Drama Conventions in Practice

Drama conventions KS3 | Practical drama techniques | Performance skills | Drama toolkit

This practical Drama resource supports students aged 11–14 to explore how drama conventions shape meaning in performance through active experimentation and rehearsal.

Rather than focusing on definitions, students work with each convention through structured tasks that encourage comparison, refinement, and deliberate performance choices. The emphasis is on audience impact, clarity, and interpretation, making this resource ideal for practical drama teaching.

Included drama conventions:

Freeze Frame (Still Image / Tableau)

Narration

Flashback / Flashforward

Chorus of Voice / Chorus of Movement

Spoken Thoughts (Thought Tracking)

Each convention includes:

a clear teaching focus

practical exploration tasks

contrast activities

reflection prompts

teaching notes and extension ideas

This resource is suitable for:

KS3 drama lessons

Introducing or revisiting drama conventions

Supporting scripted or devised drama work

Building performance skills before assessment

This resource flexible for use across UK and international drama classrooms.