Jeffrey Grenfell-Hill – författare

This humorous and well-crafted play for an all-female cast deals with the class divisions of Edwardian England and is set before the Old Age Pensions Act was passed in 1908. It skillfully depicts the battle of Sarah Dawkins and her mother, Gran Twigden to outwit the local gentry, whose attitude is paternalistic but patronizing. As their battle ensues the audience rapidly becomes drawn into this highly entertaining and socially realistic play.6 women

This collection of scenes offers drama teachers a wide range of topics to explore through characterisation of the moment. There are scenes based on the historical past, these could be linked to cross-curricular activities. Those set in the present seek to draw young actors into a setting with which they can identify and emotionally explore. The author believes that young actors often wish to explore comedy. With this in mind, many of the scenes reflect comedic values. Some of these fun situations hold deeper resonances which the drama teacher would be able to explore with the actor. Each scene contains many different levels for the actor to identify with and emotionally develop. As the words are brought to life, the actor should imagine that they relate to a given set of circumstances; each scene is directly linked to the human situation. A young actor's motto should be: "I will live the words I learn."

This collection of historical and contemporary scenes offers drama teachers a wide range of topics through an exploration of vividly drawn texts.The opening pantomime dialogue contrasts with such serious issues as cholera and plastic pollution. These scenes give the drama studio a credible opportunity to develop partnerships with other departments within a school environment. Historical scenes provide opportunities for cross-curricular activities in both History and English. For instance, scenes of the horror of the Great War will heighten perceptions of the wartime narrative. Seven of the scenes are inspired by Shakespeare’s plays and will help the actor to develop their understanding of the original texts and the era in which the plays were written. The contemporary scenes confront issues relevant to young people growing up in an ever-changing world and explore such themes as ecological destruction, the refugee crisis and intergenerational conflict. As the words of the text are brought to life, the actor should seek to find links to a given set of circumstances. Each scene is directly linked to the human situation. The actor’s mantra should be, “I will live the words I learn.”