Lesson Plans

Behind the Face

KS 3 KS 4
The human face is a kind of mask which we often use to hide our true feelings. This might be out of self-preservation, fear, hatred, misguided love or eccentricity. The face as a mask offers some interesting opportunities to create drama in this 90 minute workshop.
TARTILA/ADOBESTOCK

If there are any masks in school, then they may be useful, otherwise if there is time, cardboard masks could be made by students. Information about comedy/tragedy theatre masks can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/DTSu2OOW

BBC Bitesize Drama Medium, Masks. Students can use their own faces as the masks. www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zyr7fg8/revision/3

Discuss how we often don't say what we really think but our faces show more honesty. Or we often put on a special, appropriate face for an occasion, like congratulating a winner, or pretending sympathy but being secretly delighted. Can students give examples of any of these? The tears of the clown sums it up – outwardly grinning, inwardly crying – or the broken woman ‘putting on a brave face’ for the sake of her family.

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