Drama Game: Best Bits

Age: 7-16

Players: Small groups

Time: 5 minutes per group

Skills: improvisation, performance

Quick ways to share group work

When groups develop scenes or improvisations, they inevitably want to share them with the rest of the class. With several groups this can take a while, especially when the mind begins to wander. So, when students have finished devising, ask them to choose the ‘best bit’ of their improvisation and to prepare a still image/freeze frame of that moment. Then when it's their turn, ask each group to make the image and use ‘Action Clip’ (see below) to bring it to life. That way, everybody gets to show their favourite moments in a much shorter space of time without (literally) losing the plot.

Normally when groups play back a scene, they are partly devising it all over again. Additionally, it can be difficult for students to know when or how to finish. And, by the time the last group is up, they really have forgotten what they planned. So, try Best Bits - everyone is a winner!

How to use ‘Action Clip’

Explain that you would like the group to bring the scene alive for a few moments with speech and movement. Initiate this by saying ‘action!’ or clapping your hands. Let the improvisation run for a short time (before the performers run out of steam) and end it with a signal such as ‘cut!’, ‘freeze!’ or by clapping your hands a second time. The improvisation should last for just a few seconds or no longer than half a minute.

The teacher can easily control how much is shown, especially if the students start to repeat themselves or run out of things to say. After a few sessions of working in this way, students will become more and more confident about devising and presenting short scenes.

Variations

• Call out different genres or styles as the groups perform (slow-motion, mime/comedy/tragedy/cartoon/soap/sci-fi)
• Freeze the action at random moments and thought-track characters.