SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS RESOURCE PACK Written by Sheree Vickers For Mousetrap Theatre Projects December 2010 Adapted from the mainstream schools education pack by Dick Johns
Welcome to the SEN Teacher Resource Pack for The 39 Steps. The aims of this resource pack are to help teachers prepare pupils for their visit to the theatre. The pre-show activities provided can help give an understanding of the story, characters and theatrical techniques used while the suggested post-show activities are designed to help pupils expand and reflect upon their experience of seeing the show. Although the storytelling style is quite wordy, there is plenty of visual humour and action, making the play very accessible to a wide range of pupils. While all activities in this pack can be adapted for a wide variety of abilities, a rating of EASY, INTERMEDIATE or CHALLENGING has been applied. It is hoped this guide will allow teachers to quickly access the resources available in this pack that are best suited to the needs of their group. Sheree Vickers is a drama teacher, writer and director, with over 14 years experience in leading groups of all ages and abilities. She is a recognised SEN specialist and has led many teacher-training days, written numerous magazine articles and reference materials and has published a series of playscripts that complement the UK National Literacy Hour. She is also the author of several books including Drama Scripts For People With Special Needs and The Stories Within. All photographs by Tristram Kenton. Further information on the show can be found at: www.love39steps.com N.B. There is a strobe effect at the very beginning of the play and two gunshots occur in the first half. If you have any concerns about certain pupils who may be particularly sound sensitive, then speak to the Front of House staff on arrival as they should be able to advise you of where to take pupils should anyone get distressed. 2
Contents 1. Introduction to the Show a) Plot Synopsis 4 b) ACTIVITY: Map It (EASY/INTERMEDIATE) 6 c) The Characters 8 d) ACTIVITY: Costume Design (EASY/INTERMEDIATE) 10 e) DRAMA: Check-In Characters (INTERMEDIATE/CHALLENING) 12 2. Pre-Show a) ACTIVITY: Code of Conduct (EASY/INTERMEDIATE) 13 b) Who s Running The Show? 13 c) ACTIVITY: Creating A Scene (EASY/INTERMEDIATE) 16 The Wind Using Props Using Bodies Putting It Together Adding Narration 3. Post-Show a) ACTIVITY: How To Make Invisible Ink (INTERMEDIATE) 17 b) ACTIVITY: Shadow Puppets (EASY/INTERMEDIATE) 17 c) DRAMA: Playing With Genre 18 Wink Murder (INTERMEDIATE/CHALLENGING) Melodrama To Music Who s Got The Ball? (EASY) d) DRAMA: What s Behind The Door? (EASY/INTERMEDIATE) 20 4. Further Production Images 21 Activities throughout this pack can be accessed at a glance by looking for the following icons: ACTIVITY Tasks RESEARCH Tasks PHOTOCOPIABLE Resources 3
Introduction to the Show Plot Synopsis The story of The 39 Steps is a classic portrayal of one man s flight from wrongful accusation through a series of improbable adventures. ACT I Richard Hannay is alone and bored in his London flat. To break the monotony of everyday life he goes to the theatre and sees a show demonstrating the remarkable powers of "Mr Memory", a man with a photographic memory. During the show however, a fight breaks out and shots are fired. In the ensuing panic, he finds himself holding a frightened Annabella Schmidt, who convinces him to take her back to his flat. There, she tells him that she is a spy, being chased by assassins out to kill her. She claims to have uncovered a plot to steal vital British military secrets, implemented by an organisation called the "39 Steps". The man at the head of this organisation can be recognised as he has the top joint missing from one of his fingers. She also shows him a map of Scotland and informs Hannay that she is heading to a large house there - for help! The next day, Hannay wakes up to find her dead, stabbed in the back with his bread knife. He sneaks out of the flat disguised as a milkman and takes a train to Scotland, (where Annabella Schmidt had told him she was going) to try and find help. On the train, he sees the police on his trail. In desperation, he enters a compartment and kisses the sole occupant, the attractive Pamela, in an attempt to escape detection. She however manages to free herself from his unwanted embrace and betrays him to the law. He jumps from the train onto the Forth Rail Bridge and escapes. After escaping, Hannay stays the night with a poor, elderly farmer and his young wife who flirts with him. The next morning he leaves in the farmer's Sunday coat, and calls at the house on the map Annabella Schmidt had shown him. There he finds the man with the missing finger-joint, the seemingly respectable Professor Jordan, who shoots him after a brief conversation and leaves him for dead. 4
ACT II The second act opens with Hannay in the local police station. Luckily Hannay had been wearing the farmers coat and the bullet had failed to penetrate the farmer's prayer-book, left in the breast pocket, allowing Hannay to flee once more. The police however, refuse to accept his story. Hannay jumps through a window and escapes. He tries to hide himself in a political meeting, but is mistaken for the keynote speaker; he gives a rousing impromptu speech (without knowing a thing about the candidate he is introducing), but is recognised by Pamela (the lady he kissed on the train), who gives him up once more. They are handcuffed together and taken away by so-called policemen, however Hannay eventually realises they are agents of the conspiracy. When the car is forced to stop by a mass of sheep in the road, he makes his escape (yet again), this time dragging an unwilling Pamela along with him. They travel cross-country, and stay the night at an inn. Pamela still does not believe Hannay's story and while he sleeps, she slips out of the handcuffs and makes her way downstairs. As she nears the reception, she overhears one of the so-called policemen on the telephone; the conversation confirms Hannay's story! She returns to the room and sleeps on the floor. Next morning, she tells him what she heard, and is sent to London to pass the information onto the police. Hannay meanwhile decides to follow the bad guys (in an effort to clear his name) and ends up at the London Palladium watching (yet again) the amazing Mr. Memory! As Mr. Memory s act starts, Hannay recognises the theme music - it's the annoyingly catchy tune he hasn't been able to forget for days. Hannay puts two and two together and realises that Mr. Memory is how the spies are smuggling the secrets out. As the police close in, Hannay shouts out a question about the 39 Steps. When Mr. Memory compulsively begins to answer, he is shot. Once the confusion settles and the bad guys are taken away, Hannay is once again in his London flat. However, this time Pamela is with him and the two live happily ever after. As pre-show research and preparation, pupils might like to watch the original 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock. The DVD is available to buy and 10 minutes of the original film can also be viewed on Youtube.com by searching for 39 Steps Hitchcock. EASY 5
ACTIVITY: Map It EASY / INTERMEDIATE As the plot of The 39 Steps involves a man on the run pupils might like to draw their own map of Hannay s journey. An example of how this could be done is on the next page. (You may even like to photocopy it, blow it up to A3 size and have pupils fill in any additional details they remember, such as Mr Memory, the gunshot or the aeroplanes chasing Hannay through the highlands.) INTERMEDIATE / CHALLENGING As an extension, small groups of pupils using drama strategies such as tableau, soundscape or spoken word could then re-create these moments across the classroom. Choose someone to take on the role of Richard Hannay (or take on the role yourself). Starting at the London flat, Hannay then makes his way across the room towards the next point in the journey. As each is reached, direct those creating it to come to life for a short moment. (See also the Creating A Scene activity on pp.16 for further ideas on how to physically create moments from the show.) A version of this exercise could then be adapted for a school assembly with Richard Hannay walking on the spot, facing the audience, while the various moments get recreated behind him. The pupil facing Hannay could either narrate the journey to the audience or it could be pre-recorded and played as a voice-over. N.B. For those with limited communication skills, the drama journey could involve them holding up a moment they have drawn, wearing a particular costume associated with the characters or having a sound (such as a train whistle or car horn) recorded on their personal communication devices. 6
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The Characters A cast of only four actors play over 130 characters in the show however the following pictures can help give pupils a sense of the some of the re-occurring/central characters. RICHARD HANNAY On the run for a crime he did not commit! ANNABELLA SCHMIDT On the run for her life and getting Mr.Hannay inwolwved! 8
THE PROFESSOR Never trust a man with a missing finger joint or a gun! PAMELA And her stockings! MR MEMORY Ask him any question! 9
ACTIVITY: Costume Design EASY / INTERMEDIATE The 39 Steps is set in pre-war 1930s Britain. Using the template below, pupils might like to research the fashions from this time in history and design their own outfit. To help in this process, the production s costume designs by Peter McKintosh are on the following page. 10
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DRAMA: Check-In Characters INTERMEDIATE / CHALLENGING The actors in The 39 Steps play a multitude of roles. As most of these characters need to be ready in a very short space of time they are usually denoted by a simple use of hats, wigs, scarves, jackets and other quick-change items. You will need: a collection of hats, scarves, jackets and other costume items (such as old dresses, shirts or material remnants) a desk (optional) a bell (if available) Get pupils to choose a hat or other costume item to wear. Tell them that from these items you will help them to develop a character. Ask them how their character might stand and get them to introduce themselves to the group (this could be as simple as a wave). Simple questions to help them develop this character can also include: Is this person old or young nice or nasty big or short etc.? How is this character feeling i.e. happy, sad, angry etc.? What is something they might say to someone they meet? Get them to demonstrate these characteristics for the class, paying particular attention to the expression on their faces. N.B. This activity works well with all groups and abilities. For pupils with more complex disabilities, the exercise can be a simple act of dressing up and viewing themselves a mirror or being photographed. For those with higher communication skills this character-building exercise can be a precursor to some simple scene work in which each of these newly developed characters checks into a hotel. Cast yourself as the person at the reception desk and get each of the pupils (dressed as their new characters) to check-into the hotel. Ask them what sort of room they would like and possibly even introduce some work on status by asking them if they are a snobby character who expects everything done for them? If the person is snobby, have some fun by getting them to order you about. For example, carrying their bags, cooking them a meal, cleaning their shoes etc. 12
Pre-Show ACTIVITY: Code of Conduct EASY / INTERMEDIATE Before you come to the show, you may wish to develop a Code of Conduct For A Good Audience with your class. Ask them to think about turning off their mobile phones, eating, talking and what sort of responses are helpful or unhelpful to the performers. (It may help to remind them that the performers can hear them too!) You may want to create a document or poster with either drawings or photographs of pupils enacting what is unacceptable (such as talking or texting on a mobile phone). Who s Running The Show? It might be interesting to point out to pupils that apart from the performers they can see onstage, there are also a number of very important people backstage that help keep the show running. Try making a list with the class of all the people who work backstage before checking it off with the following list. Sound Operators Someone behind a large sound desk (usually at the back of the theatre although sometimes at the side of the stage also known as the wings ) operates the sounds heard in the show not made by the actors. In The 39 Steps these sounds include the incidental music, voice-overs and sound effects such as the train and planes. 13
Lighting Operators During the technical rehearsal (which happens before the show opens), each individual light is hung on a rig high above the stage. Each rig is connected to the lighting desk (which is usually located in a small booth at the back of the theatre). During the show, someone sits at this desk and on each lighting cue given by the Stage Manager, pushes a button to create the next effect. Some lights, such as follow-spots, need a person on-hand to operate them. (Pupils may notice the follow-spot operators at the side of the theatre, often situated in the very high audience boxes.) Wardrobe Department Each costume gets washed after every performance. This is especially important as stage lights are VERY hot and actors tend to sweat a lot in their clothes particularly when performing a multitude of characters! Stage Manager Responsible for running the show and making sure that everyone is doing their job. The stage manager calls for sound and lighting cues to happen as well as calling actors from their dressing rooms to the stage. These calls are made over a backstage speaker system (so the Stage Manager doesn t have to yell) and are not heard by the audience. Deputy Stage Managers are also responsible for making sure that all the props are preset in the wings (the sides of the stage not seen by the audience) ready to be used by the actors. This is a particularly important job in The 39 Steps. Director The person who has overall responsibility for translating a writer s words from the page to the stage or into film has overall responsibility for integrating all the creative elements of a production acting, design, lighting and sound. 14
Movement Director Not every production has a movement director. It is a specialist job and in the case of The 39 Steps, the movement director (Toby Sedgwick) was responsible for creating certain set pieces such as the train sequence. He describes his role as: To come up with imaginative ways of portraying things like the train sequence, someone escaping from a train at 40 mph. It had a cinematic approach to create an image that would not be possible to do on stage unless you had the physical set. There are also elements of mime. A lot of my work is working out good comedy timing and quick character changes. It s all about manipulation and change of character. A lot of The 39 Steps was to do with the comic timing of certain scenes and visual effects, the visual way of portraying a situation! TOBY SEDGWICK - Movement Director (interviewed March 2009) Aside from the above list of people that help to maintain the show, there are also a multitude of people that helped bring The 39 Steps to the stage and pupils might be interested in discovering more about the team effort involved. See the official show programme for further details on the Creative Team, which includes information on people such as the writer, composer, set designer and producers. 15
ACTIVITY: Creating A Scene From trains to cars to bushes and rivers, the cast of The 39 Steps manage to create an array of objects and scenery with nothing but their bodies, some well-used props and their costumes. The following activities are designed to get the group using their bodies, some everyday objects and their imaginations to work together to create a number of different scenarios. 1. The Wind EASY Get the group to imagine that a wind is blowing. How can they convey a windy day to an audience? Practise waving their coats, hats, scarves and even hair. Experiment with the difference between a gentle breeze and a tornado wind. 2. Using Props EASY / INTERMEDIATE Put a scarf in the centre of the circle and ask the group to come up with as many different ways of using the object in ways other than a scarf. For example, it could become a horse s tail, a magic carpet, a sling or even a blindfold. (In The 39 Steps a shower curtain is used to represent a waterfall!) 3. Using Bodies INTERMEDIATE As a whole group, get pupils to make a series of shapes using just their bodies. Simple shapes for the class to create all together could include a circle, a triangle and the capital letter A. Tell them to freeze and hold their shapes once completed for you to inspect. Move onto objects. For example, ask the group to create a clock face (telling a specific time), a pair of spectacles or even a camera. N.B. For those with mobility issues, this activity can involve them moving their wheelchairs into place or having a support worker help them into position. Feel free to direct the group as necessary, even giving them a time limit for each shape to be made. 4. Putting It Together Ask the group to create the shape of a sailboat. Add some props, for example a broomstick for the mast and some material for the sails. Can the group sail the boat with a gentle wind blowing? What about during a storm? Suggest other scenarios for the group to create, such as a train, a car or a rollercoaster! INTERMEDIATE / CHALLENGING 5. Adding Narration While most of the class is involved in creating the sailboat, have a pupil narrate the story of the sailboat. This could be done in either the first or third person. For example, The sailboat was being tossed about on the mighty wind. or Captain, I see a storm brewing! Alternatively for groups with limited language skills, you might like to add sound effects or music to the scene to help tell the story of the impending wind, the stormy weather and possibly the eventual destruction of the sailboat (groups usually have great fun crashing on the rocks)! 16
Post Show ACTIVITY: How to Make Invisible Ink In the opening scenes of The 39 Steps our hero Richard Hannay is unwillingly thrown into a world of spies, lies and secrets. Pupils might want to create their own secret messages or drawings using this simple recipe for invisible ink. INTERMEDIATE You will need: 6 lemons or some bottled lemon juice (white wine or vinegar work well, too) some blank paper paintbrushes or cotton buds salt & wax crayons (optional) an iron (optional) salt & coloured crayons (optional) Squeeze lemons to obtain their juice or obtain bottled lemon juice. Use the juice as 'ink' by applying it to a stick or paintbrush and writing on paper. Allow the paper to dry. When you are ready to read your invisible message, hold the paper up to sunlight, a lightbulb, or other heat source (you could even run over it with a warm iron). The heat will cause the writing to darken to a pale brown, so your message can now be read. Alternatively, sprinkle salt over the message as the ink is drying. After a minute, wipe the salt off and colour over the paper with a wax crayon to reveal the message. ACTIVITY: Shadow Puppets Shadow puppets are used to great effect to help tell parts of the story in The 39 Steps. Shadow puppetry can easily be explored by dimming the lights in the classroom and shining a light over pupil s hands and bodies onto a wall. Experiment with depth - coming closer to the light and moving away from it, noticing how the shadows on the wall get larger or smaller accordingly. Pupils might like to create their own shadow rod puppets. Any shape can be cut out and fixed at the bottom with a rod to be held up in front of the light. As an extension, you might like to hang a sheet up with a light behind it (as in the show). The performers could then either act behind the sheet with their bodies or use their puppets. (Both rod puppets and the actors own bodies are used in The 39 Steps during the chase sequence when Richard Hannay is running from the aeroplanes!) Some amazing examples of Shadow Puppet theatre performances can be found on YouTube. One of my favourites is done solely with hands to Louis Armstrong s What A Wonderful World and can be found at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4yjtdzkqjo For further information on how to make and use shadow puppets, as well as the history of shadow puppet theatre, visit: www.shadow-puppets.com CHALLENGING www.ehow.com/how_2054377_make-shadow-puppets.html EASY / INTERMEDIATE 17
DRAMA: Playing with Genre INTERMEDIATE / CHALLENGING The 39 Steps has great fun playing with the genres of mystery and melodrama. The following games and activities can help give pupils a sense of these styles. Like the show, none of these activities should be taken too seriously! 1. Wink Murder In this game it is not essential that everyone in the group can wink. As a group you could decide on a different signal which the chosen murderer uses to kill people in the circle. It could be anything from a hand gesture to a big grin. You need to choose a detective and a murderer. The detective needs to be chosen first and is sent out of the room. Get the rest of the group into a circle (either sitting or standing) and ask them to close their eyes while you choose the murderer (by tapping the chosen pupil on the shoulder). Explain to the group that if they get winked at by the murderer (or see the chosen signal) then they must die as melodramatically as they like. They might even like to do so in slow-motion. (Remind them of Annabella Schmidt s wonderfully funny dying scene at the beginning of the show.) Invite the detective back into the centre of the circle. It s vital that the detective is told to rotate when they take their place in the centre of the circle, so that the murderer has a chance to deliver their signal when the detective s back is turned. Without this rule the game can fail, as the murderer never gets a chance to give their signal without being immediately spotted by the detective. The murderer then begins to subtly kill people using the agreed signal. The detective should be given 3 guesses as to who the murderer is. Play the game a few times, as it may take a while for the group to get the hang of it if they have never played before. N.B. This game can be streamlined for a group with more complex disabilities to just include a series of dramatic deaths with prizes for the most elaborate. 2. Melodramatic Mime Scene There are three main character types in melodrama the Hero, the Heroine and the Villain. Each has a particular stance, voice and music. The Hero is brave and strong. The Heroine is soft and gentle and the Villain is sneaky and mean. (Often there is also the Comic Sidekick who is always getting into trouble, falling down and providing the slapstick humour in the show.) Experiment with these character types, getting the whole group to show these physically and possibly even adding voices. Ask them how someone (who is brave) might walk, what they might say (such as, Stand back, I ll save you or Unhand her you villain ) and how they might stand. Using the following simple breakdown, pupils might like to enact their own Melodramatic Mime Scenes. The Villain puts the Heroine into a perilous position. (For example she might be tied to the railway tracks or strapped to a ticking bomb). The Hero arrives, scares off the Villain and rescues the Heroine. The Hero & Heroine exit and the Villain re-enters ready to plot for another day 18
Originally, melodramatic acting was accompanied with music. You might like to try using music to underscore the group s Melodramatic Mime Scenes and the soundtrack to the film of The 39 Steps has some fantastic examples on it. For more information on melodrama acting and plays you can visit: www.heroandvillain.com/dirtydeeds.html www.melodrama.net/plays.htm EASY 3. Who s Got The Ball? The pupils sit either in a circle or in a line. A volunteer is chosen and cast in the role of a police officer (you might even like to have a costume to help denote this). They then leave the room as a ball (or any object) is secretly given to another member of the group. When the police officer re-enters, the pupil with the ball must carefully and secretly start passing it along the line of participants without being caught. Encourage the participants to be sneaky as they pass the ball behind their backs without the police officer noticing. At any point the police officer can call stop and point to someone. If that person has the ball behind their backs then they ve been caught. N.B. If working with a group with more complex disabilities, have the police officer turn their back on the group. When their back is turned the ball can get passed around the group, but must be hidden the moment the police officer turns around to face (you might even like to take on this role yourself). 19
DRAMA: What s Behind The Door? EASY / INTERMEDIATE When Richard Hannah arrives at the large manor house in Scotland, he is taken through a series of doors. Behind one door we see images of a party going on (shadow puppets yet again)! Every time the actor opens the door, the music and dancing resumes. When the door is shut, the party music abruptly stops also. As a way of having fun with this idea, set up a CD with a variety of different sounds and/or music on it. As you open the door, the music starts. When you close the door, the music abruptly stops. Speculate with the class what might be going on behind the door. Have one of them open the door and react to what s behind it (this time)! For more able groups, you might like to set up an actual scene. They will have to work together and watch you for the visual cues, but as you open the door they could all be having a party. When you close the door, the party freezes. Experiment with different music/dancing styles. 20
FURTHER PRODUCTION IMAGES As an activity, ask pupils to re-create the following images they see and speculate on what might happen next. This can be done through discussion or by bringing the re-created image to life with sound and/or movement. Consider also the looks on the characters faces and how these might help to tell the story. 21
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