Drama is much more than meets the eye.
If you enjoy anything from theatre to musicals to TV acting, you’ll enjoy taking drama. If you’re unsure on what subjects to take in year 9 or year 10, you should definitely consider it, as it is a great option.
Even if drama ‘isn’t really your thing,’ drama is a subject that teaches a lot of important skills. These include leadership, teamwork, communication, and confidence, all of which are essential to everyday life. No matter what career you want to have, drama could hugely benefit you.
‘It is a subject where you can learn all the skills to become an actor/actress. It was everyone’s dream once to be on the big screen, drama class is a good way to start.’ says Sam Cheyne, a student at Nayland college, who has taken drama in both year 9 and year 10. She plans to take it all the way through college.
For me personally, it helped me build my confidence and communication skills. It helps you understand and relate to other people, and the way they view the world.
Drama is also a great way to get involved in plays or productions, theatresports, drama competitions, and more. If you have any interest in this subject, you should absolutely consider it.
Some of the skills you may learn in this class are voice work, facial expressions and body language, drama conventions, improvisation, and more. These are all fun and useful skills. Personally, what I really enjoyed in my year 10 half-year drama course was devising. Devising involves creating your own short drama or play. In my class, we went through the whole process, from idea generation and line creation, to lighting, costume, and eventually performing.
In my experience, you often work in groups, which helps improve both your leadership and your teamwork skills. Drama classes usually work as a big group, often doing things like warmups and drama games together. Then you may branch out into smaller groups to act, watch others, and provide feedback and constructive criticism.
Drama is also more fun and more active than sitting in a classroom, so it provides a break from your regular classes. You’ll do things like games and plays, rather than writing reports, so if you dislike the usual academic elements of classes, drama is for you!
If you’re interested but still not quite sure, you should have a chat with a drama teacher at your school. They’ll likely have lots to say about the subject, its benefits, and the opportunities it may provide you with both inside and outside of school. You could ask about what specific aspects of drama you would focus on in the class, as it can change from year to year and from teacher to teacher.
Overall, I recommend drama because you learn vital skills in a fun and supportive environment.