WJEC/Eduqas GCSE Drama: Revision Guide

Placards Music and songs Brechtian theatre uses musical interludes to move the action from scene to scene, and to show tension and high emotion. You do not have to be a musician to do this. Try easy sound-effects, such as clicking your tongue like a clock to show the passing of time, or a long ‘ahhhhhhh …’ from a low pitch to a high pitch to suggest building tension. You can hum or sing simple tunes too, and repeat these during your devised piece to symbolise a character, or show time moving on. Or, you could even have characters participating in a singalong on a car journey or on their way to a concert. No fourth wall While Stanislavski’s System uses the fourth wall to help the audience and performers suspend their disbelief and immerse themselves in the illusion of the play, Brechtian theatre aims to keep the audience aware of the fact that this is theatre and turn their thoughts to the changes they would like to make in the world, as inspired by the issues the play presents. Political message The focus of Brecht’s plays is the situation, not the characters. He saw theatre as a way to create awareness among the public in order to make positive change, both socially and politically. A story that teaches the audience a lesson in this way is didactic. As a group, choose one of the following placards to inspire a scene: EXERCISE 3.8 Earlier that morning … Midnight is about to strike ... Meanwhile, back home … 1 Imagine that you are performing to an audience who did not speak the same language as you. Try to create a sound piece to illustrate a specific location or situation. What human, animal and other noises would your audience recognise? 2 Now, try the same location but with a different atmosphere. If previously it was tense and busy, make it relaxed this time. If it was funny, make it sad. EXERCISE 3.9 One hour to go … In their secret lair … A storm is brewing … Baal was Brecht’s first play. The film version starred David Bowie who had studied mime under Lindsey Kemp. Bowie used gestus in his characters even when writing songs, playing different characters in his songs the same way as acting in different plays. 55 CHAPTER 3 chapter 3 THEATRE PRA TITIONERS