Responding to the question
Making a mini plan
It can be helpful to make a mini plan to help structure a response to each question, as it can keep the response focused. There is no correct way to do this and it will very much depend on the questions being asked.
A typical question might be:
Analyse how stage space was used to engage the audience during the opening moments of the performance.
[6 mark]
Evaluate how colour was used in the lighting of the performance to create impact for the audience.
[9 marks]
The key points within the question provide a structure to follow but before writing a response, a mini plan can help keep the answer focused. It should include specific examples of how meaning is communicated on stage.
Here is an example plan for the 9-mark question above:
| Example | How was colour used in the lighting? | What was the impact for the audience? |
| 1 | Cool blue wash in opening of show | Showed the audience that the play was set in winter and helped to create a cool and hostile atmosphere on stage |
| 2 | Red spotlight on villain at the end of Act 1 | Helped to symbolically convey that the villain was dangerous, while creating a sinister and foreboding mood |
| 3 | Soft warm lighting at the end of Act 2 | Created the effect of a sunset and the resolution of the story |
| Example | 1 |
|---|---|
| How was colour used in the lighting? | Cool blue wash in opening of show |
| What was the impact for the audience? | Showed the audience that the play was set in winter and helped to create a cool and hostile atmosphere on stage |
| Example | 2 |
|---|---|
| How was colour used in the lighting? | Red spotlight on villain at the end of Act 1 |
| What was the impact for the audience? | Helped to symbolically convey that the villain was dangerous, while creating a sinister and foreboding mood |
| Example | 3 |
|---|---|
| How was colour used in the lighting? | Soft warm lighting at the end of Act 2 |
| What was the impact for the audience? | Created the effect of a sunset and the resolution of the story |
Answering the question
Don’t waste time writing a detailed description of the plotThe sequence of events in a narrative; a story., as the question won’t ask about the story. Instead, responses should be focused on analysing and evaluating the production, supported by clear, well-developed examples from the production and using accurate drama terminology.
