Improvising | English | Quizalize & Oak National Academy

Starter quiz

Which of these would be a suitable stage direction?
- Narrator:
- (dramatically) ✓
- The Iron Man stood in the flames for hours.
Which of these is a suitable scene heading?
- Scene 3: Iron Man Saves the World ✓
- Setting: Iron Man is repaired.
- (roaring)
- I will devour your world!
Which of these is a setting description from a play script?
- Scene 3: Iron Man Saves the World
- Setting: Iron Man is repaired. ✓
- (roaring)
- I will devour your world!
Match the play script convention to its use.
- title
  
  ⇔
  
  the name of a play ✓
- scene heading
  
  ⇔
  
  the name of a scene and a very brief overview of what happens in it ✓
- scene
  
  ⇔
  
  a chunk or section of a play ✓
- setting description
  
  ⇔
  
  a brief description of how a scene should look for the audience ✓
- stage direction
  
  ⇔
  
  an instruction to an actor for how to say a line of dialogue ✓
Fill in the gap: 'A director, a group of __________ and a stage __________ prepare a play ready for a performance.'
- musicians, group
- acrobats, team
- teachers, company
- actors, crew ✓
Which is the correct spelling?
- theatre ✓
- theater
- thetre
- theter

Exit quiz

What does improvise mean?
- to end a scene
- to make something up on the spot and in the moment ✓
- to act out a scene in a play
What is a group of actors called?
- a cast ✓
- a crew
- a collection
- a team
Which of these is improvising good practice for?
- making quick decisions ✓
- getting used to long rehearsals
- listening to others ✓
- writing about plays
Around how long would a cast have to organise themselves on a stage before an improvised scene begins?
- 1-2 seconds
- 30-60 seconds ✓
- 5-10 minutes
- 1-2 hours
Match the definitions.
- scene
  
  ⇔
  
  section or chunk of action ✓
- audience
  
  ⇔
  
  group of people who watch a performance ✓
- improvise
  
  ⇔
  
  to make something up on the spot and in the moment ✓
- cast
  
  ⇔
  
  a group of actors ✓
What must an audience do when watching a performance?
- talk over the performance
- record the performance
- watch closely, listen carefully and clap at the end ✓
- take photos of the performers

Worksheet

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Lesson Details

Key learning points

To improvise means to make something up on the spot and in the moment.
Actors often work together to improvise scenes.
A team of actors is called a cast.
Improvising involves being creative, being quick-thinking and working as a team.

Common misconception

Pupils may think that improvising a scene means taking a long time rehearsing it before a performance - like a normal play.

A cast of actors do not usually rehearse an improvised scene. They might spend only 30-60 seconds organising themselves on the stage and telling each other a very brief idea about how they are going to act.

Keywords

Improvise - to make something up on the spot and in the moment
Scene - a chunk or section of drama
Cast - a team of actors