Pupils may have made the switch to learning remotely, but Drama continues to be part of the menu of all-round education at Trent College and The Elms. Although typically a subject that relies on collaboration and which thrives on an audience, there are still plenty of ways to keep the spirit of Drama alive while learning from home. Creative expression has been proven to have a positive impact on wellbeing, so why not use this time at home to hone the theatrical skills that will help you to go further when you return to the Drama studio?
Mrs Day, Trent College Acting Director of Drama, has some top tips to help you bring the world of the West End to the comfort of your own home.
Dance Routines
Many Broadway and West End theatre companies share YouTube tutorials for their dance routines. Why not set yourself the challenge of learning your favourite? Having a goal to work towards is a great way to build purpose into your routine when learning from home, and practising a dance routine not only lifts your mood but helps you to work up a sweat too.
Shadow Puppetry
Shadow puppetry is an ancient form of storytelling which originated in South East Asia thousands of years ago. All you need to create a puppet theatre of your own is some paper, a desk lamp and an old shoebox. Once you have these basic tools, all that remains is to pick a story to tell (fairy tales and folk stories from around the world would make good starting points) and to find an audience.
Self Taping
In recent years, casting agents have increasingly turned to self-taping as their preferred means of finding talent. This means that social distancing needn’t be a barrier to your landing a TV or film role. It’s perfectly acceptable to self-tape using the recording software on your mobile, so now is the perfect time for aspiring actors to put themselves out there and develop their auditioning skills. The Spotlight website and the ‘Shoot Me!’ app are great resources to get you started.
SFX Make Up
If you’re more interested in what goes on behind the scenes than on the stage, why not try practising some theatrical make-up skills? Again, YouTube is your friend for this particular project: there are all kinds of tutorials available – from old age make-up to gorily realistic wounds. You’re likely to already have most of the resources you need for this one lying around the house, but the rest can be easily purchased online.
Writing
Finally, what could be as simpler means of focusing your creative energies than writing a script? Good storytelling lies at the heart of all good Drama, whether your interest lies in film, theatre or television. Exposition is your biggest challenge when it comes to scriptwriting: how can you subtly and effectively communicate everything that you need your audience to know through the words of your characters? Your imagination is the limit here, and the possibilities for adapting your finished script – from live performance to stop animation – are endless.
Find out more about Drama at our schools here: Drama at The Elms and Trent College, passionate teachers and diverse performances….
