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Hello, everyone.
My name is Mrs. Riley and I'll be teaching you today.
In today's lesson, we're focusing on something called improvising.
It's going to involve a lot of acting and some thinking on the spot.
I hope you're excited.
Let's get started.
The outcome of today's lesson is to work in a team to improvise a scene and perform it.
These are all key words for today's lesson.
The first key word is my turn, your turn, improvise.
Improvise.
Well done.
To improvise is to make something up on the spot and in the moment.
The next key word is scene.
Scene.
A scene is a chunk or section of drama.
And finally, cast.
Cast.
A cast is team of actors.
So, these three words are going to be really important in our learning today.
We've got two learning cycles.
First, we're going to think about what actually improvising is, and then we'll move on to performing an improvised scene.
But let's start by thinking about what improvising is.
Actors can perform alone or in a group called a cast.
That was our key word, wasn't it? A cast.
It is important that a cast of actors feels confident before they act in a play together.
I'd like you to discuss, why do you think it's important for a cast to feel confident together? Pause the video and discuss this with your partner now.
Okay, let's come back together.
A cast can perform better when they feel confident for these reasons.
First, they feel less nervous about their performance.
They feel more ready to bring their characters to life.
And they feel confident that they'll remember their lines.
Finally, they feel ready to perform to an audience.
So, before anyone puts on a play, the cast will come together.
The group of actors will come together and have lots of rehearsals so that they feel really confident before performing their play.
True or false? A cast of actors should feel confident together before they perform.
Is this true or false? And then, I want you to also think about why.
Pause the video and answer this question now.
Okay.
Well done.
Let's come back together.
It is, of course, true.
Confidence is very important in performance.
If a cast doesn't feel confident together before they perform, it will show in their performance.
Imagine performing a play with other people for the first time in front of an audience.
It would be scary and nerve wracking.
So, imagine you are putting on a play.
Maybe it's a class assembly.
And you are given the script and you will have your lines.
And before even any practise or rehearsal, you just have to come on stage and perform it in front of lots of people.
That would be really nerve wracking, wouldn't it? To feel under prepared.
So there are some things that a cast can do to build confidence before a performance.
One of these is to build in lots of rehearsal time before they perform a play.
Another is to improvise together.
Discuss, have you ever heard the word improvise before? It was one of our key words.
Can you remember what it means or have you heard it before this lesson? Pause the video and discuss that now.
Okay.
Well done.
To improvise is to make something up on the spot and in the moment.
Okay, let's check your understanding.
What does improvise mean? A, to rehearse something for a long time.
B, to end something.
Or C, to make something up on the spot and in the moment.
Pause the video and choose your answer now.
Okay.
Well done.
To improvise is to make something up on the spot and in the moment.
C was the correct answer.
Now improvising is all about a cast thinking on their feet.
When improvising, a cast does not have any of these things.
A script to read from, character names, scene headings, stage directions, setting descriptions, and dialogue.
So, all these things that normally you would have, you would get given a script and the character's name so you know who speaks when, and it would give you some stage directions and setting descriptions so you'd know how to make the stage look, and you'd know that where everyone would need to stand, and you'd have all the dialogue, all the things the characters say to each other.
But when improvising, you have none of those things.
They have to make up a scene, which is a section or chunk of action on the spot and in the moment.
Wow! You might be thinking.
Improvising sounds like so much fun.
You are right.
I think it is too.
So which of these would a cast not have when improvising a scene? A, actors to improvise with.
B, a script.
C, a space to perform.
Or D, the dialogue, what the characters say to each other.
There might be more than one answer.
Which of these would a cast not have when improvising a scene? Pause the video now.
Okay.
Well done.
So they would have, sorry, they wouldn't have a script or the dialogue of what the characters say.
They would have actors to improvise with and they would have a space to perform, but they wouldn't have a script or a dialogue.
Well done if you spotted those correct answers.
We need to understand why a cast would want to improvise together.
Andeep is making a sensible point here.
He says, "We've learnt that there are lots of great plays for cast to perform, and these have scripts written by amazing playwrights.
So, why would you bother acting out scenes that a cast just makes up on the spot?" That is a really good point.
It is true that plays written by playwrights are what is most often performed in theatres.
But there are many reasons why a cast would want to improvise together.
So, here are the benefits of improvising.
Here are the reasons improvising can be really useful.
First, it means that actors must think creatively and use their own ideas.
So, rather being given a script and told what character you are and where you need to stand and how you need to dress, and what you need to say, they can be really creative and think of their own ideas, which is really fun.
They can build confidence to act in front of each other.
They have to listen carefully to each other because you're not just waiting for someone to speak and say, "Oh, I know it's my line now 'cause they've said their line.
' You're having to actually really listen to what the character, other person's saying, so you know how to respond appropriately.
The cast must work as a team.
Actors must make quick decisions.
And this is really important, carry on if something goes wrong.
So, even if something happens that's a bit unexpected, you just have to try and carry on anyway, which is quite tricky to do.
Actors practise thinking deeply about their characters.
So thinking, "Okay, this is my character.
How do I think my character would respond? Or how would my character stand? Or what would my character say at this point?" And finally, a cast feels less nervous to perform to an audience when they've practised improvising.
So, we can see there are loads of really useful benefits of improvising.
So, let's check your understanding.
Do you agree with Aisha or Lucas and why? Aisha says, "I think improvising would be tricky but rewarding.
I can definitely see how it would make a cast work well as a team." Now Lucas says, "I'm not so sure that improvising would improve anything for a cast.
I think making scenes up without a script would just be confusing." Who do you agree with and why? Pause the video now.
Okay.
Well done.
Well, hopefully you agreed with Aisha who's correct here.
Working as a team is just one benefit of improvising for a cast.
Let's look at an example of how a cast might improvise a scene.
A director, that's the person who is in charge, almost the person who's kind of telling everyone else what to do and they have the vision of what to play might look like, might say this to their cast, right? "You're all at a fairground and you are all on different rides.
Suddenly, an alien spaceship begins to land on the grass of the fairground.
I'd like you to act out what you'd do." So, I'd like you to discuss how is improvising a scene different to rehearsing for a play? Imagine that scenario.
The director's just given you that scenario and the actors would just have to straight away act how they think.
How is that different to rehearsing for a play? Pause the video and discuss that now.
Okay.
Well done.
I heard some really good discussions then.
So when improvising, the cast would not have any of the following things.
A script, the character names or dialogue, the scene headings or the stage directions.
So, let's look at the same example.
So again, you are at the fairground all on different rides.
Suddenly an alien spaceship comes and lands on the grass, and you need to act out what you do.
So, if this was a cast improvising, they would have a very short time, perhaps about 30 seconds to a minute to organise themselves in the performance space.
That's the first thing they do.
Get in position.
Where are they gonna stand? So for example, one actor might say, "I'll act out being on a Ferris wheel." Another one might get into position and say, "I'm gonna pretend to be on a bouncy castle." And then the third person will say, "I'm gonna pretend to be at a cafe getting a drink." So, they've all gotten their positions and decided where they're going to be in the performance space.
Next, the actors would have to decide how they're going to act.
So the spaceship's coming down, they've decided where they're going to be.
So the first actor might say, "I'll act terrified.
Frozen to the spot and lost for words." That's what they're thinking in their head.
That's how they're going to act.
The next one says, "I'll go with finding it cool and amazing.
I'll do lots of smiling, saying 'cool' and pointing at it." And finally the last actor might say, "Okay, I'll go for chaotic.
I'll run around screaming and searching for my friends." So all the actors, all the cast members have decided where they're going to stand, what they're gonna be doing, and then how they're going to react to the spaceship coming down.
Again, the cast would have a very short time to decide this before they started performing.
This means they have to tell each other quickly how they will be acting.
The cast wouldn't have much time to discuss anything else about the scene.
It would be time to improvise.
The structure of the scene, the actions and the order they happen in, and the dialogue, what the characters actually say, all have to happen live and in the moment.
So, you might be thinking, improvising sounds like so much fun and super quick, and you're right about both those things.
So, let's check your understanding.
Number the sentences from 1 to 3 to show the order in which a cast would improvise a scene.
So, here are your three options.
The actors start the improvised scene.
Each actor organises themselves on stage.
So, that would be the bit where they'd say, "I'll pretend to be on a Ferris wheel.
I'll pretend to be at the cafe." Each actor decides how they're going to act.
For example, "I'll act really excited." So, could you pause the video and decide which of these goes first, second, and third? Pause the video now.
Okay, let's come back together.
So, this is the correct order.
Number one is each actor organises themselves on stage.
Number two, each actor decides how they're going to act.
Number three, the actors start the improvised scene.
So for example, I'll pretend to be getting a drink at the cafe.
I'll pretend to be really chaotic and scared, running around, terrified.
And then they would stop.
Okay, so it's now time for me to do an activity and then you're going to copy it after me.
So, we're going to swap roles.
You're the teacher, I'm the pupil.
So, I'm going to think of a scene that would be fun for my cast to improvise.
I'm going to start off by thinking of a fun or interesting setting.
So, we already thought about a setting at a fairground.
Maybe I'm going to think of where could it be, where could it be? Ooh! I'm gonna do a children's birthday party.
So, that's where my setting is going to be.
And now I'm going to think of something unexpected that could happen.
So, bring in a birthday cake.
Actually no 'cause that's not unexpected.
You'd expect that at a party.
What would be unexpected at a children's birthday party? Ooh, I know! There's going to be a knock on the door.
And it's the Prime Minister.
He's turned up.
He or she's turned up.
And finally, I'll say this to all of you, "You are my imaginary cast." So, I will be the director and I'd say, "Okay, you're at a children's birthday party.
There's a knock at the door.
Someone goes to open it, and the Prime Minister is standing there." So, now it's your turn to do the same thing.
You need to think of a fun or interesting setting.
Could be a party, could be a zoo, it could be in space, it could be anywhere you like.
And then you need to think of something unexpected that could happen.
And then, you're going to say this to your partner.
Imagine that they're your imaginary cast.
Pause the video and enjoy this task now.
Okay, let's come back together.
Well done.
I loved hearing all those really imaginative settings and unexpected things that could happen.
So, it's time for your first proper task now.
And you're going to kind of do a bit of what we just did.
But this time you're going to think of three more ideas for scenes that a cast could improvise.
You're going to work in a group of three.
How many people in a group? That's right, it's three.
And you are going to take it in turns to go through these steps.
First, think of a fun or interesting setting.
Then, think of something unexpected that could happen.
And then, you can say this to the other two people in your group.
They are your imaginary cast.
So, you are going to, in a group of three, the first person will say a setting.
something unexpected that could happen and tell the other two.
And then, you swap and the second person will do the same thing, and then the third person will.
So, I hope you enjoy this task.
Pause the video now.
Okay, let's come back together.
Well done.
I loved hearing all of those different scenes for a cast to improvise.
So, did you think of three more ideas? Did you think of a fun or interesting setting? Did you think of something unexpected that could happen? Did you say this to your imaginary cast, the two other people in your group? Hopefully you did all those things.
So now as a group, you are going to choose one of the scenes.
So maybe when you heard all the ideas, there was one that stood out, one that you think would be really fun.
So, you're just gonna choose one of the three.
And you're going to organise yourselves in a space as if you're about to start the scene.
So, a bit like before we looked at the example of, "I'll go on the rollercoaster, I'll go on the Ferris wheel.
I'll pretend to get a drink." You need to do that, but with this scene that you've thought of yourselves.
So, where are you going to be and what you're gonna be doing? You are then gonna quickly tell each other how you react.
For example, "I'll be surprised, I'll be nervous, I'll be scared." And then you're gonna spend a few minutes improvising the scene in your group.
Perhaps your teacher could set a timer, or if you're at home, you could set a timer.
And finally, you are going to discuss as a group what you enjoyed about improvising and what you found difficult.
So, I hope you enjoy the second part of the task.
Pause the video now.
Okay, lovely.
Let's come back together.
Well done.
I loved seeing all of that improvising going on.
So, did you choose one of the scenes as a group? Hopefully you were able to choose one easily.
Did you organise yourselves in a space? Did you tell each other first how you're going to act? And did you discuss what was tricky about this, about the improvising? I really hope that you enjoyed that.
So, let's go onto our second learning cycle where we're going to be performing an improvised scene.
So, we're going to have a go at being a cast and improvising a scene.
Remember, a cast of actors does all these things.
They listen to each other.
They respect each other's ideas.
For example, if I say, I'm going to act really surprised, I don't want anyone else in my group to say to me, "Oh, that's a stupid idea." We need to respect each other's ideas.
We need to work together and carry on if something goes wrong.
So, even if someone says something unexpected or stumbles on their words a bit or falls over, the rest of the group have to just carry on and act like nothing's happened.
Or in fact, you don't even need to act like nothing's happened.
You could just improvise and address it and move on in the best way you can.
But you don't want to just freeze and panic.
The important thing with improvising is just carrying on as best as you can.
So, you could now make a class promise to do all these things when you work together today.
Listen to each other, respect each other, work together, carry on if something goes wrong.
Do you think you could all make that promise? Yeah, I thought so.
Okay.
Well done.
Which of these does a cast of actors do when improvising a scene? A, talk over each, interrupt each other.
B, listen to each other.
C, stop if something goes wrong.
D, respect each other's ideas.
Which of these does a cast of actors do when improvising a scene? Pause the video now.
Okay.
Well done.
Here are the answers.
So, we're not going to talk over each other or stop if something goes wrong, we're gonna carry on.
We are gonna listen to each other and we're going to respect each other's ideas.
In a group, you are going to perform an improvised scene in front of an audience.
There will be three choices of a scene.
Each group can choose which scene they would prefer to improvise.
So remember, there is no rehearsal time.
You'll just have a very short time as a cast to organise yourselves on the stage and decide how you're going to act.
But it will honestly only be about 30 seconds to a minute.
So true or false.
There will be lots of time to rehearse the improvised scene.
Is this true or false? And why? Pause the video now.
Okay, well done.
This is false.
In improvised work, actors work quickly.
They have a very short time to organise themselves on stage and tell each other how they will act.
It is really difficult to, it's really, sorry, different to rehearsing from a normal play.
It's very different.
So, it's nearly time for you to perform.
Remember that you'll be feeling different to other drama lessons.
You won't be feeling well prepared because you've not had any rehearsal time.
But this is great to practise.
The audience is still on your side.
They will respect you even more because they know you haven't had any time to rehearse.
Nerves are completely normal.
It's so normal.
In fact, it's probably more normal to feel nervous than not to.
And actually, feeling nervous can improve your important performance.
All that adrenaline, that nerves kick out can make you perform even better.
If the scene starts going wrong, just carry on.
There's no right and wrong.
Most importantly, have fun and work together whilst you perform.
So, it's time for your second task.
So, you're now going to prepare an improvised scene working together as a cast.
You're going to get into groups of six.
How many in a group? Six.
That's right.
You are going to read the three scenes, which are in the additional materials.
And as a cast, you are going to choose one which you would like to improvise.
So, once you've worked out as a group which scene you are going to improvise, you'll then have one minute to organise yourselves on stage and tell each other how you are going to act.
So, pause the video now and enjoy this task.
Okay, brilliant.
Let's come back together.
So, let's do a little bit of reflecting.
Did you prepare the improvised scene working together as a cast? Did you decide as a cast which scene you'd like to improvise? And hopefully you did that without any arguments.
Hopefully you were able to find a way to choose altogether.
Did you organise yourselves on stage? And did you have time to very quickly tell each other how you were going to act? So, now it's time to perform your improvised scene in front of an audience.
You'll perform your scene to the rest of the class and any adults.
You need to find a space in your classroom or school hall that can become your stage.
Actors remember to carry on even if the scene starts going wrong.
Audience remember to clap at the end of the performance.
So, pause the video now and enjoy performing to the rest of your class.
Okay, brilliant.
Let's come back together.
So, let's again spend a bit of time reflecting.
As I read these, just think to yourself, "Did we do these things?" So did you perform your improvised scene to an audience? Did you have a chance to actually perform? What went well with your performance and what do you think could have gone better? Did you enjoy performing an improvised scene to an audience? Did you carry on even if the scene started going wrong? An audience, if you were in the audience, did you remember to clap at the end? So, I'd like you to pause the video while you either discuss this with the person next to you or have a little bit of thinking time, and answer these questions in your head.
Pause the video now.
Okay.
Well done.
Let's come back together.
So, let's summarise what we've learned today.
We've learned that to improvise means to make something up live on the spot and in the moment.
A cast of actors often works together to improvise scenes.
There is no rehearsal time when improvising scenes.
Improvising involves being creative, being quick thinking, and working as a team.
Improvised scenes can be performed to an audience just like a play.
Thank you so much for working so hard today and joining in, especially if it's something that you don't feel particularly comfortable doing.
Well done for giving it a go.
You should feel really proud of yourselves.
And perhaps you might today in break time or after school, or with friends, you might practise some more improvising as a group.
See you for some more learning another time.
Bye.