Roman Theatre Scheme of Work

(ages 12-13)

This six-week Roman Theatre unit guides students through the main genres of Roman stagecraft: comedy, tragedy, mime and pantomime. Through practical workshops and independent tasks students study stock characters, learn genre-specific techniques (frozen pictures, chorus, soliloquy, slapstick, mime and exaggeration) and develop their own short pieces. The unit culminates in an assessed performance that revises the key forms and is recorded for self-evaluation.

What Students Will Learn

Students will identify and perform stock characters, adapt classical stories into different Roman forms, and use voice and physicality to create genre-appropriate effects. They will practise techniques such as chorus, soliloquy, frozen pictures, slapstick and mime, develop pacing and comic timing for comedy, and use flashbacks for tragic storytelling. The unit finishes with a recorded performance to consolidate learning and support self-evaluation.

Week 1: An Introduction to Roman Theatre
Introduces the four main stock characters of Roman theatre. Students learn character traits and apply them in two devised pieces to practise characterisation and ensemble devising.
Resources Include
Powerpoint Slides
Roman Theatre Overview
Week 2: Roman Pantomime
Develops the story of Daedalus and Icarus as a Roman pantomime. The chorus is introduced and used as a news-style reporting device alongside pantomime storytelling.
Week 3: Roman Mime
Creates a Roman mime from a traditional story with attention to social context. The lesson uses religious and public reaction within the plot to give the mime a relevant social context.
Week 4: Roman Comedy
Focuses on fast-paced dialogue and humour in Roman comedy. Students use the Perseus and Medusa story as a basis to develop comic scenes and practise rapid dialogue.
Resources Include
Resources
Perseus and Medusa
Powerpoint Slides
Roman Comedy
Week 5: Roman Tragedy
Explores a serious tone and tragic plot in Roman tragedy. Flashbacks are used to structure the story of a bereaved father and to develop emotional depth.
Resources Include
Powerpoint Slides
Roman Tragedy
Week 6: Roman Theatre Assessment
An assessed performance based on Roman Comedy consolidates the unit's drama forms. Students recreate characters and stories using the learned techniques and record their work for self-evaluation.
Resources Include
Music
Fig Leaf Rag