GCSE Drama Eduqas

This subject is broken down into 190 topics in 15 modules:

  1. I Love You, Mum - I Promise I Won't Die 18 topics
  2. Noughts & Crosses 21 topics
  3. Theatre Conventions 8 topics
  4. The IT 16 topics
  5. Characterisation and Performance 4 topics
  6. Design Conventions 5 topics
  7. Devising 7 topics
  8. Performance from a Text 3 topics
  9. The Written Exam 2 topics
  10. The Tempest 18 topics
  11. The Caucasian Chalk Circle 18 topics
  12. Hard to Swallow 18 topics
  13. War Horse 18 topics
  14. DNA 18 topics
  15. Live Theatre Performance 16 topics
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  • 15
    modules
  • 190
    topics
  • 67,119
    words of revision content
  • 8+
    hours of audio lessons

This page was last modified on 28 September 2024.

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Drama

Noughts & Crosses

Noughts & Crosses: genre

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Noughts & Crosses: genre

Genre Overview

  • "Noughts & Crosses" is best classified as a Political drama with elements of romance, dystopia, and tragedy, amongst other sub-genres.
  • It tells a story of dichotomy, portrayed through the relationship between the ruling Crosses and the minority Noughts.
  • The narrative provides a nuanced examination of social and racial inequality, drawing parallels to real-world societal issues.
  • Unconventional power dynamics are explored through romance and conflict between the central characters.

Political Drama

  • "Noughts & Crosses" fits the political drama genre due to its exploration of inequality and societal divisions.
  • The narrative foregrounds the political unrest which results from these entrenched racial divisions.
  • Protagonists Sephy and Callum play out a story of politics at its most personal, their relationship mirroring the societal state of play.

Elements of Romance

  • The central theme of forbidden love resonates on multiple levels throughout the narrative.
  • Sephy and Callum's romantic relationship lays bare the Prejudice and discrimination present in their society.
  • Their love story encapsulates the tensions and struggles faced by those living in highly polarised societies.

Sub-genres: Dystopia and Tragedy

  • "Noughts & Crosses" can also be categorised as a dystopian narrative, set in an alternate universe where racial roles are reversed.
  • The dystopian elements are lined with tragedy, rooted in the hopelessness of the protagonists' attempts at breaking societal constraints.
  • This is ultimately a tragic narrative, focusing on the downfall of characters as a result of societal failings.

Intertwining Genres

  • The multiple genres intertwined create a story that is polemical, emotional, heart-wrenching, and enlightening, providing a platform for examining themes of social injustice, love, loss, and hope against the odds.
  • "Noughts & Crosses" succeeds in creating a multi-layered narrative that challenges perceptions, encourages reflection and stimulates deeper understanding of complex societal issues such as race, power, inequality and justice.

Remember, when discussing genre in an analysis of "Noughts & Crosses", the key focus should be on how these genres and the relationship between them inform the narrative progression, characterisation and thematic development of the play.

Course material for Drama, module Noughts & Crosses, topic Noughts & Crosses: genre

Drama

The Tempest

The Tempest: relationships between performer and audience

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The Tempest: relationships between performer and audience

The Tempest: Relationships Between Performer and Audience

Direct Address to the Audience

  • The Tempest extends the relationship beyond the character-to-character interactions. The use of direct address where characters directly speak or appeal to the audience comes into play.
  • Prospero's epilogue is the most prominent example. He breaks the fourth wall and connects with the audience directly, asking for their applause to set him free, immersing them at once into the storyline.

Subtext and Dramatic Irony

  • The audience knows more than the characters because of their additional knowledge from Prospero’s explanations, creating dramatic irony that heightens the tension and engagement during plot development.
  • This understanding provides the audience with a subtext that deepens their comprehension of the characters' actions and motivations, creating a closer bond between performers and the audience.

Use of Stagecraft

  • The use of stagecraft elements like the tempest storm at the very beginning not only serves to draw the audience into the play's world but helps to establish a relationship between them and the performers.
  • Creative uses of sound, lighting, and props can dramatically enhance the audience's emotional experience, creating a deeper connection and investment in the story.

Performers' Characterisation

  • Performers' characterisation also plays a fundamental role in the relationship between audience members and performers. The strength of their character portrayals can hugely influence the audience's sympathy, empathy, or even dislike, forming a bond.
  • Notable examples include Prospero’s portrayal and Caliban’s dehumanised representation that elicits audience’s sympathies and opinions, casting light on broader societal issues.

Audience Participation

  • Audience participation is encouraged in The Tempest, especially during comic moments involving Caliban, Trinculo, and Stephano - these sequences elicit laughter, reactions, and interactions - creating an engaging atmosphere.

Remember, understanding the relationship between performers and their audience can provide additional layers of interpretation and enjoyment when studying a play like The Tempest. It deepens your understanding of the function and interplay of different characters, as well as the thematic exploration of the plot.

Course material for Drama, module The Tempest, topic The Tempest: relationships between performer and audience

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