CHARACTERISATION

Part played by an actor/ ROLE Part played by an actor/ attitude adopted i.e. The witch

The process of fully Developing a Character = characterisation

Knowing your character inside and out CHARACTERISATION Knowing your character inside and out will help you be a better actor!

told to you by the script or not YOU MUST Consider and Decide EVERY POSSIBLE DETAIL ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER. told to you by the script or not

BACKGROUND STATUS SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS LIFE LANGUAGE characterisation will help us investigate SOCIAL LIFE RELATIONSHIPS

The following are Characterisation Techniques

Character card Name Age nationality occupation personality appearance relationships hobbies/interests

Improvisation “I wonder what type of relationship the Evil Queen had with her parents? Let’s re-enact her 6th birthday to see what that was like.” Improvisation

ROLE PLAY a means of exploring attitudes and beliefs Like you did with the magic book

Questioning a character in role HOT SEATING

VOICES IN THE HEAD

I miss you so much since you left me. I can barely eat, I can’t work Dear Anna, I miss you so much since you left me. I can barely eat, I can’t work I can’t talk to anyone at all. Say you love me and come back to me. Please. I beg you. Yours always. Ricardo WRITING IN ROLE

THOUGHT TRACKING LETS FREEZE THE ACTION RIGHT HERE. MAXIMUS IS SAYING LET’S FIGHT But LET’S ASK HIM WHAT IS HE THINKING? THOUGHT TRACKING the character speaks their thoughts out loud

IN CHARACTER NOT IN CHARACTER THOUGHT TUNNEL

ROLE ON THE WALL Written inside the character outline is aspects of their personality Written outside the character outline is suggestions for their physical appearance, voice and movement

BACKGROUND STATUS SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS LIFE LANGUAGE characterisation will help us investigate SOCIAL LIFE RELATIONSHIPS

PRACTICE QUESTIONS Think back to a character that you successfully portrayed on your Drama Course. Describe that character. (3marks) List five characterisation techniques you used, or could have used, to develop this character. (5 marks) Choose one from the list above and say how this technique helped you, or might have helped you, to develop a greater understanding of this character (4 marks)

Candidates may include standard character card details such as name, age, occupation, personality, appearance, relationships, hobbies/interests etc. 3 marks for a description which summarises the character succinctly but fully. 2 marks for a description which gives basic information but is not fully informative. 1 mark for a brief, unhelpful, fairly superficial description. Techniques listed in the lexicon are: • character cards • improvisation • role-play • hot seating • voices in the head • writing in role • thought tracking • thought tunnel. 1 mark for each correct technique. Accept no others. Be alert to inclusions that are not on this list eg angel and devil, and to confusion with conventions. Do not give marks for any technique not on the list above. No mark for choice. If more than one is selected, mark the better response. 1 mark for each valid point made about how the chosen technique helped develop a better understanding of the character.