Drama (9-1) 0994 | Paper 1 Mock 21 | Written examination

Question 1 Report

Discuss what lighting or sound added to your devised piece based on the theme of 'power'. Support your answer with reference to specific moments. [15]

Answer

Answer Details

Award marks using a best-fit approach (max 15): Level 4 (13-15 marks): Accomplished discussion with clear understanding of how the design element contributed. Specific examples with strong justification. Level 3 (9-12 marks): Detailed discussion with good examples of how lighting or sound supported the performance. Level 2 (5-8 marks): Sound discussion with relevant examples. May lack detail or depth. Level 1 (1-4 marks): Basic response. May describe rather than evaluate. Indicative content: Lighting: - Specific states used and their effect on atmosphere. - How changes supported transitions between scenes. - Use of colour to suggest mood or theme. - How lighting focused audience attention. Sound: - Specific sound effects or music used and why. - How sound supported atmosphere. - Use of silence as a dramatic tool. - Whether sound design effectively reinforced the theme of power.

Practical Drama Concepts And Contributions

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Question 2 Report

You have read an extract from a play set in a royal court.

Suggest a prop for the scene and say how it would add to the drama. [2]

Answer

Answer Details

One mark for the prop, one mark for the reason (max 2): - A letter or note that reveals the betrayal (1) - it could be physically passed between characters or dropped, creating a focal point for the dramatic revelation (1). OR - A piece of jewellery given by the friend (1) - it could be removed and thrown down to symbolise the end of the friendship (1). OR - A market basket that the young woman drops on hearing the truth (1) - the scattering of its contents visually represents the disruption to her world (1).

From Script To Performance

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Question 3 Report

Suggest one item of costume for an actor playing a market trader in a hot country. Give a reason to support your choice. [2]

Answer

Answer Details

One mark for the costume detail, one mark for the reason (max 2): - A brightly coloured headscarf or bandana (1) - this suggests the hot climate and adds visual vibrancy (1). OR - A leather apron with large pockets (1) - this is practical for carrying goods, immediately communicating the character's trade (1). OR - Rolled-up sleeves and an open collar (1) - this conveys the heat and suggests the physical nature of the work (1).

Design Areas And Their Contribution To Performance

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Question 4 Report

Answer the following question about your devised piece.

How well did you turn a painting into a live drama? Discuss how you made ideas from the image into scenes. [10]

Answer

Answer Details

One mark for each valid point with justification (max 5): - Describe the opening, including initial staging, action, and design elements (1). - Explain the intended effect on the audience and whether it was achieved (1). - Discuss how the opening established the tone, theme, or dramatic question of the piece (1). - Evaluate specific performance choices that contributed to the opening's impact (1). - Consider what you would change about the opening if you could perform the piece again (1).

Practical Drama Concepts And Contributions

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Question 5 Report

As an actor playing one of two rival dancers in a talent show, how would you use your body to show the rivalry? In your answer, refer to the passage. [5]

Answer

Answer Details

One mark for each valid physical choice with justification (max 5): - Move between two positions on stage, one near a hiding place and one facing the door, physically embodying the two options (1). - Use rapid, indecisive gestures: reaching for a weapon then pulling back, crouching then standing again (1). - Let the body alternate between fight-ready tension and defensive curling-in with hunched shoulders (1). - Track the approaching footsteps with the head and eyes, showing how diminishing time forces the decision (1). - At the moment of decision, commit fully: either dropping to hide with controlled breathing or standing tall to confront (1).

Vocal, Physical And Ensemble Performance

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Question 6 Report

How would you use voice and body to show a change from being brave to being afraid? Support your answer with reference to specific lines from the passage. [5]

Answer

Answer Details

One mark for each valid directorial decision with justification (max 5): - Direct the prisoners to use exaggerated, performative gestures during the surface performance, then break into subtle expression when the officials are not watching (1). - Create two levels of audience address: broad delivery for the officials and quiet, intense asides for the real audience (1). - Use staging to show the prisoners exchanging meaningful glances or hidden signals during the performance (1). - Direct the tone to shift between cheerful compliance and darker, more urgent delivery when the subversive meaning is foregrounded (1). - Build a moment where the performance nearly breaks down because real emotion threatens to surface (1).

Vocal, Physical And Ensemble Performance

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Question 7 Report

Read the passage from the extract before answering this question.

What problems does a scene set in an old train station in two time periods create for a set designer? How would you solve them? [15]

Answer

Answer Details

Award marks using a best-fit approach (max 15): Level 4 (13-15 marks): Accomplished design response with thorough understanding of the challenges and creative, practical solutions. Level 3 (9-12 marks): Detailed response identifying relevant challenges with sensible solutions. Level 2 (5-8 marks): Sound ideas identifying some challenges but solutions may lack detail. Level 1 (1-4 marks): Basic response with limited identification of challenges. Indicative content: Challenges: - Representing two different time periods on the same stage. - Creating a convincing sense of both abandonment and bustling activity. - Managing transitions between past and present without losing flow. - Suggesting a large-scale location within stage constraints. Solutions might include: - A composite set with elements that transform: dusty covers removed to reveal bright surfaces beneath. - Projections or lighting to suggest the passage of time. - Modular set pieces that can be repositioned to show different eras. - Texture and colour contrasts: weathered surfaces for the present, polished for the past. - Props that exist in both timelines but in different states.

Design Areas And Their Contribution To Performance

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Question 8 Report

Identify three ways an actor could use body language during a family argument. Say what each gesture would show about the character. [3]

Answer

Answer Details

One mark for each appropriate facial expression or physical gesture (max 3): - Clenching fists or gripping the edge of the table to show frustration and barely-contained anger (1). - Turning away and folding arms defensively when a painful point is raised (1). - Softening the expression and reaching out a hand when the parent is mentioned, showing underlying love (1). - Pointing accusingly at the other sibling to emphasise blame (1). - Rubbing the forehead or temples to show stress and exhaustion (1).

From Script To Performance

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Question 9 Report

Read the extract carefully before answering this question.

As a director, how would you stage a scene set in a busy hospital to create tension? [15]

Answer

Answer Details

Award marks using a best-fit approach (max 15): Level 4 (13-15 marks): Accomplished directorial vision demonstrating thorough understanding of how design and performance elements combine to create tension. Detailed, specific, and imaginative. Level 3 (9-12 marks): Detailed directorial approach with clear understanding of how to create tension through multiple elements. Level 2 (5-8 marks): Sound ideas but may not fully integrate all required elements. Level 1 (1-4 marks): Basic response with limited reference to the production elements specified. Indicative content: Lighting: - Dim, clinical blue-white wash to establish the sterile hospital environment. - Pools of warm light around the family group to contrast with the harsh surroundings. - Gradual reduction of overall lighting as the waiting intensifies. - A sudden change when the doctor enters. Sound: - Distant, regular beeps of a heart monitor to establish the medical setting. - Ticking of a clock to emphasise the passage of time. - Long passages of silence punctuated only by ambient sounds. - Approaching footsteps before the doctor enters. Space: - Family in a tight cluster, centre stage, surrounded by empty chairs. - Empty space around them to emphasise isolation. - The doctor entering from upstage, requiring a long slow approach. - Family seated at low level, the doctor standing. Performance: - Each family member showing a different coping mechanism: pacing, praying, sitting rigidly. - Physical contact such as hand-holding to show family bonds. - Actors avoiding eye contact when the doctor enters. - A shared intake of breath as the doctor begins to speak.

From Script To Performance

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Question 10 Report

How would you use design to create a sense of being trapped in a prison-cell scene? How would you contrast this with a scene set outside? In your answer, refer to both the rehearsal and the show. [25]

Answer

Answer Details

Award marks using a best-fit approach (max 25): Level 5 (21-25 marks): Exceptional design vision demonstrating sophisticated understanding of how elements create atmosphere and contrast. Thorough, detailed, and imaginative. Level 4 (16-20 marks): Accomplished design with clear understanding of how elements create confinement and contrast. Level 3 (11-15 marks): Competent response with sound ideas. Identifies the need for contrast but may not fully develop all elements. Level 2 (6-10 marks): Some relevant ideas but may lack integration or detail. Level 1 (1-5 marks): Basic response with limited design ideas. Indicative content: Confinement: - A small, enclosed set using flats or gauze walls to restrict the visible space. - Minimal furniture: a narrow bed, a bucket, scratches on the wall marking time. - Cold, harsh lighting with a single overhead source creating sharp shadows. - Grey, concrete-coloured surfaces with no decoration or colour. Contrast with visitor: - A door opening to reveal warm, natural light from the corridor. - The visitor bringing colour into the monochrome world through costume. - Widening the lighting state slightly when the visitor enters. - Adding ambient sound from outside when the door opens, contrasting with silence. - The visitor's physical presence forcing new staging possibilities.

Design Areas And Their Contribution To Performance

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Question 11 Report

Suggest two ways a street performer could use voice to hold a crowd's attention. In your answer, refer to specific vocal skills. [4]

Answer

Answer Details

One mark for each valid physical or spatial choice with justification (max 4): - Mirror the other dancer's movements initially, then upstage them with bigger, more dynamic versions (1). - Occupy as much stage space as possible, pushing into the rival's area to assert dominance (1). - Use eye contact and facial expression to communicate challenge and contempt between sequences (1). - Respond to the rival's moves with physical one-upmanship, adding a spin or height to a similar move (1). - Use contrasting energy: explosive power during competition, then confident stillness during the rival's turn (1).

Vocal, Physical And Ensemble Performance

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