Subjects we offer
Communication Skills – solo drama examinations
Format: Students learn to understand the flow of a text; exams can combine poetry recitation with a discussion with the examiner prompted by a chosen stimulus (introductory exams) or the verses chosen (graded exams).
Outcomes: self-confidence, conversation skills, memorisation, rhythm and timing, diction, projection.
Acting – solo drama examinations
Format: Students learn how to perform a piece of piece of prose, interpreting context, subtext and characterisation. Performers build up a character from physical appearance and personality, through to hopes, dreams and aspirations.
Outcomes: self-confidence, memorisation, interpretation, creative thinking, staging, making choices, presentation skills, sensitivity to material.
Acting – duologue drama examinations
Format: This ‘duet-style’ exam allows two students to rehearse together on a piece of prose that relies on their ability to react to one another’s performance as a stimulus.
Outcomes: interaction, collaboration skills, teamwork, dedication, memorisation, presentation skills.
Musical Theatre
Original or published monologues from the Musical Theatre genre are used to demonstrate overall performance skills, usually in combination with a sung performance. Particularly, a sense of style and mood is created, and students learn to use their acting ability to convey meaning in a piece that
forms a part of a wider creative work. This subject can also be studied in a duologue format.
Outcomes: Collaborative performance skills, memorisation, emotional delivery, multi-disciplinary arts approach, musicality.
A few notes:
1) Drama exams can be taken in the same manner as instrumental exams – working through the grades from 1 to 8, and sitting them in front of an external examiner up to once every term. The drama lessons usually comprise small groups (between two to four students) or individual sessions of up to 30 minutes in length. The charges can be made to schools for these lessons and fees to parents organised by each individual school, or fees can be organised directly with parents, thus eliminating the school’s financial involvement.
2) Pupils are normally withdrawn from their timetabled school lessons to receive drama tuition and this is ideally provided on a rota system to minimise curriculum disruption. Pupils are encouraged to complete any school coursework missed due to drama lessons.
3) The main examination boards used by the Drama Support Service are LAMDA and Trinity Guildhall, although the choice of examination board is up to each Drama Support tutor. Naturally, some tutors are more familiar with certain subjects than others.
4) Currently examinations are only offered in the English language.
5) Please be aware that there is a fee applicable for exam entry, set by the exam board independently, which is additional to the fee due to the Drama Support
Service for drama tuition and must be paid by parents/guardians before the exam can be taken.
Format: Students learn to understand the flow of a text; exams can combine poetry recitation with a discussion with the examiner prompted by a chosen stimulus (introductory exams) or the verses chosen (graded exams).
Outcomes: self-confidence, conversation skills, memorisation, rhythm and timing, diction, projection.
Acting – solo drama examinations
Format: Students learn how to perform a piece of piece of prose, interpreting context, subtext and characterisation. Performers build up a character from physical appearance and personality, through to hopes, dreams and aspirations.
Outcomes: self-confidence, memorisation, interpretation, creative thinking, staging, making choices, presentation skills, sensitivity to material.
Acting – duologue drama examinations
Format: This ‘duet-style’ exam allows two students to rehearse together on a piece of prose that relies on their ability to react to one another’s performance as a stimulus.
Outcomes: interaction, collaboration skills, teamwork, dedication, memorisation, presentation skills.
Musical Theatre
Original or published monologues from the Musical Theatre genre are used to demonstrate overall performance skills, usually in combination with a sung performance. Particularly, a sense of style and mood is created, and students learn to use their acting ability to convey meaning in a piece that
forms a part of a wider creative work. This subject can also be studied in a duologue format.
Outcomes: Collaborative performance skills, memorisation, emotional delivery, multi-disciplinary arts approach, musicality.
A few notes:
1) Drama exams can be taken in the same manner as instrumental exams – working through the grades from 1 to 8, and sitting them in front of an external examiner up to once every term. The drama lessons usually comprise small groups (between two to four students) or individual sessions of up to 30 minutes in length. The charges can be made to schools for these lessons and fees to parents organised by each individual school, or fees can be organised directly with parents, thus eliminating the school’s financial involvement.
2) Pupils are normally withdrawn from their timetabled school lessons to receive drama tuition and this is ideally provided on a rota system to minimise curriculum disruption. Pupils are encouraged to complete any school coursework missed due to drama lessons.
3) The main examination boards used by the Drama Support Service are LAMDA and Trinity Guildhall, although the choice of examination board is up to each Drama Support tutor. Naturally, some tutors are more familiar with certain subjects than others.
4) Currently examinations are only offered in the English language.
5) Please be aware that there is a fee applicable for exam entry, set by the exam board independently, which is additional to the fee due to the Drama Support
Service for drama tuition and must be paid by parents/guardians before the exam can be taken.