The Essential Guide to Doing the School Play: And Not Screwing It Up - Hardcover

by Jason Hanlan (Author)

I don't know much about drama - how do I go about choosing the 'right' show for my students?

Our school has a wide range of backgrounds and abilities - how can I ensure fairness for all in the production?

I barely have any time to spare - how can I rehearse this every week?

My school has no budget for a production, how can I make our production pay for itself?

Given how daunting it can feel to be charged with putting on a school play, this book is essential for teachers new to school shows and a valuable aid for the more experienced. It serves as an invaluable guide to producing work from all-time favourite blockbusters (such as Grease and Oliver!) to more obscure straight plays and comedies.

From cautionary tales to regular simple lists of dos and don'ts, and covering topics from clearing performing rights and managing the budget to looking after your own mental health, this book gives you all you need to produce and direct a successful school production and take the headache out of the job.

Author Biography

Jason Hanlan has built and led a drama department in a secondary school and been Head of Performing Arts. Over the last twenty-eight years he has directed/produced more than 40 shows, from the all singing, all dancing musicals to small intimate studio performance. He was LEA advisor for Surrey secondary drama and Lead Teacher for Drama in Berkshire. He has worked for AQA drama GCSE as a moderator and senior moderator for 12 years and, as part of this role, has been Coursework Advisor for teachers of GCSE Drama throughout the UK. He has been a senior moderator for AQA Performing Arts for four years and run teacher inset and training courses. He was previously Profesor De Teatro at Colegio Las Candelas Mendoza Argentina and is currently Asesor Académico del Programa de Arte de la Universidad Congreso. (Academic Consultant for the Arts at The Congreso University, Argentina).