Anne Pender, University of New England Let’s face it, Thursday evenings on ABC television are not quite the same any more. The mesmerising, idiosyncratic sketches of Clarke and Dawe are now consigned to Australian television history. Still, Sammy J has taken the spot, and the good news is that the spirit of Clarke lives…
Julian Meyrick, Flinders University In our Great Australian Plays series, we nominate the best of Australian drama. If Australian drama came of age in the 1940s and 1950s, in the 1970s it reached full maturity. More work by more playwrights by more companies for larger audiences: this is the basic narrative of the period. The…
1. Artificial Dialogue Unfortunately, too often in contemporary theatre we hear character dialogue that is artificial, particularly if it is intended to be naturalistic. Dialogue that is naturalistic should follow the nuances of everyday speech, containing words and phrases spoken by real people in genuine conversations. Authentic speech patterns, appropriate vocabulary, and use of the…
If you’re exploring the fantasy genre in the drama classroom, here’s a suite of images that can be used as stimulus for brainstorming characters, group improvisations, solo performances where a character inhabits the world of the picture, etc. Enjoy! Consider using these images in connection with other stimulus image collections on The Drama Teacher: Stimulus…
Immersive theatre is a form of contemporary performance that usually includes elements of one or more of site-specific theatre, improvisational theatre, interactive/participatory theatre, environmental theatre, performance art and promenade theatre. Immersion of the spectator in the drama is a key factor. Immersive theatre is often staged indoors but can also be performed at outdoor settings….
It is argued up until the turn of the 20th century, standard theatre practice dictated each type of play was given roughly the same theatre treatment1. At odds with this was now a new concept of handling each type of dramatic work in a unique way, according to the style of the script. Non-realistic theatre…