Murder Mystery
Six-week practical unit using simplified Stanislavski and restoration comedy to build characterisation, improvisation and plot through workshops, devised scenes and comic tension.
characterisationimprovisationensemble worknarration
Drama curriculum planning
Drama Schemes of Work
Browse original schemes of work with public summaries and lesson outlines. Create a free account for the complete Communication scheme, including all six lessons and resources.
49 schemes of work
Basic Drama Skills
Six-week KS3 drama unit introducing mime, tableaux, soundscapes and improvisation. Practical lessons include baseline assessment, peer/self-evaluation and written targets.
mimebody languagefacial expressiongesture
Titanic
A practical drama unit exploring Titanic survivors. Use a real testimony, postcards and audio to develop character, empathy and storytelling through visualisation, thought-aloud and flashback.
characterisationempathystorytellingimprovisation
Silent Movies
A 6-week practical scheme introducing mime, physical comedy and silent-film techniques. Use music clips and a classic film extract to devise and perform filmed mini-movies.
mimeexaggerationfacial expressionphysicality
Fairy Tales
Six-week drama unit exploring fairy tale conventions. Students study Little Red Riding Hood, The Fox and the Wolf and Pauline, using devising techniques to create assessed group performances.
characterisationdevisingimprovisationnarration
Peter Pan
Six-week drama unit exploring J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan through practical workshops. Lessons build characterisation, hot seating, frozen pictures, stage combat, and a storytelling assessment.
characterisationimprovisationrole-playensemble work
Mime
Six-lesson KS3 mime scheme: develop facial expression, gesture, body language, space and eye contact. Includes situation cards, PowerPoint slide, music and a group assessment to music.
facial expressiongesturebody languageeye contact
Romeo and Juliet
Six-lesson KS3 drama scheme using extracts and practical tasks to explore Romeo and Juliet. Focus on voice, frozen pictures, split scenes, devising and group performance assessment.
voice workarticulationensemble workcharacterisation
Melodrama
Six-week KS3 unit on Victorian melodrama. Practical workshops use mime, split scenes, monologues and a Maria Marten film clip; includes music and filmed assessment.
characterisationmimemovementmonologue
Improvisation
Six-week improvisation unit with theatre games, mime, duologues and basic Forum Theatre. Develop rapid response, listening and ensemble skills with a final assessed improvisation.
improvisationlisteningspontaneityquick-thinking
Commedia Dell'Arte
Six-week KS3 unit exploring Commedia dell'Arte: stock characters, mask work, lazzi, mime and devised group performances. Includes an illustrated booklet, neutral masks and peer/self-evaluation tasks.
characterisationimprovisationphysicalitymime
Vikings
Six-week practical drama unit exploring Norse myths and Viking history. Use character work and interactive activities to develop ensemble skills and imaginative responses.
characterisationimprovisationdevisingensemble work
Soap Opera
Six-week drama unit exploring television soap opera: stock characters, pauses, interruptions, monologues and a sensitive domestic violence scene, finishing with a filmed mini-soap assessment.
characterisationimprovisationmonologue performancevocal control
Communication
Six-week drama unit exploring communication, miscommunication and accessibility using frozen pictures, mime, Teacher in Role, physical theatre, mirroring, gesture, music and props.
non-verbal communicationcharacterisationmirroringphysicality
Stanislavski, Boal & Brecht
Six-week practical unit introducing Stanislavski, Boal and Brecht with classroom activities, devised scenes and performance work suitable for Year 9 students and above.
characterisationimprovisationhot-seatingensemble work
Vocal Exercises
Six practical KS3 lessons developing breathing, articulation, punctuation and physical action using warm-ups and Shakespeare extracts, ending with a recorded performance and self-evaluation.
breath controlarticulationdictionvocal projection
Hats
Six-lesson unit using hats to build character history with hot-seating, Stanislavski and Forum Theatre, concluding with a whole-class improvisation assessment.
characterisationimprovisationensemble worktext interpretation
Symbolism
Six-week unit exploring symbolism in performance: image, gesture, objects, colour and masks. Practical workshops build to a devised, recorded group assessment using a musical extract.
characterisationnon-verbal communicationgesturedevising
Macbeth
Six-lesson practical unit exploring Macbeth through improvisation, physical theatre, tableau, soundscape and scripted extracts. Ready-to-run activities, props and self-assessment included.
characterisationphysical theatreimprovisationmime
Bullying
Six-week drama unit using students' experiences to devise scenes exploring victims', bullies', witnesses' and teachers' perspectives; includes devised performance, lyric writing and artwork tasks.
devisingcharacterisationimprovisationvocal expression
The Minotaur
Six-week unit exploring 'Theseus and the Minotaur' through Greek theatre techniques, mask work and devising. Practical lessons conclude with a performance assessment.
characterisationimprovisationphysical theatreensemble work
Pantomime
Explore stock characters, expressive skills, and audience interaction in this KS3 drama scheme of work – Pantomime. Inspire creativity with Ali Baba adaptation!
Status and Tragedy
Six-lesson practical unit exploring how actors portray status through body language, voice, levels and space. Includes improvisation, tableaux and a performance assessment.
body languagevocal expressionimprovisationdevising
Surrealist Drama
Six-week KS3 unit exploring Grotowski, Artaud and Dali through physical theatre, gibberish, mime and absurd texts including Alice, Lear and Shakespeare.
physical theatremimevocal improvisationdevising
Vampires
Six-week practical drama unit using a 'Vampires' theme to explore new communities, cultural clashes and bullying through workshops, games and student-devised scenarios.
devisingimprovisationcharacterisationensemble work
Dragons Over London
Six-week practical drama unit using frozen pictures, physical theatre, interviews and filmed evaluation. Adaptable city setting; media-focused devising and music-led sequences for engaging ensemble work.
characterisationimprovisationensemble workphysical storytelling
Greek Tragedies
Six practical lessons exploring Greek tragedy through Electra, Medea and Hecuba. Includes monologue work, chorus verse, neutral-mask exercises, mime and group performance with self-assessment.
characterisationimprovisationensemble workvoice control
Aboriginal Dreamtime
Six-lesson unit exploring Aboriginal Dreamtime through mime, tableau, soundscape and devising. Includes art study, split scenes and a final physical-theatre assessment.
characterisationmimeensemble worksoundscape creation
Roman Theatre
Six-week practical unit exploring Roman comedy, tragedy, mime and pantomime. Workshops on stock characters, chorus and technique; end-of-unit performance recorded for self-evaluation.
characterisationphysical theatreimprovisationensemble work
Rainforest
Six-week drama unit exploring rainforest issues through improvisation, tableau, mime and a devised news report. Includes rehearsal, filming and a final performance assessment.
improvisationmimetableausoundscape creation
Music in Drama
A 6-lesson practical unit exploring how music shapes mood and meaning in drama. Students devise scenes using audio, symbolism and physical theatre, culminating in a performance assessment.
improvisationinterpretationdevisingmovement
Refugees
KS3 six-lesson drama unit exploring refugees' experiences using Role on the Wall, Stanislavski and Mantle of the Expert. Includes devising, hotseating and real-life testimony.
characterisationimprovisationdevisingensemble work
Aesops Fables
Six-lesson drama unit exploring 'The Tortoise and the Hare', Greek theatre basics and Olympic origins. Practical work uses masks, chorus, devising and a performance assessment.
characterisationimprovisationnarrationensemble work
Pirates
A six-week pirate-themed drama unit using physical theatre, active games and musical pieces to explore mime, tableau, choreography and devising for practical classroom work.
physical storytellingmimechoreographystage combat
Twelfth Night
Six practical lessons introducing Twelfth Night: interpret key scenes, rewrite extracts into modern language, devise condensed performances and film assessed presentations.
characterisationdevisingimprovisationensemble work
Eating Disorders
Six-lesson drama unit exploring the case study 'Casey' and causes of eating disorders. Uses devising, hot-seating, essence machines, narration and symbolic performance.
characterisationimprovisationdevisingnarration
Howling Lodge
Six-lesson scheme using a ghost story and teacher-in-role to develop tension, characterisation and ensemble devising. Includes hot-seating, flashbacks and a movement assessment.
characterisationimprovisationensemble worknarration
Homelessness
A six‑lesson KS3 drama unit exploring homelessness through devising, improvisation and character work. Includes tableaux, hot‑seating, split scenes and a filmed public‑information assessment with self‑evaluation.
improvisationcharacterisationmimetableau
WW1 Poetry
Six-lesson drama unit exploring WW1 poets and imagery through practical techniques. Ends with a performance assessment of Wilfred Owen’s 'Dulce Et Decorum Est'.
mimeimprovisationnarrationcharacterisation
Tell Tale Heart
Six-week scheme using Poe's Tell-Tale Heart to teach suspense: lighting, sound, documentary and abstract drama techniques with an included Danse Macabre music file.
characterisationphysicalityvoice controlcreating atmosphere
The Monkey King
A six-lesson drama scheme exploring The Monkey King through movement, choreography and characterisation. Uses Shaolin-inspired exercises, devised scenes, music and a practical assessment.
characterisationchoreographymovement techniqueensemble work
Music and Media
A 6-lesson practical unit that teaches pupils to interpret music, link sound to movement and devise short performance pieces using video and musical stimuli.
gesturestatusmusical interpretationdramatic tension
Restoration Comedy
Six-week practical unit on Restoration Comedy. Explore comic characters, improv, monologues and perform play extracts with filmed self-evaluation.
characterisationimprovisationscript adaptationcomic timing
Impressionist Art
Six-lesson KS3 drama unit using Impressionist paintings as stimuli. Practical workshops build characterisation, devising and narration through techniques like hot seating and monologues.
characterisationimprovisationmonologuenarration
Merlin The Wizard
A 6-lesson drama unit exploring the Merlin legend through improvisation, narration and atmospheric work, culminating in a filmed performance using lighting and special effects.
improvisationcharacterisationmimenarration
American Civil Rights
Six-week drama unit exploring the US civil rights movement. Practical lessons use tableau, improvisation, essence machines and symbolism, including 'The Birth of a Nation' clip and 'Strange Fruit'.
improvisationcharacterisationphysical expressionensemble collaboration
Ibsen, Strindberg & Chekhov
Six-week scheme exploring Ibsen, Strindberg and Chekhov through text extracts, Laban's 8 Efforts and practical exercises. Covers symbolism, status, split scene and a final assessed performance.
characterisationdevisingensemble workphysical movement
Mummers' Plays
Six lessons introducing Mummers' Plays: create stock characters, write rhyming couplets, practise narration, devise a slapstick fight and perform a devised Mummers’ Play assessment.
characterisationhot-seatingnarrationaudience address
The Matchgirls
Six-lesson KS3 drama unit exploring the 1888 Matchgirls strike through mime, improvisation, hot-seating and symbolism.
mimeimprovisationhot-seatingsymbolism