Fiducia TogetherRehearsal techniques
The named exercises used to develop a performance, which you are expected to reference.
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.
What it is
Common techniques: hot-seating, still image or tableau, thought-tracking, cross-cutting, flashback and flash-forward, marking the moment, role on the wall, and units and objectives.
Where it applies
GCSE drama, in both devising and the written paper.
How it works
Each does a specific job. Hot-seating builds character detail; thought-tracking reveals inner life; marking the moment draws attention to a turning point using lighting, sound or stillness.
How to use it in your work
Name the technique AND its purpose. "We hot-seated the mother to develop her backstory, which changed how we played the argument."
In written papers, use them when explaining how you would rehearse or direct a scene — the question usually invites it.
Where to get help
Your teacher and your board's assessment criteria — these subjects are marked against four or five stated objectives, and reading them is the single most useful hour you can spend.
Revise this with a song
These are ours. We write revision songs because a lot of people remember a tune when they cannot remember a page, and because revising out loud in the kitchen beats staring at a highlighter.
- The Drama Song The GCSE drama topics and terminology, set to music.
Where to read more
Last reviewed 2026-08-28 by Fiducia Together · Next review due 2027-08-28
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.