Lesson Plan: Write and perform a Greek play

Curriculum Link: Literacy

1. Review what the children have learned about Greek myths and Greek theatre. What sort of characters do you have? (gods, heroes, kings and queens, monsters, etc.) What sort of locations? What sort of stories?

2. Discuss how a play is written - you need a list of characters, stage directions, scenes, and the lines of the play itself. These are set out with the name of the character followed by what he or she says. Stage directions are written in between the lines.

It may help to look over a play script (such as the one used in the workshop).

3. Each child makes up a play. They will need to think of a story, characters, and settings. Then they write the words of the script with stage directions (e.g. Perseus enters stage left and looks around for Medusa).

4. Some of the plays could be selected for groups of children to perform. They will need space to rehearse (probably the school hall), and perhaps an adult to supervise each group. Each child will need a copy of the play to read. You could get the children to learn all the lines if there is time, or get one or to to read the play while the others mime, as we did in the workshop.

You could include making props, scenery and masks as part of this project. You could also have the two (or more) readers read together, like a Greek chorus.