Higher Drama SQA
Posted by John Naples-Campbell on March 28th, 2009
Well this week I had the pleasure of presenting 18 pupils to the SQA for their Higher Drama Acting Exam. This is an external exam which is now worth 50% of their overall grade.
We have had a tough time at Knox as all the pupils sitting the Higher are doing what we call a ‘crash higher’ in the subject; which means they are sitting the subject with no previous school experience, that is not to say that they have not risen to the challenge.
The year has been building up to this moment where all 18 pupils got the chance to showcase their talent in front of an audience of keen Standard Graders and the SQA marker. (I don’t know who was more nervous, me or them?!) We had performed to parents on the Monday Evening as an Open Dress rehearsal and I think they were surprised at just how professional these young people actually were!
The Exam asks the pupils to perform two roles; one from a Classic Text and a contrasting role from a Scottish Contemporary Theatre text. Our pupils performed Classic scenes from
- Antigone
- The Importance of Being Ernest
- Lovers
- A Taste of Honey
- The Crucible
- The House of Bernarda Alba
Although our set text is Antigone I wanted the examier to see a variety of scenes but also I didn’t want pupils to feel they were beking compared if they repeated scenes from the same play.
The second roles were from the following Scottish Texts
- Men Should Weep
- The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
- The Architect
- Sleeping Around
- Borders of Paradise
- Perfect Days
It was a long day, both mentally and physically exhausting however I am so proud of all of them, they really shone and hopefully will do well oncethe results come out in August.
The Higher Drama is a hard course, I bet we all say that, but honestly the course asks pupils to be Writers, Directors, Actors, Dramaturgs, Researchers and Academics. I suppose the SQA did not want to see the course being seen as some see it as a ‘Mickey Mouse’ subject, I for one know that we are not and indeed, having just studied the play, i’m sure Miss Brodie would have had a word or two to say about it!
April 16th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
Hi, I can across your blog while researching Higher Scottish Contemporary Theatre for my daughter, who like your students has recently been presented for her Acting Exam. Your defence of your subject to those who may deem it a “Mickey Mouse” subject particularly resonates, as she and her peers have been immensely challenged by the written elements of the course in comparison to Standard Grade. She is currently revising for the final exam and has been taught to reference two two act(or more) plays as a first or second reference in the case of SC Theatre, however we can’t find evidence that this must be the case on the SQA’s site. Does this mnean that she would be penalisedfor referring to one act plays, such as “one Good Beating” or “Black Watch” as a first or second reference? I would greatly appreciate if you could advise on this.