Explorative strategies

Updated on Feb 04, 2024

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Explorative strategies are used in drama to explore a theme or a text. They are associated with Edexcel GCSE.

Types of strategies

Forum Theatre - The actors either create a planned improvisation or create a piece spontaneously, as it is performed the audience can either stop the action to suggest changes or take over from the actors on stage to change the direction of the performance. Quite often this is used as an exploration tool rather than as a piece of theatre for performance. A theme or key moment/decision can be explored to its fullest.

Thought Tracking - Whilst in role, the character speaks out to the audience about what that character is thinking, feeling, doing etc.

Still Image - Also known as a "freeze frame" or "tableau" or "snapshot" or "qais", this is when all the characters on stage stop still. Can be used if a narrator wishes to speak to the audience whilst something is happening on stage.

Hot Seating - A character is interrogated by the audience. Normally used as an "in class" activity, this allows the audience to find things out about a character, and requires the actor playing the character to think about what he/she is doing, feeling, etc.

Cross Cutting - When time in a scene changes to show what happens before or after a scene.

Narrating - A character, normally called the "Narrator", will speak out to the audience about what is going on in the plot

Marking the moment - Key moments in the performance are highlighted either through a freeze frame, or a change in light or some sound by using slow motion, noises etc..

Role-play - A role-play is what you do when you're pretending to be another person and using your imagination to speak, think and even feel like that character.

References

Explorative strategies Wikipedia

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