Year 10 and 11 (Eduqas GCSE Drama)

Term 

What are we learning 

1 

Devising Theatre (40%)

Non-Exam assessment – internally assessed and externally moderated

60 marks

Learners are required to devise a piece of original theatre in response to a stimulus, using either the techniques of an influential theatre practitioner or the characteristics of a genre of drama.

Group arrangements:  Learners choose to be assessed on either acting or design. Learners choosing design must work with a group of actors. It is not necessary for all acting groups to work with designers. Learners choosing design must pick one option from the list below: • lighting design • sound design • set design (including props) • costume design (including hair and make-up). Learners work in groups of between two and five actors. Each group may have up to four designers, each offering a different design skill.

Learners choose one stimulus from a list of four supplied annually by WJEC. There are example stimulus materials in Appendix A of specification. The stimulus materials will always consist of:

• a quotation

• a song

• a picture

• a concept or statement

Learners then realise their performance and evaluate the final performance or design under supervised conditions. Learners will indicate their chosen stimulus and chosen practitioner or genre. There will be three main sections to the evaluation in which learners:

1. analyse and evaluate either their interpretation of character/role or their realisation of design in the final performance.

2. analyse and evaluate how either their own performance skills or their own design skills contributed to the effectiveness of the final performance

3. analyse and evaluate their individual contribution to the final performance, including how effectively they fulfilled their initial aims and objectives (referring back to stimulus and practitioner/genre).

2 

Performing from a text (20%)

Non-Exam assessment – externally assessed by a visiting examiner

60 marks

Learners are required to participate in a performance from a text. Learners will gain a deeper understanding of how to interpret a text for performance and realise artistic intentions.

Group arrangements:  Learners may choose to be assessed on either acting or design. Learners are assessed on the final performance or design only. Learners choosing design must work with a group of actors. It is not necessary for all acting groups to work with designers. Learners choosing design must pick one option from the list below:

• lighting design

• sound design

• set design (including props)

• costume design (including hair and make-up).

Learners work in groups of between two and four actors. Each performance may have up to two designers, each offering a different design skill.

Selecting a text for performance Learners are required to study two 10 minute extracts, within the context of the whole text, from one performance text of their own choice. The extracts studied must be key extracts from the text selected for study: they must each represent a scene or moment that is significant to the text as a whole. Texts must be studied to gain a practical understanding of drama. A list of suitable texts is provided in Appendix B. However, learners may choose a different text. The text must be one which has been professionally commissioned and/or professionally produced and must contrast with the text chosen for Component 3 to enable learners to gain a broad and varied experience of drama at GCSE.

3 

Interpreting Theatre / Written exam (40% )

60 marks

This component requires learners to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of how drama and theatre is developed and performed through the study of a performance text and through responding to live theatre.

Section A

Learners will study one complete performance text from the list below. It is expected that learners will approach the study of the text practically as an actor, designer and director. A clean copy (no annotation) of the chosen set text must be taken into the examination. The following texts will be used for assessment from 2024 onwards:

·         Macbeth William Shakespeare (Wordsworth Classics)

·         An Inspector Calls J.B. Priestley (Heinemann)

·         Find Me Olwen Wymark (Samuel French)

·         Noughts & Crosses Malorie Blackman adapted by Sabrina Mahfouz (NHB)

·         Refugee Boy Benjamin Zephaniah adapted by Lemn Sissay (Bloomsbury)

·         I Love You Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die Mark Wheeler (Bloomsbury)

·         The IT Vivienne Franzmann (NHB)

Learners must consider how the text is constructed and how performances create meaning through:

• the characteristics of the performance text, including

1.       genre

2.       structure

3.       character (including interpretation and function within an extract)

4.       form and style

5.       language/dialogue

6.       stage directions

• the social, historical and cultural context including the theatrical conventions of the period in which the performance text was created

• how meaning is interpreted and communicated through

1.       performance conventions

2.       use of performance space and spatial relationships on stage, including the impact of different stages (proscenium arch, theatre in round, traverse and thrust) on at least one scene

3.       relationships between performer and audience

4.       the design of lighting, sound, set (including props) and costume, hair and make-up

5.       the actor's vocal and physical interpretation of character.

Section B

Learners are required to analyse and evaluate one piece of live theatre viewed during the course. It is recommended that learners take the opportunity to view a professional full length theatre production. However, the work of amateurs can be used, but not the work of peers. It is also recommended that learners see more than one live performance when preparing for this assessment to allow sufficient scope for answering on a variety of aspects during the examination. The live theatre production chosen for viewing must not be the text studied in Section A of this component.

Links 

https://www.eduqas.co.uk/qualifications/drama-gcse/#tab_overview