The following pages offer a number of drama based activities to enable further exploration of some of the themes and issues appearing in On the Edge.  They do not require specialist skills but descriptions of the basic techniques are included for those who have not used them before.  If class control is an anxiety for teachers inexperienced in drama, plan your lesson well in advance and ideally run the session with the support of another colleague or a classroom assistant.

Drama is a good distancing technique for young people as it allows them to explore situations that they may encounter in real life but from within the safety of a fictional context.

a)  Hot seating
Someone takes on a particular role or character and is interviewed by the rest of the group.  This activity allows a character’s motivations and emotions to be examined in more depth. An example might be if Scarlett were to be found.

Suggestions
Ask the students to take on the role of newspaper reporters.  Tell them they are going to interview key characters from On the Edge in order to gather information for an exclusive story they are going to write for their newspaper.  Prior to questioning the characters get the class to decide on a focus for their story and to create a headline, for example:  “Close Call”

b)  Still image
This is the creation of a still or frozen image using a group of people who ‘freeze’ in a pose to capture a particular moment, idea or theme, as in a photograph or painting.  This technique has distinct advantages when a teacher is exploring ideas or themes which pupils find complex or vague.

To create a single concrete image requires thought on the part of the students so that their image is precise and not misinterpreted.  Particular attention should be given to body posture and facial expressions.  How do others interpret the still image?  Who do they think is depicted and what is happening?  Allow time for adjustments for clarity and dramatic effect.

Suggestions
Ask the students to create a still image marking a moment from the story that they felt was of significance to them.  Ask the rest of the class to try to identify the moment being depicted.  Deepen the image by asking why the moment was important and what the character might have been thinking or feeling in that moment.  Get the students to articulate these thoughts/feelings as if they were the characters. You can also create pictures for moments we have not seen in the drama:

What was it like when Scarlett was walking around with the bag? Who else might be in this picture? Perhaps show the moment when the Realm officer tells the Circle he is going to become an Officer of The Realm. Show the moment when Fawkes overhears the rude passer by.

c)  Forum theatre
In groups students can improvise scenes that deal with difficult situations.  Ask them to end the scenes at a moment of crisis or where a choice or problem manifests, and show them to the whole class.

Replay the scenes inviting the observing students to stop the scenes at a point where they would have behaved differently in order to bring about a positive outcome.  Ask them to suggest what the actors should say or do differently, or step into the scene and show everyone what they would do.  The teacher should remain as a neutral facilitator throughout, encouraging the pupils to consider the consequences of their actions.

Through forum theatre the students should be encouraged to explore a number of different responses to the problems encountered within the scenes, which will in turn affect the outcome of this part of the story.

Suggestions
Get the young people to improvise scenes showing the following:

When The Circle is trying to hold their meeting but the Officers of The Realm are holding them back.

When some citizen’s of The Realm are trying to pass down a street where a Circle meeting is happening.

When Scarlett goes home at the end of the day having met Fawkes.

d)  Role play
Individuals take on a character role and rehearse a scene that deals with a particular situation.  This technique allows young people to explore situations from a different perspective and to practice skills.

Suggestions

At the end of the drama Scarlett is missing. Where do you think she might be? What is she doing? What is she thinking and feeling? Play out the scene that follows Scarlett’s departure from the ARC headquarters.

What do you think the Officer of the Realm will do next? Play out a conversation he has with his boss/brother/father/friends or the rest of The Circle.

e)  Teacher in role
This is when the teacher adopts a role in order to deepen the young people’s understanding of the ideas and themes within the drama, to pass on important information or to shape the drama from within.

The young people can also be put into role.

Suggestions
The teacher goes into role as a youth and community worker in the aftermath of the protest depicted in the drama.  S/he poses the challenge to the students in role as community members to find ways of resolving some of the issues that manifested on that day. What activities could The Circle and The Realm citizens do together that would build understanding?

f) Where do you stand?
The following exercise can be used to begin exploring abstract notions.

Imagine that there is a line between two contrasting statements. Place yourself on the line according to which one you agree with more. This can be done as a drama exercise with one end of a space representing one statement and the opposite end representing the other.  It can also be done as a paper exercise with a line drawn between the two statements.

It would be possible to do this exercise with a single statement if there were pieces of paper spread out on the floor with the words “Agree”, “Disagree” and “Undecided” (perhaps add “Strongly agree, “Strongly disagree”)

The exercise encourages discussion and debate when students are asked to explain why they chose to stand where they are

Take the following two statements:

Free speech means you can say what you want
You should not be allowed to say things that offend.

Other pairs of statements might be:
We should help those that suffer injustice.
There will always be people who complain that the world is unfair

My opinions should be respected
No one can tell me what to think or do

Making a fuss gets you nowhere
It is right to defend your beliefs

If you want things to change you have to be prepared to fight
Violence never solved anything.

The pupils can also come up with statements of their own for this activity