#23
Annotating drama (stagecraft + dialogue)
AQA English · Skills
Key steps (method)
- Track power/status: who controls the conversation and how it shifts.
- Note stage directions: entrances/exits, pauses, movement, lighting, props.
- Underline key dialogue moments: threats, persuasion, interruptions, sarcasm.
- Look for dramatic techniques: dramatic irony, tension, revelations, cliff-hanger ends.
- Always add: how would the audience react, and why did the writer place it here?
Common mistakes
- Treating it like a novel (ignoring stage directions).
- Quoting dialogue without discussing performance/audience effect.
- Missing structural moments (reveals/turning points).
Support videos
- An Inspector Calls stagecraft search: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gcse+english+stagecraft+analysis