What Really Happens at The Five-Day Play? (A Diary from Spring)

Monday

Arrival. Excitement takes hold as students from all different kinds of backgrounds, age groups and schools, meet each other for the very first time! We play Ice Breaker games like Clap & Click Your Name, Honey I Love You, and the Mr. Hit Tag Game  to ensure that everyone gets to know each other.

Hands On Craft – Students get to choose an individual activity from a range on offer: Painting & Drawing, Beading, Puppets, French Knitting, Backyard Science Inspirations.

Brainstorm #1: The whole group explores the possibilities of many different genres and themes in a time restricted but democratic brainstorm, to decide the beginning, middle and end points of the play we will devise and perform.

Tuesday

We all improve on our Ice Breaker Games skills, and students begin building up Participation Points for the Week (there will be prizes at the end!)

Stage Craft – We learn some tech specs of the theatre: stage areas, blocking, and the basics of lighting and sound.

Brainstorm #2: Students develop the beginning, middle and end points into a story, adding detailed plot points and character specifics.

Hands On Craft – Now we see how the whole range of arts and craft activities can be harnessed to create props, scenery, puppets and costumes especially for the play!

Wednesday

Warm Up & Games. By this time all the students are experts at these!

Play reading & Casting. The Director hands out the scripts that have been finished overnight and we read the play aloud together. Everyone gets a good part. One student wants only a small part because she prefers to focus on stage managing! Another decides to have no acting role and becomes sound operator.

Hands On Craft: We make a massive backdrop curtain for the play!

Blocking & Rehearsals: We use what we have learned about stage areas and lighting and sound to bring the play together. Now the play has great sound effects and music too!

Thursday

Warm Up & Games. We just can’t start a day without these now!

Hands On Craft – We complete puppets, props and costumes for the play.

Rehearsals – By now, everyone knows their lines off by heart! The excitement about tomorrow afternoon’s performance to parents is building…

Friday

Warm Up & Games. Last chance to do some fun stuff before the serious work begins. Or is it?

Rehearsals. We concentrate on every little detail, and we even add in some cheeky dance moves to pep up the play!

Face Painter: Everyone’s been so fantastic, working hard to learn lines and participate, so we call in a Face Painter as a treat, and everyone has their face painted to accentuate their character!

The Performance: Students can’t help peeking out from behind the curtains to see if Mum and Dad have arrived. Everyone uses their breathing techniques to try and keep calm before the show starts. And … it’s a hit! And because no one has let out the secrets about the play, parents get a lovely surprise!

Light Refreshments are served for parents and students and we all share our thoughts on the week that has been!