Drama

My name is Heather Scott and I am the PT of Drama here at Lossiemouth High School. We have another member of staff in the department, Amanda Craib, who works three days per week.

Courses
S1/2 All S1 and S2 classes - 1 period (55 mins) per week
S2/4 Three periods per week - Standard Grade Drama
S5/6 Five periods per week - Intermediate 1 & 2 and Higher Drama

S1/2 follow a course which introduces pupils to:

S1

• Improvisation
• Script (pantomime)
• Movement, mask and mime

S2

• Improvisation (issues based work)
• Script (radio drama, directing)
• Movement and mask

S3/4 Work in units, focussing on a drama form in each unit, often studying an area of theatre arts also.

S5/6 Intermediate 1/2 - This course has three units

• Drama Skills Students devise a short script based on a given theme or topic. Each student directs others in the class in this piece. All scripts are linked together to make one production. This is performed to an audience
• Theatre Production Skills This unit focuses on the student learning about one aspect of theatre arts eg costume. Two scripted scenes are performed with the students taking a different role in each. A folio of work is created to back up practical work.
• Production This unit is very like theatre production skills, but uses much longer scripts.

Higher - Again three units

• Unit 1 Investigative Drama is very like Int 1/2's drama skills but of a more complex nature
• Unit 2 focuses on a contemporary Scottish theatre and draws comparisons from a social, political, historical or gender point of view for example. Assessment is through acting for an external examiner and essay writing
• Unit 3 focuses on a set text. We use "Lovers" by Brian Friel. Students analyse the test under a number of different headings. They write a dramatic commentary on an extract from the play and also act a role for an external examiner

With all Certificate work, we try hard to give pupils the experience of working with professionals from the theatre world at some time during the course. In the past year we have supported a project with the National Theatre of Scotland, which involved S3 pupils devising their own written and performance pieces, based on the text of Macbeth. A DVD performance was created. We have also had a cross-curricular project with the PE department, which involved all S4 and S4 pupils taking part in dance workshops over the course of the week. This culminated in a sharing of the skills learnt by all.

We involve ourselves in quite a bit of extra-curricular work also. Project Macbeth saw a group of pupils of all ages work alongside professional actors in an innovative performance of Macbeth. This took place in the ruins of Elgin Cathedral in June 2007. Lossie Rocks was our most recent extra-curricular project was a joint project with the feeder primary schools. Pupils from all schools worked individually to devise their own dance drama, based around a common theme; decisions. We all came together at Lossiemouth High School for a public performance and sharing of our pieces, a celebration of the talent and ability of our pupils. In the coming months we have plans to develop another movement based project with pupils, learning skills in parkour.