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Making a mini plan

It can be useful to make a mini plan to help structure a response to the question, as it can keep the response focused. There is no correct way to do this and it will very much depend on the question being asked.

A typical question might be:

Describe how one or more actors in a particular scene or section used their vocal and physical acting skills to create convincing characters. Analyse and evaluate how successful they were in communicating their character to the audience.

You should make reference to:

• the use of voice
• physical skills
• the actors’ use of space

[32 marks]

AQA material is reproduced by permission of AQA - AQA 2018.

Structuring the response

As a 32-mark question, the response will need to be longer than previous questions, and it is a good idea to use paragraphs to help separate points.

There are many different ways to approach the response to this question. The response could be structured:

1. according to the separate skills, ie voice, physical skills and use of space
2. by referring to different moments in the play
3. by focusing on how different actors used their vocal and physical skills throughout the play

Here are some example structures for these approaches:

Introduction

Before getting into the main body of the essay, writing a mini introduction is a good way to help introduce the response. In the introduction, the name of the play should be included as well as a brief synopsis or overview to help place the response in context.

Summary

When summarising any points made in the response, it is a good opportunity to link the response back to the original question.

Answering the question

Don’t waste time writing a detailed description of the plot, as the question won’t ask about the story. The response should instead be focused on analysing and evaluating the production using accurate drama terminology.