Drama

What has happened to Lulu?

Read Charles Causleys poem, What has happened to Lulu?
Questions

What has happened to Lulu?

What caused her to leave?
Who cried? Why, do you think?
How did Lulu leave the house?
What did she take with her?
How does the mother feel?
Who is the narrator of the poem?
What does the mother tell him/her? Why?

Activity 1 - Turn it into drama!

How can we turn this poem into a piece of drama?

What characters are needed?
Where should we start?
What happens? (for example, Lulu has come home late)
Why does she go?

Start the play from where Lulu comes in late and progress to where she goes out through the
window.
1. Pair work: The argument with parent. Take it in turns to play each role.
2. Individual mime: Lulu packs her bag, opens the window and climbs out.
You may be asked to freeze and thought-track your characters.

Activity 2 The next morning

Pair work: It is morning time. The parent is making the breakfast and discovers Lulu has left.
S/he finds the note. Discuss with your partner what the note might say. Play the scene with one
of you as the parent and the other as the voice of Lulu reading out the contents of the letter. Swap
roles!

Activity 3 Writing task (Choose one of the tasks below)

Write the letter from Lulu to her parent explaining why she is going
Write a letter from Lulu to her brother/sister/best friend explaining her actions

This free resource was found at www.teachit.co.uk. Copyright 2000 Teachit

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Drama
What has happened to Lulu?
Activity 4 Two or three weeks later
Two or three weeks have passed and nothing has been heard of Lulu. In fact, she has found
somewhere to live, made new friends and found a job. She decides its time to phone home.
Why? She doesnt intend to return yet. How will she feel as she dials? What is her parent
doing when the phone rings?

1. Pair work : Improvise the telephone call

Unlike other drama, telephone conversations involve
no eye contact, so everything you want to express will
have to come through the voice.

2. Group work: Lulu and her

friends

Back to back, improvise the phone call. At the end

Lulu must hang up on her parent as her parent is
asking too many questions and being too persistent.
What types of questions might the parent be
asking? Why?
How might Lulu try to avoid answering?

Lulu meets up with some of her

friends. She tells them about her
conversation with her parent.
How does she now feel?
Are her friends supportive?
What advice do they give her?
Are there several types of
advice?
How does Lulu choose?

Swap roles.

Improvise their conversation.

Activity 5 - Two months later

After two months Lulu decides its time to go home. She misses her home, her family and
friends. She is now outside the front door and about to ring the doorbell..
How do you think she feels?
What will her parents reaction be?

Who will answer the door?

What will be said?

Groups of 2 or 3: Improvise the scene.

You may be asked to thought-track your characters, so you need to think about how your
character feels, whether they have changed, and whether they will now treat the other
characters differently.

Questions

How easy is it for a dramatic situation to evolve from a simple argument?

Does this sort of thing happen very often? Can you think of any examples?
How can we prevent minor disagreements escalating?
What kinds of tensions are created as a result of growing up?
How do you feel after an argument?
Have you ever felt like running away?

This free resource was found at www.teachit.co.uk. Copyright 2000 Teachit

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