J Plumb Melodrama Lesson Plan

Subject: Drama Date: 06/06/2017 Time of Lesson: 09.25

Class: Year 8 Number of Pupils:26 Duration of Lesson: 50mins
Unit of Work: Melodrama Lesson number in unit: 1
Key Question: How can we create a hilarious performance using over exaggerated movements
and stock characters?

What do they know already?

This is the first lesson in the unit on Melodrama
Objective
To devise a short play in the style of melodrama using stock characters and over
exaggerated movements, facial expressions, posture and gesture.
Emerging (3) Secure (4) Advancing (5)
C: Responding to the C: Show an awareness of C: Demonstrate imagination
performance style how an action will affect and originality in the creation
P: Maintain a role the audience. of drama
throughout performance P: Communicate P: Show an understanding of
R: Use drama techniques character through the use how to effectively build tension
to discuss the of movement and gesture in a performance.
R: Comment sensitively R: Use theatre terminology to
on what they have wanted talk about the ways the
to achieve and how work performance did or did not
can be improved. engage the audience and give
ways to improve.
Key words
Melodrama- a sensational dramatic piece with exaggerated characters and exciting
events intended to appeal to the emotions.
Stock Characters- Stereotypical characters that are presented in and exaggerated way
Posture, Gesture, Movement, Facial Expression

Lesson Content Time

Circle/ Introduction/ Registration 5
Creating
Workshop exercise on Stock Characters
As the students to walk around the room in neutral (as themselves) without 10
interacting with anyone else. Maintain focus.
Ask the students to walk around as if they are: a mad scientist, footballer, witch,
rich person, poor person, hero, princess, villain, police officer, monster, teacher.
They should do this exercise without talking.
Discussion- (halfway through the exercise) what did you change for each
character? Posture, gesture, movement, facial expression. Stereotypes. What
makes this funny? - discuss over the top characterisation. With the remaining
characters ask the students to think about what they are doing to change their
posture, gesture, movement, facial expression.
What makes you laugh? Physical comedy/ jokes etc.
Silent Movies- what are the problems? No sound/ poor screen quality. Make the
moves big and clear to get the emotion across. link to the definition of
melodrama a sensational dramatic piece with exaggerated characters and
exciting events intended to appeal to the emotions. 5
Watch the clip
Create your own scene inspired by Charlie Chaplins over exaggerated 15
movements. Groups of 4. 2 children are returning home late. They dont want their
parents to notice. They creep over a number of obstacles and try not to get
caught. Include over exaggerated movement and stock characters.
Performing
J Plumb Melodrama Lesson Plan

Visit each group as they rehearse and watch their piece. Give feedback cards with
one key area to focus on in the second half of the rehearsal time.
Watch one or two groups perform. Set our own success criteria based on what
they have been learning today (exaggerated movement, stock characters).
Address the importance of staying in-role throughout the performance as your
stock character.
Responding
Opportunities to give feedback throughout the lesson. Encourage students to 15
develop and improve their work.
Feedback from the one or two performances the whole class pick out. Peer
assessment using the criteria set pre-performance. WWW+ EBI