Drama
Aims of the Department
The Drama department aims to achieve the very highest standards in theatre making and puts particular emphasis on ‘truthfulness and integrity’ throughout our programmes of study.
Academic Drama at FBS is focused on developing the student as a whole person, whilst nurturing the key skills that will not only equip them for a job in the arts industry, but for a job in any industry. Through our co-curricular programme and links to high profile London theatres, we are able to go into more depth and show students what is involved in a career in the arts.


Our approach to lessons
The Drama department design outstanding lessons that are geared towards boys and ensure that every boy is able to make progress. We cover a broad range of topics which develop the boys as performers, script writers and directors. We model the process of devising theatre as well as working with a script. Our links to renowned London theatres enable us to inspire students with visits from professionals from the theatre industry.
Department staff
- Holly Mazur - Teacher in charge od Drama: h.mazur@fulhamboysschool.org.uk
- Rosie Thomas - Drama Teacher
Year 7 curriculum
Unit 1: Introduction to Drama
- The core ingredients for communicating meaning
- Collaborative skills
- Stage essentials
Unit 2: Darkwood Manor
- Building tension
- Creating character
- Collaborative skills
Unit 3: Private Peaceful
- Portraying genuine emotion
- Working with a script
- Devising a scene
Unit 4: Mime
- Non-verbal communication
- Physicality
Unit 5: History of theatre
- Genre
- Devising
How the boys will be assessed in Year 7:
- Practical performance
- Self and peer evaluation (written)
Year 8 curriculum
Unit 1: Twisted Tales
- Satire
- Devising from a stimulus
- Stage space and proxemics
Unit 2: Mario, King of the Mafia
- Status
- Traverse staging
- Tension
Unit 3: Animal Farm
- Transformation scale
- Physical theatre
Unit 4: Genres
- Genres of theatre
- Devising
How the boys will be assessed in Year 8:
- Practical performance
- Self and peer evaluation (written)
Year 9 curriculum
Unit 1: Bouncers
- Working from a script
- Stylised acting
Unit 2: Brechtian Theatre
- Devising
- Brechtian technique
Unit 3: English Spoken Language - Preparation for English GCSE
- Public speaking
- Techniques for presentation
How the boys will be assessed in Year 9:
- Practical performance
- Self and peer evaluation (written)
GCSE
- Exam Board: Edexcel
- Written Components: 70%
- Practical Components: 30%
Year 10 curriculum
Introduction to GCSE
- Performance from a text
- Key devising skills
Component 1
- Devising
- Coursework
Introduction to Component 3
-
Study of a text
How the boys will be assessed in Year 10:
- Component 1: Devised performance (10%)
- Component 1: Coursework (30%)
Year 11 curriculum
Component 2
-
Performance from a script
Continuation of Component 3
-
Study of a text
How the boys will be assessed in Year 11:
- Component 2: Performance from a text (20%)
- Component 3: Written examination (40%)
Year 12 curriculum
Introduction to A Level
- Performance from a text
- Key devising skills
- Study of a practitioner
Component 1
- Devising
- Coursework
Component 2
- Performance
Component 3
- Study of a text
How the boys will be assessed in Year 12:
-
Mock exam for each component
KS5 courses on offer:
A Level The Drama A Level course for Edexcel splits the topics into 2 years worth of work. The course investigates the role of the actor, director and designer in significantly more depth than at GCSE. The class sizes will be small to allow your son to get the best teaching environment for him and his peers to succeed.
This course is suitable for all who have studied Drama GCSE and take an interest in performing and interpreting text. The course looks at social and political issues, immersive and interactive theatre methods, performing scripts and devising from a stimulus.
Texts studied at A level include; 1984, Woyzeck and Machinal. |
A - Level Drama
Year 12 and Year 13 curriculum
- From Page to Stage - Performer and Designer Interpretations
- Expressionist theatre - its origins and style
- Feminism in 1920s America
- ‘Machinal’ by Sophie Treadwell - how to stage as a performer and designer.
- Devising from a stimulus
- Study of Punchdrunk Theatre Company - attend an immersive theatre performance
- Exploration of 1984 - looking at how to portray the themes of the book on stage.
- Devise an immersive performance for an audience in response to 1984 in a Punchdrunk style.
- Interpretation and Modernisation of a text
- Study Woyzeck
- Explore Brechtian techniques
- Investigate how to interpret Woyzeck for a modern audience.
- Evaluation of a live performance
Texts
Woyzeck by George Buchanan
Machinal by Sophie Treadwell
1984 by George Orwell
- How the boys will be assessed in Year 12
Boys will sit 2 internal Mock A Level examinations - the first one in January and the second one in June at the end of Year 12 to assess their progress. They will also perform their devised piece at the end of Year 12 to a public audience.
A level Drama |
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What’s assessed? |
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Component 1: Devising from a stimulus Coursework - 20% Devised piece - 10% |
Characterisation |
Component 2: Page to Stage Performance - 20% |
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Component 3: Written exam Live Review - 10% Interpretation of text - 20% Modernisation of text - 20% |
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What do students say about studying Drama at FBS?
Drama GCSE – Raffety Lawless
Currently in Y10 drama, we are rehearsing our devised performances for Component 1 of the Drama GCSE. We were given the stimulus ‘Man Up’, which prompted our group to create a piece about men’s mental health, and how it is often not talked about, possibly to the point of suicide. Miss Mazur is unable to direct us for our performance but has shown us many new techniques and drama exercises that we have intertwined in our performance. Lastly, by practising what we have currently made in front of the class, our peers have been able to show us how to improve so that we can make our performance as strong as possible.
Year 7 Arts Award! Jeremiah Totele Year 7
On the Friday the 9th of March ‘Pappy Show Theatre Company’ and ‘The Lyric Hammersmith’ came to FBS to work with Year 7. We were learning about how to move and act as if we were an inanimate object ( for example a TV, a cup or a bag) in preparation for our Arts Award Year 7 production in partnership with The Lyric Hammersmith. We got into groups and practised our performances before showing them to the class. My group created a performance based around normal day to day life. This included gaming, sleeping, eating and drinking.
We give students opportunities to be enterprising through taking risks, becoming daring, developing resilience, being team players, and building tenacity.