Exploring Musical Theatre

Overview

This 40-minute interactive lesson introduces Year 1 to Year 5 students to the world of musical theatre. The lesson aligns with Key Stages 1 and 2 of the UK National Curriculum, specifically addressing the strand on "Performing and Composing Music" while incorporating cross-curricular elements of drama, literacy, and teamwork. By the end of the session, students will understand what musical theatre is, explore its purpose, and identify the musical theatre piece they will study for the month.

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Learning Objectives

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

• Define what musical theatre is and identify its key components (e.g., acting, singing, dancing).
• Recognise popular musical theatre productions and their cultural significance.
• Sing a simple excerpt from the chosen musical.
• Collaborate to brainstorm ideas for their future group presentation about this musical.

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Curriculum Links

• Key Stage 1: Use voices expressively and with increasing accuracy through singing songs and speaking chants.
• Key Stage 2: Perform in ensemble contexts, using their voices and musical instruments with control and expression.
• Drama Link: Explore characterisation and storytelling through vocal techniques.
• Literacy: Develop understanding of storytelling elements, character development, and sequencing.

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Resources

1. Presentation Slides: Overview of musical theatre with simple visuals (provided by teacher or instructor).
2. Printed Lyric Handouts: A short excerpt from the musical's most iconic or simple song (age-appropriate lyrics).
3. YouTube Links for Screening (Preloaded by Teacher):
   • Year 1 & 2: The Lion King (circle of life opening scene performance).
   • Year 3 & 4: Matilda The Musical (Revolting Children clip).
   • Year 5: Les Misérables (Do You Hear The People Sing clip).
4. Whiteboard/interactive screen to project videos and write down student ideas.
5. Props Box (Optional): A small collection of hats, scarves, or basic costume bits to inspire character creativity.

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter Discussion (5 Minutes)

• Begin by asking the class: "What makes a story exciting to watch or hear? What happens if you add songs and dancing?" Discuss how stories can come to life on stage through acting, music, and movement.
• Use a simple definition to introduce the term "musical theatre." For younger groups, say: “Musicals are like plays with music and songs that help tell the story.” For older groups, you can introduce terms like "narrative", "score", and "ensemble".

2. Watch and Respond (10 Minutes)

• Play age-specific clips from a musical (see resources for suggestions).
• After the video, discuss the following as a group:
  • What did you notice about the way the actors told the story?
  • Did the music make it feel happy, exciting, or sad? How?
  • What characters stood out?

3. Introduction to Group Musical (10 Minutes)

• Reveal the chosen musical that the class will study and project.
  For example:

  • KS1: The Lion King
  • KS2: Matilda (Years 3-4), Les Misérables (Year 5).

• Provide a brief synopsis of the musical plot while simplifying for younger students. Get them excited about the themes (e.g., friendship, bravery, rebellion).

• Hand out lyric sheets with a short excerpt from a song.

  • Younger Groups: Work on repeating lines with actions (e.g., clapping or stomping rhythms to The Lion Sleeps Tonight).
  • Older Groups: Begin learning the chorus, focusing on diction and expression.

4. Interactive Activity: Brainstorm Ideas (10 Minutes)

• Divide the students into small groups of 4-5.

• Task: "Imagine your group is creating a small presentation about this musical’s scene or song. What ideas could you use to perform it? Would you act, sing, or add props?"

• Give groups time to brainstorm, share ideas, and plan a short demo performance for another day. Emphasise teamwork, creativity, and fun experimentation, rather than perfection.

5. Plenary and Reflection (5 Minutes)

• Gather students back and ask for quick reflections:

  • What did they enjoy most today?
  • What are they curious to learn about musicals in the coming weeks?
  • What was new or surprising to them about today’s lesson?

• Encouragement: Highlight how today’s introduction is the first step to their big musical theatre project. Get them excited about performing or presenting scenes from your chosen musical in upcoming weeks.

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Teaching Tips

• Use enthusiasm and encourage active participation—musicals are about energy!
• Simplify concepts for younger students through games and gestures (e.g., exploring emotions through facial expressions).
• Allow older students more decision-making autonomy, such as directing mini group ideas.
• Adapt your voice for narrating parts of the synopsis to keep them engaged.

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Homework/Extension Activities

• Younger Students: Encourage them to listen to a song from the chosen musical at home and try drawing their favourite character or scene.
• Older Students: Assign them to research the background of the composer or writer of the musical (e.g., Tim Rice and Elton John for The Lion King, or Claude-Michel Schönberg for Les Misérables).

They can share their findings or pictures next week!