Character Exploration

Overview

This is Lesson 2 of 5 in the unit "Bringing DNA to Life". The lesson is designed for Year 11 Drama students (ages 15-16), focusing on deepening their understanding of characterisation through the play DNA by Dennis Kelly. Students will engage in creative, practical activities to embody a chosen character, using voice and physicality to bring that character’s inner world and development to life.

This lesson explicitly aligns with the UK National Curriculum for Drama (Key Stage 4) and the GCSE Drama specifications (e.g. Eduqas, AQA, OCR), emphasising key skills in character exploration, improvisation, and performance techniques.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

Analyse a key character from DNA in terms of background, motivations, and development.
Employ improvisation and role-play to inhabit their chosen character physically and vocally.
Demonstrate how physicality and voice communicate a character’s personality and emotions.
Reflect on their own process of character development and peer feedback.

Curriculum Links

National Curriculum for England: Key Stage 4 Drama
- Developing ideas through improvisation and role-play
- Applying knowledge and understanding of drama techniques to explore characters
- Performing using control of voice and movement to express character
GCSE Drama assessment objectives targeted:
- AO1: Apply knowledge and understanding of drama techniques to create and communicate ideas.
- AO2: Demonstrate performance skills in a range of drama styles.
- AO4: Analyse and evaluate their own and others’ work.

Resources Needed

Copies of DNA (extracts featuring key characters)
Character profiles handout (brief summary of each character’s background and traits)
Space for movement and improvisation
Whiteboard and markers
Notepads or reflection sheets for students
Optional: Costume pieces or props relevant to characters for role-play

Lesson Structure (60 minutes)

Starter (10 minutes) – Character Mapping

Engage:
- Recap briefly on the play DNA and its themes.
- Present the five main characters on the board (e.g., Phil, Leah, Mark, Jan, Brian).
- Invite students to choose one character they want to explore further (ensure all 5 students pick different characters to maximise focus).
Activity: Character Mind Map
- Students create a quick mind map for their character, noting personality traits, relationships, key actions from the play, and their motivations.
- Teacher circulates, prompting deeper thinking with questions:
  - What drives your character?
  - How do they feel about the events in the play?
  - What secrets or conflicts do they have?

Main Activity (35 minutes) – Embodying the Character

Improvisation Warm-up (5 minutes)
- Vocal exercises to explore pitch, tone, and pace to reflect emotional states.
- Physical warm-ups focusing on posture and gestures to express character traits.
- Example: Students practice walking as their character might; eg, hesitant or confident.
Role-play Exploration (30 minutes)

Divide into two 15-minute phases:

Phase 1: Internal Monologue (15 minutes)
- Students improvise a short internal monologue from their character’s perspective, responding to the scenario "How do you feel after the main event in DNA?" without using text from the play.
- Focus on using voice modulation and facial expression to convey emotion and motivation.
- Students may use first person, experimenting with language consistent with the character’s background (register, slang etc).
Phase 2: Interaction Tableau (15 minutes)
- Students improvise a frozen scene/tableau from a critical moment involving their character.
- Each student picks a moment where their character’s physicality and relationships can be explored.
- Group discusses the physical and vocal choices made, with teacher facilitating reflective questioning:
  - What emotions are being shown through body language?
  - How does voice pitch or rhythm change the audience’s perception?
  - Are there any contradictions between what the character says and how they physically behave?

Plenary (10 minutes) – Reflection and Peer Feedback

Group Discussion
- Students share insights gained about their character and challenges faced during improvisation.
- Each student gives positive, constructive feedback on another’s portrayal focusing on voice and physicality.
Self-Assessment
- Students complete a quick reflection sheet answering:
  - What did I do well in bringing my character to life?
  - What will I work on next time?
  - How did thinking about voice and movement deepen my understanding of the character?

Differentiation / Supporting All Learners

For lower ability: Provide sentence starters and role-play prompts; allow students to record their monologues for self-review.
For higher ability: Challenge students to create alternative character backstories or viewpoints using set text as inspiration.
Use peer pairing where necessary to scaffold improvisation.

Assessment Opportunities

Informal formative assessment through observation of role-play and participation.
Peer and self-reflection sheets to promote metacognition about character work.
Teacher notes on vocal and physical skills demonstrated to inform future teaching.

Extension Ideas

Assign students to write a dramatic monologue for homework from the point of view of their character reacting to an unseen moment in the play.
Plan a creative writing exercise to take the character’s story beyond the text.

Teacher’s Notes

Emphasise the importance of understanding a character’s psychological depth and how physicality and voice extend beyond text.
Encourage risk-taking in improvisation—mistakes are creative opportunities.
Use questioning that gets students to think about subtext and not just surface emotions.
Keep the room physically safe and supportive; some characters have complex or dark backstories.

By combining analytical insight with practical embodiment, this lesson enriches students' appreciation of Dennis Kelly’s DNA, preparing them for deeper study and eventual performance assessment.

Teaching Instructions