Theatre Makers Roles

Unit: Bringing DNA to Life

Lesson 3 of 5

Duration: 60 minutes
Class size: 5 students
Age group: Year 11 (15-16 years old)
Curriculum links:

National Curriculum for Drama (England)
GCSE Drama specifications (Edexcel, AQA, OCR)
Drama and Theatre Arts KS4: Exploring roles and collaboration in theatre production

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

Understand and articulate the primary roles of theatre makers, including directors, actors, and designers (set, costume, lighting, sound).
Analyse how these roles contribute collaboratively to bringing a theatrical text to life.
Begin developing creative ideas for their individual character interpretations within the play DNA by Dennis Kelly.
Enhance communication and collaborative skills through group discussion and brainstorming activities.

Prior Knowledge Required

Basic understanding of DNA by Dennis Kelly (Plot and characters).
Experience of drama vocabulary: character, role, interpretation, design elements.
Prior lessons on script and initial character exploration.

Resources Needed

Copies of DNA script excerpts (key scenes involving students' chosen characters)
Role cards (Director, Actor, Set Designer, Costume Designer, Lighting Designer, Sound Designer)
Flipchart or whiteboard with markers
Post-it notes and coloured pens
Space arranged for group work and informal discussion
Timer or stopwatch

Lesson Outline

1. Starter Activity (10 minutes)

Objective: Activate prior knowledge and introduce theatre maker roles.

Quickfire Quiz: On the whiteboard, write six words arbitrarily spaced – Actor, Director, Set Designer, Costume Designer, Lighting Designer, Sound Designer.
Ask students to shout out what they think each role does briefly. Capture keywords around each word on the board.
Share a brief but vivid description of each role (emphasising their responsibilities and influence on the production). Example: “The director is the visionary who guides actors and designers to create the production’s overall tone and style.”
Ask students: “Which role do you think has the most influence on how the audience experiences the play and why?” Quickly discuss to spark curiosity.

2. Main Activity Part 1 – Group Exploration (20 minutes)

Objective: Deep dive into roles and collaborative contributions.

Split the class into two groups (2 and 3 students) to accommodate teaching dynamics.
Task for each group: Each group looks at different character roles from DNA the students have chosen previously (e.g., Mark, John Tate, Leah, Cathy).
Assign each group all theatre roles (Director, Actor, Designers). Each student picks one role card to represent during discussion.
Group Discussion Prompt: How does your theatre maker role help bring your chosen character or scene to life?
Use post-it notes to jot down ideas associated with questions like:
- How might a director’s concept influence your character’s portrayal?
- What costume choices reflect your character’s personality or motivation?
- How can lighting create atmosphere for your scenes?
Groups prepare a 3-minute summary to share their insights about how the different theatre makers create a cohesive production.

3. Main Activity Part 2 – Creative Brainstorm (20 minutes)

Objective: Begin personal interpretation development for character portrayal.

Each student takes 5 minutes individually to write/refine initial ideas on:
- How they see their character’s personality, status, and relationships.
- What directing choices they imagine (tone, pace, mood) if they were a director.
- Which design elements (costume, set, lighting, sound) they feel best express their character’s story and emotional journey.
After individual reflection, students pair up for 5 minutes to share and give feedback on each other’s ideas, encouraging constructive and theatrical vocabulary usage.
Teacher circulates to pose probing questions:
- “How could sound be used to highlight your character’s emotional state?”
- “What would your character’s costume say to the audience?”
Encourage students to connect their ideas back to the collaborative nature of theatre production and the importance of shared artistic vision.

4. Plenary & Assessment (10 minutes)

Objective: Recap learning and assess understanding and engagement.

Invite each student to complete the sentence:
“One way my theatre maker role helps bring DNA to life is…”
Each then shares their sentence aloud in round robin style – peer listening and acknowledgement encouraged.
Teacher provides immediate positive feedback and a 1-minute recap of how theatre collaboration is essential to creating a rich and meaningful performance.
Set simple preparatory homework: Bring one physical object or image next lesson that represents your character’s inner world, to help inform design choices.

Differentiation & Inclusion

For students who prefer verbal tasks, allow oral responses during brainstorming.
Provide role cards with prompts and examples for lower literacy students.
Ensure physical space is accessible for movement activities when exploring roles.
Encourage all students to contribute equally in smaller groups, using clear turn-taking strategies.

Reflection & Teacher Notes

Monitor engagement during group discussions to ensure all voices are heard in small class sizes.
Use questioning to push deeper thinking about collaborative creativity, especially how individual roles influence one another.
Record any creative interpretations to build on in subsequent lessons (lesson 4: rehearsing scenes).
Note any student who shows particular interest or skill in theatre design or directing roles for potential extension tasks.

Links to UK Drama Curriculum Frameworks

National Curriculum: Develop confidence, creativity, and understanding of theatre as collaborative art (Drama programmes of study: Key Stage 4).
GCSE Drama (AQA / Edexcel): Exploring the role and impact of theatre makers; applying practical Drama skills to realise a “text in performance.”
Assessment Objectives: AO1 (Practical exploration of text and roles), AO2 (Demonstrating knowledge of theatre roles), AO3 (Refining interpretations through collaboration).

This highly interactive and multi-perspective lesson sets a foundation for students to understand theatre as a collaborative practice and empowers them to creatively engage with DNA through their chosen roles. The deliberate small class format fosters deep discussion, peer feedback, and personalised learning, ideally suited to developing confident young theatre-makers.

Teaching Instructions