Stuck for ideas GCSE Edexcel- scripts

I have done many scripts in the past and I have two groups of Year 11 next year over 40 students who will be taking the exam. I have selected groups that will be doing the devising, but most students will doing scripted performance. In the past I have done Godber, Russell, Pinter, Cartwright all the usual suspects and fancied a change. just wondered if anyone had any ideas particulary in groups of 3-5 mainly girls, but mixutres of 3f 2m or 4f 1m 2f 3m.

Many thanks

 

I have done many scripts in the past and I have two groups of Year 11 next year over 40 students who will be taking the exam. I have selected groups that will be doing the devising, but most students will doing scripted performance. In the past I have done Godber, Russell, Pinter, Cartwright all the usual suspects and fancied a change. just wondered if anyone had any ideas particulary in groups of 3-5 mainly girls, but mixutres of 3f 2m or 4f 1m 2f 3m.

Many thanks

 

I haven't taught Edexcel for a while and I used to be a visiting examiner for paper 2. Edexcel used to publish a list of suitable scripts in the back of the syllabus - I don't know if they still do. Caryl Churchill is good (Top Girls I particularly like), anything by Mark Wheeller is good - "Hard To Swallow" would be a good script as there are many sections that use physical theatre so students can demonstrate use of abstract styles as well as straight forward delivery of a script.
Alan Aykbourne can be fun too. what about musical theatre? Westside Story can be powerful

hope these help

Fudgeface

 

Have a look on the plays page of my web site. Longman/Pearson have recently commissioned me to write a play for Edexcel GCSE it's now out and called Granny and the Wolf... there are loads of others...
www.wheellerplays.com (note double l in wheeller).
The web site will be down from 11th August as I am changing web provider and having a major upgrade to the web site... so go there now to be sure it's still up... I am sure you will find something of interest... any questions come back to me on wheellerplays@gmail.com

Mark Wheeller.

PS Thanks for the recommendaiton (above)

PPS Gagging For It is also well worht looking for... buy all my plays from dbda direct not amazon as they don't stock them... you can get them from second sellers on amazon but they will be more expensive... however they will be fast... one of them is me!!! The Eed Sud one.

PPPS have a look at this (online) wirten again specifically for GCSE:
http://www.mavmuse.com/musical.asp?MusicalID=121
makes a change for a play to be upbeat for GCSE but this one is... and it isn't a musical despite what it says inthe address!!!

 

I use 'Ten GCSE Plays' and 'Ten More GCSE Plays' published by Pearsons. They are a nice mix of comedies and serious plays in a variety of styles and you are allowed to photocopy the scripts. The casting for most of the plays is very flexible. My students love them. I also like 'Multi-cultural Plays' in the same series. Other plays that I use are 'Over the Wall' by James Saunders, 'Mal de Mere' by Michelene Wandor. I also use 'Woman in Black' by Stepehn Malatratt and 'Interview' by Jean-Claude Van Itallie - its an amazing piece of physical theatre.

 

Have you looked at any Howard Brenton plays? In the past I have done "The Education of Skinny Spew" and "Gum and Goo" for GCSE exam pieces and they went down a storm.

 

How about using, as I did an extract(s) from LORD OF THE FLIES? I adapted it for girls and it was a real success - I have also staged the full production with a female cast ( A HUGE SUCCESS!. All full marks!) There are scripts such as Skirmishes and Relics along with Be My Baby that are tried and tested plus the obvious Shakers and some of the works of <u>Caryl Churchill. </u>If you want something really straightforward try 'Tea Dance'. Just GO FOR IT. The main thing is can your students tackle the work effectively?
Hope this information is of use to you.

 

My first book 'One Act Plays For Boys' was published last month and my second, 'One Act Plays For Girls' is due out in a matter if weeks.

www.davidhughesdrama.co.uk