Harrogate TheatreTeacher Resource Pack

HARROGATE THEATREEDUCATION

Harrogate Theatre Education is proud to launch our new scheme of workshops aimed at KS1 and KS2 pupils. The following workshops can be booked for KS1, lower KS2 and upper KS2 pupils with activities differentiated for each Key Stage. Workshops can be booked for one class or we can spend the day in school working with each class in turn so everyone can benefit from these informative workshops. All workshops take place at your school for a maximum of 30 children per class.

History Workshops

Greek TheatreThrough re-telling a Greek myth the class will learn about the origins of modern theatre and how it links to the Ancient Olympian Gods and Goddesses. The workshop will include mask and chorus work to practically explore Greek Theatre style and bring the myth to life.

The Tudors (Shakespeare)By looking at characters from one of Shakespeare’s most accessible and imaginative plays pupils will learn about the cultural life of the Tudor period and why Shakespeare’s work remains popular today. Pupils will have the opportunity to become characters from the magical world of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and speak some of Shakespeare’s most famous verse while creating their own enchanted tales.

Children of the BlitzWhat was it like for children in the Second World War? How did it feel to be an evacuee? Participants will empathise with the feelings and experiences of evacuees and the family members left behind through using photos, posters and poetry as source material to explore history through performance.

Literacy Workshops

Wild Word WoodThrough reading An Enchanted Forest by former Children’s Laureate Anthony Browne the class will work with the practitioner to consider character’s feelings and act out scenes they devise based upon the text. This drama workshop is designed to support story and script writing work by developing basic drama skills.

Author DayLet us know what author you’ve been looking at this term and we’ll come in and do a practical workshop based around the imaginative worlds of some of our most well-loved authors. Previous author workshops have included sweet adverts based on the work of Roald Dahl, creating physical theatre scenes from the weird and wonderful world of Dr. Seuss and developing literacy and numeracy skills while producing monster rhymes inspired by the work of Julia Donaldson.

Once Upon a Time: Fairy Tales and PantomimeStorytelling, improvisation and movement combine in a drama workshop that explores the world of fairy tales and pantomime. Ideal before or after your visit to the annual Christmas show this is a fun introduction to a uniquely British institution which can result in a short performance suitable for sharing in assembly.

Prices

Key Stage 1 workshops (1 hour) £60Key Stage 2 workshops (1.5 hours) £75Key Stage 2 (upper) workshops (2 hours) £90

We can also come into your school for the day and work with every class. Prices are competitive and vary depending on the number of classes you would like us to work with. Do you need a workshop not listed here? Drop us an email or give us a call to discuss your learning objectives and we’ll design something specifically for your class / school.

Why not try...

After School ClubsOur popular After School Clubs are a great way to include Drama in the primary curriculum to boost confidence and develop speaking and listening skills. Over 11 weeks we rehearse at School for a free performance for friends and family that takes place in Harrogate Studio Theatre in the final week.

Group Size 20 maximumDuration 60 minutes per workshopCost £550 for the course inc. the performance in the Harrogate Studio Theatre

Theatre ToursTake a tour to see behind the scenes of our stunning Victorian theatre. Learn about our theatre ghost, see set models and costumes at close hand and tread the boards for yourself.

Group Size 30 maximum.Duration 60 – 90 minutes depending on your requirementsCost Free to Education groupsAge 5+

Transitions WorkshopMoving up to secondary school is a big change. Our Transition workshop explores and addresses the fears associated with moving schools and the exciting opportunities that lie ahead. The workshop can be run in primary schools or secondary schools on Intake days also with icebreaker activities to encourage new Y7s to mix.

Duration 2 hours

If you would like to discuss any aspect of this further or suggest any other ways we can support you then please don’t hesitate to contact the Education & Outreach Department on 01423 502 710 ext 108 or email hte@harrogatetheatre.co.uk

Play in a DayA fun team-building activity for Years 5 and 6. Challenge your pupils to put on a play in a day and see them raise their game. Pupils will spend the day exploring interesting characters, staging the story and creating the props they will need to put on a very special show at the end of the day. This can be adapted for a story of your choice. Previous plays in a day have used The Sneetches and Where the Wild Things Are as stimulus material.

Welcome

Contents

This resource pack has been designed to be a valuable resource in the classroom to deepen primary school children’s understanding of Harrogate Theatre and is ideal to use after a Theatre tour. Engagement with the arts is a great way to promote teamwork, develop empathy and strengthen speaking and listening skills - key foundations of children’s success in school. At Harrogate Theatre we pride ourselves on developing learning through creativity and have been awarded the Learning Outside the Classroom badge in recognition of this. We hope that this pack inspires you to explore the world of the theatre further with your pupils.

We appreciate all feedback and examples of the work your class have created. Please send it to: hte@harrogatetheatre.co.uk or post it to Education, Harrogate Theatre, Oxford Street, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 1QF.

To book a free Theatre tour contact us on 01423 502 710 ext 108 or email: hte@harrogatetheatre.co.uk

I hope you enjoy exploring the wonderful world of theatre with your class.

Best wishes,Hannah DraperEducation Workshop Leader

• HistoryofHarrogateTheatre• Historyofdrama• Theatrequiz• Rolesinthetheatre• Wordsearch• Writeyourownscript• Designaset• Designaposterforyourperformance.

A brief history...Harrogate Grand Opera House, as the theatre was originally known, opened its doors on 13 January 1900 as a number one provincial circuit theatre for star-studded touring companies.

The opening night saw a charity performance of ‘A Gentleman in Khaki’, in aid of soldiers fighting in the Boer War, supported by the Mayoress Mrs. James Myrtle. It was followed by a run of the popular pantomime Dick Whittington.

The theatre building was designed by architect Frank Tugwell, whose other credits include the Futurist Theatre in Scarborough and the Savoy Theatre in London. The building of the theatre was supervised by Mr. William Peacock, who ran the theatre until the 1930s.

William Peacock’s company also owned the Grand Opera House in York and the Opera House in Scarborough, and he was able to attract some of the best theatre and opera companies and orchestras to play in Harrogate, which at that time was a thriving and fashionable spa town.

By the 1930s, however, as the popularity of cinema and radio increased the demand for touring shows waned, and the popularity of Harrogate as a tourist resort was also in decline.

In January 1933 the theatre became home to the White Rose Players repertory company. The White Rose Players was one of the first permanent repertory companies in the country, performing around 45 shows a year on a weekly basis. By the mid 1950s the popularity of weekly rep was diminishing, threatened this time by the cinema and television. The Grand Opera House closed in 1955, failing to sell at auction when the reserve price of £30,000 was not met.

After a period where it was boarded up , the theatre was eventually bought by two local businessmen, and the building re-opened in 1958, again producing weekly rep. In 1960, with closure again imminent, Harrogate Borough Council became involved with the theatre by purchasing the building and a non-profit making charitable company was formed: The Harrogate (White Rose) Theatre Trust. The Trust runs the theatre to this day, leasing the Grade II listed building from Harrogate Borough Council.

In 1967 the building, still called the Opera House, was renamed as simply Harrogate Theatre.The Theatre has undergone several refurbishments during its existence. In 1971/72 the interior was remodeled by architect Roderick Ham. At that time the seating capacity of the auditorium was greatly reduced from the original 1800 seats of the Grand Opera House to a mere 500. Today the theatre has an authentic Victorian auditorium with proscenium arch and a shallow raked stage, a studio used for rehearsals and small-scale performance (70 seats). The theatre also has its own workshop located three miles away where sets are built and which provides limited storage.

Between 2007-09 the theatre underwent a major refurbishment of the main auditorium and front of house areas.

Sarah BernhardtA French actress of the stage and screen regarded as one of the finest actresses of the 19th century. She is referred to as ‘the most famous actress the world has ever known’ and was renowned for her quirky and unusual acting style. Her most notable performances were in early silent films including Hamlet (1900, as Hamlet) and La Tosca (1908). She has a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

Isadora DuncanA famous American dancer acknowledged as the founder of contemporary dance. Her philosophy of dance moved away from rigid ballet technique and towards what she perceived as natural movement. To restore dance to a high art form instead of entertainment, she sought the connection between emotions and movement.

Henry IrvingA famous actor during the Victorian era, he was known as an actor-manager because he took complete responsibility (supervision of sets, lighting, direction, casting, as well as playing the leading roles) for season after season at the Lyceum Theatre, London, establishing himself and his company as representative of English classical theatre. He was the first actor to be awarded a knighthood. Irving is thought to have been the inspiration for the title character in Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula.

Famous FacesThese famous faces have all appeared at Harrogate Theatre

Mrs Patrick CampbellShe was a famous English stage actress who started performing during the late Victorian era. In 1914, in the original West End production of Pygmalion, she played Eliza Doolittle, a role which George Bernard Shaw had written expressly for her. Although 49 years old when she originated the role opposite Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree’s Henry Higgins, she triumphed and took the play to New York then on tour in 1915. She successfully played Eliza again in a 1920 London revival of the play. Campbell also went on to perform in some notable productions of Henrick Ibsen’s plays in London’s West End.

Herbert Beerhohm TreeHe began performing in the 1870s and went on to manage the Haymarket Theatre where he was praised for his daring programming, an exciting mix of Shakespeare, classic plays and new works. He founded the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 1904 and in 1909 was knighted for his contributions to theatre.

Charlie ChaplinCharlie Chaplin was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work in the United States during the silent film era. Chaplin use of mime, slapstick and visual comedy routines made him a silent film star and allowed him to continue his success well into the era of the talkies. Chaplin was 8 years old when he appeared at Harrogate Grand Opera House with the Baker Street Regulars.

Famous Faces

Brief History of DramaCave Men The art of ‘acting out’ stories started centuries ago. We know from cave 2.5 million paintings that cave men used to dance and act out stories of hunts to years ago please their Sun Gods. Egyptians The Egyptians were the first people to make a record of the plays they 16th – 11th performed. The Egyptians had lots of gods to whom they performed Century BC plays, in the hope that the performances would make them happy. They wrote about these plays using hieroglyphics.

Greeks The Greeks were the first people to build Theatres which they called 8th – 6th Amphitheatres. They could hold thousands of people and were Century BC semi-circular in shape. The Greeks worshipped a god called Dionysus who was the god of fun. During the Festival of Dionysus plays would be performed by the people of the town. The amphitheatres were so big that the story had to be shouted out and the main characters had to wear huge masks so they could be seen. We know a lot about Greek theatre as the Greeks were the first people to write their plays down in the form of a script.

Medieval In Medieval times plays were often linked to religion. Stories about God 5th – 15th were acted out in churches and many towns held religious festivals every Century year where the townsfolk would act out scenes from the Bible. These plays became known as the ‘mystery plays’. The scenes acted out often included juggling, comedy, wrestling, archery and stone throwing. The ‘mystery plays’ proved to be very popular, and it was not long before rich land owners started to pay people to perform for them.

Elizabethan ByElizabethantimesallactorswereprofessionalandworkedin1558 - 1603 companies, the most famous being the Kings Men, who William Shakespeare wrote plays for. Acting companies would tour from town to town performing up to 38 different plays a year and sometimes a different play every day.

Victorian By Victorian times drama was very popular and theatres were built in 1837 - 1901 most towns. The types of plays shown became far more realistic and companies sometimes performed them over several nights. It was in Victorian times that pantomimes first became popular as an entertainment for Christmas, a tradition that continues today.

It was not until the end of the Victorian age that women were allowed to act on stage; before then it was thought to be an improper thing for a lady to do. Young men acted out female roles, which is a tradition that has stuck in pantomime to this day.

Theatre Quiz1. When was the theatre opened?

2. Who designed the theatre?

3. What are the three levels of seating called?

4. Where do the actors access the trap door?

5. Where do musicians sit during performances?

6. Where do actors change into their costumes?

7. Who sat in the boxes during the Victorian times?

8. Where did the working class sit during the Victorian times?

9. Directors tell actors where to stand using the terms ‘stage right’ and ‘stage left’. Is this taken from the actors point of view or the audiences point of view?

10. Who traditionally worked on the ropes on the fly floor during Victorian times?

Answers1. 13 January 1900. 2. Frank Tugwell. 3. Stalls (bottom level) circle (middle level) balcony (upper level). 4. Under the stage. 5. In the orchestra pit.6. In the dressing rooms. 7. Upper class people with a lot of money.8. On the Balcony. 9. It is from the actors point of view. 10. Sailors.

Following your tour see how many of these questions you can answer correctly...

Theatre RolesCan you match these theatre jobs to their descriptions? Draw a line to connect the right job with the the correct description.

Set Designer

Musician

Costume Designer

Actor

Cleaners

Box Office

Director

Deputy Stage Manager

Technician

Marketing

Playwright

Choreographer

Help to locate the play in a place or time via scenery choices. Also works on backdrops, scenery and props.

Plays the music during the show. Might accompany singers for a song or sometimes creates a mood in a scene. Can be on stage or in the orchestra pit.

Helps the director and actors to create characters with clothes and make up. They help to set the play in a place using clothing.

They are the people the audience sees on the stage. They follow direction and use the script to bring the characters to life.

They keep the theatre clean and tidy. They come in everyday and sometimes have to come in between shows if there is more than one show in a day.

They sell tickets to customers over the phone or in person at the theatre. They help with customer enquiries.

Chooses the actors for a production or show at the audition. Work with the playwright or uses the script to tell the actors how to work on stage.

They advertise the shows to make sure that people know about them and how to buy tickets.

Creates the story for the show. Sometimes he or she creates a new story and sometimes adapts a story that already exists to make it work as a script.

Creates dances and works with actors during rehearsals to teach them dance steps.

They work backstage and use lights and sound to create moods and effects on the stage. They set up scenery and work during a show. They have to listen to their cues.

In charge backstage and keeps the show running. Sits near the side of the stage and follows the script. Cues the lighting, sound effects, music and the actors.

Find and circle each of the words from the list below. Wordsmayappearhorizontally,verticallyordiagonally,butforwardsonly.

Theatre Wordsearch

Write a ScriptWrite your own script based on Alice using the ‘How to set out a script worksheet’ on the next page or write your own story using lots of adjectives to create a spooky atmosphere about Alice haunting someone at the theatre. Is the Alice in your story nice or nasty?

Alice

Harrogate Theatre is haunted by the ghost of Alice. Alice was a young actress who, while working here, fell in love with one of her colleagues. That love was not returned, and with a broken heart and in desperation she threw herself from the balcony - to her death.

She has been seen from time to time by theatre staff as a tall white figure moving between seats or disappearing out of view. She used to be associated most with the balcony – about 15 years ago an Usher was cleaning the Balcony between performances; as she bent down to pick up some litter she felt extremely cold. When she looked up she saw the whitish-grey shape of a woman, which crossed the stairs in front of her.

More recently she has been seen at the rear of the stalls, and during the dress rehearsal of Absent Friends in February 2010, Alice was seen moving along Row M of the stalls.

Over the years there have been numerous other accounts of sightings of a woman who just disappears, of just the head of a woman, and of the unaccountable smell of peppermint in the balcony.

Name:How to set out a script

Scene Three

The BFG enters the cave, puts down his suitcase, removes his cloak, then carefully brings out the ‘Sophie’ doll. He puts it on the table.

Sophie enters the scene and manipulates the doll like a puppet, while providing Sophie’s voice.

BFG Ha! What has got us here?

He looks carefully at Sophie. At first he should not appear to be very friendly.

Sophie (nervously) Where am I?

BFG This is my cave.

Sophie Why did you snatch me and bring me here?

BFG Because you saw me. If anyone is ever seeing a giant, he or she must be taken away hipswitch.

Sophie Why?

BFG Human beans is not believing in giants, is they? Human beans is not thinking giants exist.

Sophie I do.

BFG Ah, but that is because you has seen me. If I hadn’t snitched you, you would be scuddling around yodelling the news on the telly-telly bunkum box that you were actually seeing a giant, and then a great giant-hunt, a mighty giant look-see would be starting up all over the world, and human beans would be trying to catch me and put me in thezoo.

Sophie So what’s going to happen to me now?

BFG You will just have to be staying here with me for the rest of your life.

Sophie (gasping) Please don’t eat me!

BFG Just because I is a giant, you think I is a man-gobbling cannybull! No! You is lucky. If one of the other giants is snitching you, they is crunching you up for sure. In one scrumdiddlyumptious mouthful. Bones crackety-crackety-cracking. Gobble, gobbledy, gone!

He picks up the ‘Sophie’ doll.

Be peeping out over there, little girl, and be seeing a brain-bogglingsome sight. He carries her to the cave entrance. Lights come up on the platform stage, where the other Giants appear.

Scripts are divided down into scenes. A new scene be-gins when the action moves to a new place or a differ-ent time, for example, later in the day, or a year later.

Stage directions are given in italics so they stand out against the spoken dialogue. Stage directions describe how the stage and the characters look and move.

Characters names are in bold so actors can easily see when their character moves or speaks.

Italics can be used within speech to tell the actor when awordneedstobestressedoremphasized.Youcoulduse capital letters to suggest a character is shouting.

This describes how the character is speaking. Are they happy or sad? Joking or angry?

The BFG speaks in funny made up words to help com-municate his character.

Stage directions can also give information on lighting and sound effects.

Design......a set for your play

Design......a costume for one of your characters

Design......a poster to advertise for your performance

Use this recent Harrogate Theatre poster as a guideline.

Title of the show in big bold letters

Writer & DirectorEye catching picture

Get one of your friends to read the scripte and give you a quote for the poster

Venue & Performance DateTell people how to book tickets for the show