While this post is directly relevant to local readers of The Drama Teacher, in particular students and teachers of VCE Drama, it should also prove worthwhile for a wider audience no matter where you teach or study drama.
As part of the VCE Drama course in the final two years of schooling, students are taught non-naturalistic (non-realistic) theatre styles and associated acting techniques (conventions). Whilst many conventions belong to certain performance styles, such as the use of narration/direct address in Brecht’s epic theatre, for the purposes of this study the four main conventions a student can use in a performance to enable it to be non-naturalistic are:
- transformation of character
- transformation of time
- transformation of place
- transformation of object
In recent years, the VCE Drama written examination has used the term “transformation techniques”, which refers to a suite of techniques used by the performer at the moment of (and to enable the) actual “transformation” (of character, time, place and/or object) in the performance. What exactly is a “transformation technique” can be tricky, especially if it requires trawling through curriculum documents and past assessor reports. So, here is a list of potential transformation techniques for teachers and students, which may assist in preparation for the upcoming VCE Drama written examination:
- morphing
- melding (i.e. blending)
- giving and taking, or giving and receiving
- snap transitions
- use of a word
- use of a sound
- use of a gesture
- repetition (of dialogue)
- manipulation of stagecraft (eg. object transformation)
Discussing these techniques with my own Year 12 Drama students yesterday in class, I asked them to offer examples of these transformation techniques from their actual solo performance examinations last week. We had:










Last update on 2026-04-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- morphing of movement as the performer transitions from Character A to Character B
- melding (blending) of a gesture (with arm or hand) at the moment of transition from Character A to Character B
- Character A giving an object to an imagined character in a scene which was then received as a different object by Character B in a different context
- fast-paced transitions of character, time and place that snapped from A to B in an instant, and sometimes back again
- a single word used cleverly e.g. “These are the people who are rich/ard where are you going?”, where the / is the transition point between Character A and Character B
- a sound, word or phrase used with repetition by Character A in such a way that the latter or final use/s of the sound, word or phrase has transitioned into the same sound, word or phrase being relevant for Character B
- a gesture used so that it becomes the final moment of Character A, at this time transitioning into the initial moment for Character B
- an object (prop, costume item) is transformed by the performer in order to denote a transition from Character A to Character B
As always, use this information at your own discretion and check the disclaimer if you need to.
Discover more from The Drama Teacher
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Fabulous article! Thanks!
Thanks for this! Excellent ideas!