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Volume 4 Editorial

1 April 2013 6 June 2022

This issue of Drama Research contains articles whose authors geographically span the world: UK, USA and Australia and whose research interests are equally diverse, but have one thing in common: the problem of the engagement of students and the means whereby such engagement can be evaluated. ‘Engagement’ is a much-used term in drama and theatre; but it presents particular difficulties to drama researchers in that it is so elusive a concept – how do you know when students are enagaged and how do you evaluate their engagement?

Drama Research Volume 4

1 April 2013 29 April 2022

April 2013

Reconsidering Dorothy Heathcote’s Educational Legacy

1 April 2012 6 June 2022

In this article, David Booth reflects on the impact of Dorothy Heathcote on education and educators, internationally, viewing her life’s work, the changes she brought about through her teaching, writing and speaking over the last fifty years, especially with universities and academic writers of drama education.
He looks back to see where we are today because of her journey.

‘Superteachers’, saints and solitaires: an investigation into Advanced Skills Teachers of Drama

1 April 2012 6 June 2022

Since the Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) grade was introduced over 4000 have been registered.

Black and Asian Theatre in Britain – A History

1 April 2012 6 June 2022

Black and Asian Theatre in Britain is an unprecedented study tracing the history of ‘the Other’ through the ages in British theatre. The diverse and often contradictory aspects of this history are expertly drawn together to provide a detailed background to the work of African, Asian, and Caribbean diasporic companies and practitioners.
Colin Chambers examines early forms of blackface and other representations in the sixteenth century, through to the emergence of black and Asian actors, companies, and theatre groups in their own right.
By Colin Chambers.

How is responsibility for group work shared in a GCSE Drama class?

1 April 2012 6 June 2022

This paper investigates how responsibility for group work is shared in a GCSE Drama class in order to gain a greater understanding of how successful group work is achieved.

Integrating 10th grade curriculum through Drama: the Greek traditional practice of Xysta

1 April 2012 6 June 2022

In this paper we present the design and implementation of a cross‐curriculum project that was carried out among grade 10 students in a public school in Athens.

Ecology and Environment in European Drama

1 April 2012 6 June 2022

Looking at European drama through an ecological lens, this book chronicles nature and the environment as primary topics in major plays from ancient to recent times. Cless focuses on the few, yet well-known plays in which nature is at stake in the action or the environment is a dramatic force. Though theatre predominantly explores human and cultural themes, these plays fully display the power of the other-than-human world and its endangerment during the history of Europe.
By Downing Cless

From St. Petersburg to Brixton: How Bakhtin’s concept of ‘Speech Genres’ informs the spoken language of role in the first years of schooling

1 April 2012 6 June 2022

I consider how spoken language of drama might be assessed firstly by using Bakhtin’s understanding of the influences that shape spoken language, and secondly by drawing on aspects of Gee’s (1999) model of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA).