1. Preparation for Performance
National Drama
Preparation for Performance

2. What is the PfP?
An essay explaining your performance/design concept, as well as the process you went though to create it.
Worth 10 Marks of the Exam
Marked Holistically
Writing Structure is vital

3. The Four Key Points
When assessing the PfP, the examiner looks at how well you have covered the following four areas:
Your research findings on your chosen text
A description of your acting or production role
Your thoughts and ideas for the proposed performance
How you developed these for performance

4. Introduction Paragraph
Writing Structure
Introduction Paragraph
Give specifics of play title, playwright’s name and character name
Specify the setting (time period, location)
Give an overview of the play/extract, main themes, and how your character features. IN BRIEF.

5. Writing Structure Paragraph 1
This paragraph is where you outline what research you did as part of your process
Be specific – cover your research of the play, themes/issues, time period & characters if necessary
LINK IT TO YOUR CHARACTER i.e. Make it clear how doing each bit of research helped you to learn more about your character.

6. Writing Structure Paragraph 2
In this paragraph, you give us a description of your character or production role
Tell us about your character, particularly in the extract you are performing. Consider personality traits, physicality and key relationships they have with other characters

7. Writing Structure Paragraph 3
This is the paragraph where you take us through the character development exercises you did to help bring your character to life on stage. LINK each task to what you learned about your character and how this influenced your performance concept.

8. Writing Structure Paragraph 4
This is the paragraph where you give us an overview of your performance concept as a whole.
Give us specifics on how you will use voice and movement to portray your character on the stage. Link it to what happens in the extract. And make sure it is feasible – remember, you must do as you say on the tin on the exam day!

9. Writing Structure Final Paragraph
This is a short paragraph where you outline the desired impact of your performance on the audience i.e. What should they think or feel as a result of your performance

10. Final Tips Your essay should be approximately 400 words
The smallest font size allowed is 11pt.
Your should check your essay for spelling & grammar
Remember, the more detail you can give, the better your practical mark can be!
Also – make sure your performance concept matches exactly what you will do on the stage. If you don’t deliver what you say in your concept – you will lose marks in the practical assessment.

11. EXAMPLE INTRO
The play I am performing in is “the Way of All Fish” by Elaine May and Alan Arkin.
It is set in modern day Manhattan.
The play focuses on social status and how higher class people view the lower class.
It is about a rich business woman who gets to know her secretary which ultimately shifts the power balance between them.

12. EXAMPLE PARA 1 - RESEARCH
I researched ways to portray my character correctly. When I read the play at first I immediately pictured my character of Miss Asquith like Meryl Streep’s character in the film “The Devil Wears Prada”. They are similar because they are both intimidating and powerful without having to raise their voice or shout. To aid my performance I watched numerous interviews of Meryl Streep and found that the best way to portray power in intimidating ways is by using very strong facial expressions and adopting a bold stance.
A main theme in our play is the change in status. My character speaks about a fish that changes sex from female to male, which I researched and found to be the Blackspot Angelfish. These fish live in groups of five: four females and one male. Only the male is the strongest and largest of the group and when he dies, the largest female changes her appearance and becomes male. This is relevant to our performance because when Miss Riverton takes back the power and becomes “the male”, I could counteract that by becoming visibly weaker as if I am the dying alpha male.

13. EXAMPLE PARA 2 – MY CHARACTER
My character is Margaret Asquith, a 45 year old rich business woman who thinks very highly of herself and believes she is better than most people as she is upper class and has a high social status.
Her most important and only relationship is with her secretary Miss Riverton. Miss Asquith is divorced and her son is at University so she would probably be very lonely without Miss Riverton. Their relationship is convenient yet still important to Miss Asquith.
Her personality is dominant and snobby.

14. EXAMPLE PARA 3 – DEVELOPMENT
We used hot seating to help develop our characters. My acting partner Libby asked me questions and I answered in role of Miss Asquith. I found that when she was younger she had a lot of siblings so her mum found it difficult to keep control and was very soft on them which ultimately lead to her breakdown. Miss Asquith decided to never show weakness like her mother did and always appear strong and in control despite the situation. This idea is used in performance when Miss Riverton asks if she’s made me nervous and I try my best to act cool and collected and keep control of the situation despite being terrified of her and what she’s going to do. Ultimately, this attitude allows me to regain control and take back the power at the end of the extract.
We also used a thought tunnel to get a sense of other people’s opinions of my character, for example her clients and different people she works with who all said they loathe her and only network with her to move up in the industry. This created loneliness as I realized Miss Riverton was the only person who really knew me and this strengthened our relationship which I can highlight at points in performance.

15. EXAMPLE PARA 4 – ACTING
At the start of the play I will use a strong and forward body language by sitting upright and slightly forward and speak with a loud, stern voice to seem intimidating while talking to Miss Riverton. I will also have my arms crossed at points to show I’m very stubborn when things don’t go my way.
I will use animated hand gestures to show I’m frustrated and infuriated by my secretary’s incompetency and mistakes.
Later on in the play when Miss Riverton begins talking about murder I will use awkward body language and stage proxemics to create distance between our characters, representing tension and a change in our relationship and also showing I am uncomfortable and nervous of her. I will also use levels to show power, for example when Miss Riverton begins talking about murder she stands up and walks around while I sit down, showing I am becoming less powerful. After she mentions “someone rich and important” I will use a scared facial expression and start shaking and talking at a fast pace while stuttering to show I am frightened and intimidated by Miss Riverton.
Overall the main focus of my portrayal of Miss Asquith is to make a clear contrast in the shift of power from start to finish.

16. EXAMPLE FINAL PARA – CONCLUSION
Through research, rehearsal activities and development of my acting I have come to portray Miss Asquith as a controlling, powerful, stubborn and manipulative woman who is eventually overpowered by her secretary.