One-off workshop: Bookendings

In devised drama the openings and/or endings are often the weakest part. If someone in a group says ‘that's it’ as they freeze-frame because the ending isn't obvious, then the piece is incomplete, as if they ran out of time.

This 90-minute session works on openings and closings (bookending the story) to improve the whole devising and presenting process.

Devising ideas: Pinterest has many accessible drama devising ideas, for example: www.pinterest.co.uk/chjones4005/devising includes opening and closing, and www.pinterest.co.uk/hopdud/drama-devised-piece is an image fest of stimulations.

Warm-up: (5 mins)

In pairs, ask students to imagine a short story which starts with Character A being robbed by Character B; and ends with B begging forgiveness a day later. They devise the two scenes. Ask one or two to share what they have.

Teacher discussion: (5 mins)

Lead a discussion about openings and closings, use your lesson planning to demonstrate the art. Mention circular stories, linear narratives and cross-cutting where the chronology is altered for dramatic purposes. Talk about time and place at the start/close and how long in between, how characters change through stress and what message, if any, they want to leave with an audience. Is the story serious, sad, tragic, comic, political?

Dramatic structures: There is useful information on the structure of devised drama on BBC Bitesize www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zg9x34j/revision/8

In groups of four or five, ask students to create a short opening and a short (to-the-point) ending to EITHER one of these story outlines OR one of their own.

The task:

• Nervous teenagers getting ready to commit a dare; one of group is really scared. At the end, he/she is encouraging others in an even bigger dare.
• Shopping in a supermarket, a family have an argument about fruit, staff try to get them out. At the end, staff are caught up taking sides in the argument.
• A kid is the victim of bullies at school led by one unpleasant person, teachers ignore it. At the end, twenty years later, the kid has become a teacher with the bully's child in his/her class.

Questions to decide about the opening:

We know the piece has started because something happens – a narrator or character speaks, acting, mime, freezeframe, lights on empty stage, music starts/ends. That is usually clear.

• What do we want to reveal in our opening to do with setting, time, place?
• What do we want our first seen characters to show the audience?
• What do we want our audience to feel in our opening – shock, curiosity?
• How do we achieve what we want to say – physicality? mime? lights?
• What is the very first thing to be heard/seen at the outset?
• Are we introducing tension/conflict, real interest?

How can we show the piece has ended? A narrator or character tells us? Slow fade to blackout? Curtain closes? Someone dies? It is the exact same scene we began with, so the story is a circle?

Questions to decide about the closing:

• What do we want to reveal in our ending to do with setting, time, place?
• What do we want our last seen characters to show the audience?
• What do we want our audience to feel in our ending – happy, thoughtful?
• How do we achieve what we want to say – physicality? mime? lights?
• What is the very last thing to be heard/seen at the end?
• Does it bring to an end the tension/conflict, real interest?

Checking: Opening should be some of – dynamic, interesting, amusing, intriguing, punchy, well-paced, challenging, empathetic, with credible characters on stage. Ending should be some of – clear, definite, satisfying, amusing, informative, inspiring, impressive, credible, believable, empathetic, challenging, hopeful.

Discussions, deciding and devising time: (35 mins)

As groups devise their two scenes, you circulate and ensure every student is contributing something positive. Make suggestions as appropriate. Stretch any obviously gifted students by asking them to direct, or perform a monologue.

Sharing time: (35 mins)

Depending on time, ask each group to share both scenes, or just their better one, with the rest of the class.

Wrapping up: (10 mins)

Quick assessment from one student in each group on their effective opening/closing, one constructive assessment from the audience, plus your own views on the scene(s).

Follow-up:

This focus on the bookends of devised drama is useful training in all contexts and is applicable to scripted work, too. Ask them to log or record the learning from this – they will be glad when (or if) they start exam work later on.