a story to fit a new form, like turning a novel into a play.

  • Collaboration - working together with one or more people to achieve a shared goal

  • Stark - very clear, plain, or harsh

  • Aspiration - a strong hope or goal to achieve something

  • Direct address - when a character speaks directly to the audience

Common misconception

Adaptations just copy the story from the book. The writer doesn’t have to change much or make many decisions.

Adaptations need big changes to work on stage! Edmundson tested scenes in workshops, adjusted them in rehearsals, and watched audience reactions in previews to make sure the story was clear and powerful in performance.


To help you plan your year 9 English lesson on: Helen Edmundson on adapting 'Small Island' for the stage, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What word, beginning with 'a', describes when a story is turned from a novel into a play?

Correct Answer: adaptation, Adaptation

Q2.
Who wrote the original 'Small Island' novel?

Helen Edmundson
Zadie Smith
Rufus Norris
Correct answer: Andrea Levy

Q3.
Is the statement true or false? The original 'Small Island' novel has more than one narrator.

Correct Answer: true, t, True, T

Q4.
How does Helen Edmundson’s use of direct address in 'Small Island' help the audience engage with the characters’ stories?

It adds humour to the scenes.
Correct answer: It removes emotional distance and makes the stories more personal.
It allows actors to switch characters more easily.
It helps the audience understand the technical aspects of the set.

Q5.
What does Helen Edmundson suggest the title 'Small Island' represents?

only the physical size of Jamaica and Britain
the main characters’ family homes
Correct answer: a metaphor for a narrow and closed-off mindset
the stage design for the play

Q6.
According to Edmundson, why might a playwright reduce the number of characters or narrators in a stage adaptation?

Correct answer: To make the story easier to follow and more focused.
To reduce the number of actors needed.
To shorten performance time.

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Put the stages of adaptation and production in the correct order.

1 - collaborating with the original writer
2 - drafting the script
3 - workshops
4 - rehearsals
5 - previews
6 - opening night

Q2.
What does Helen Edmundson say is a main difference between writing a play and adapting a novel?

novels are easier to write
plays must always stay exactly like the novel
Correct answer: adaptations create more creative challenges
novels have no structure

Q3.
Why did Helen Edmundson reduce the role of Bernard in the stage version of 'Small Island'?

Bernard wasn’t an important character
to reduce the number of actors needed
because he didn’t want to be in the play
Correct answer: to keep focus on the key themes and characters

Q4.
Which of these best explains why Helen Edmundson stops using direct address in Act 2 of 'Small Island'?

to show the characters becoming more isolated
Correct answer: to reflect a shift toward confronting reality and consequence
to avoid using the same device too often
to make the play feel more like the original novel

Q5.
What does Edmundson say about her role as a writer after the play 'Small Island' opened?

She directs all the performances.
She rewrites the script every week.
Correct answer: She steps back but remains available to support.
She stops attending rehearsals completely.

Q6.
Is the statement true or false? In the play 'Small Island', Helen Edmundson kept all of Michael’s scenes exactly the same as in the novel.

Correct Answer: false, f, False, F