Exploring Spass in Drama

Curriculum Area

Subject: Drama
Level: Key Stage 4 (Year 10)
Exam Board Alignment: Aligned with GCSE Drama specifications (AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC) focusing on practitioner techniques – specifically Bertolt Brecht and ‘Spass’ as a comedic and alienating device.

Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

• Understand the Brechtian technique of ‘Spass’ and its purpose in Epic Theatre.
• Explore how ‘Spass’ can be used to engage and distance the audience simultaneously.
• Apply ‘Spass’ within a devised performance to highlight a social or political issue.

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Lesson Breakdown (50 Minutes)

Starter (10 minutes) – The Power of Playfulness

Activity: Play with Incongruity

• Begin by asking students to walk around the space adopting the physicality of a serious, authoritative figure (e.g., headteacher, politician, judge).
• Then, instruct them to move like that figure but with an absurd emotional contradiction (e.g., a strict politician who bursts into song when given bad news).
• Discuss:
  • How did it feel to mix seriousness and comedy?
  • How did this alter the audience’s perspective on the character?
  • Why might Brecht have used comedy to deliver thought-provoking messages?

Key Aim: Introduce the concept of ‘Spass’ as a technique that makes characters and messages more engaging while distancing the audience from emotional immersion.

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Main Activity (30 minutes) – 'Newsflash Nonsense'

Step 1: Brief Explanation (5 minutes)

• Explain that ‘Spass’ is all about using comedy, satire, and playfulness to highlight serious social issues.
• Show an example (if possible, perform a short exaggerated news report yourself, using over-the-top gestures, political jabs, and direct audience address).

Step 2: Group Task (20 minutes)

• Divide the class into four groups of five. Each group is given a social or political issue (e.g., climate change, influence of social media, inequality, cost of living).
• Their task: Create an exaggerated news broadcast using ‘Spass’.
  • Include satire – Overplay characters, use irony or silly exaggeration.
  • Break the fourth wall – Talk directly to the audience.
  • Use contrasting elements – E.g., a serious newscaster reporting grim events but constantly slipping on banana peels.
  • Incorporate song, slogans, or advertisements – Use repetition or rhyme to hammer home a message in an absurd way.

Step 3: Performances (10 minutes)

• Each group performs their ‘Spass’ newsflash.
• After each performance, ask the audience:
  • What messages were exaggerated or ridiculed?
  • How did humour help highlight the issue?
  • Was the audience ‘distanced’ from emotional immersion?

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Plenary (10 minutes) – Reflection & Application

• Pair Discussions (5 minutes) – Ask students to consider:

  • How does ‘Spass’ alter the audience’s emotional response to serious issues?
  • Where have they seen similar comedic techniques used in media (e.g., political satire, stand-up comedy, TV)?
  • How can they apply ‘Spass’ in their future devised drama work?

• Final Thought (5 minutes) – In a circle, each student contributes one word to describe ‘Spass’ and why they think Brecht used it.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Formative Assessment: Observing engagement during group work and questioning during discussions.
• Self-Assessment: Encouraging students to self-evaluate their effectiveness in balancing comedy with political or social critique.
• Peer Feedback: Structured after performances, focusing on the effectiveness of ‘Spass’ in communicating meaning.

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Differentiation & Challenge

• Supporting lower ability students: Provide visual prompts, sentence starters for exaggerated news reports, and model an example before starting task.
• Stretching higher ability students: Challenge them to use contrasting Brechtian techniques (such as Gestus or placards) in their performance.

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Resources Required

• Prompt cards with exaggerated phrases/scenarios.
• Small props (e.g., fake microphones, silly hats) to emphasise Spass elements.
• A stopwatch or timer to keep performances concise and focused.

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Teacher Reflection Post-Lesson

• Which students grasped ‘Spass’ clearly?
• Did students successfully balance comedy with social critique?
• How can this approach be incorporated into larger devised pieces?

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Extension Opportunity

• Homework Task: Students find and analyse an example of satire or political comedy from current media (e.g., political cartoons, stand-up routines, TV shows). They explain how it reflects Brechtian techniques.

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This dynamic, playful, and thought-provoking lesson ensures students deeply engage with ‘Spass’, bringing Brecht’s ideas to life in their own creative ways! 🚀