�鶹Լ��

Introduction and overview

Reading a novel is something that you would usually do on your own - watching a play in the theatre is very much a shared experience. An audience is made up of different sorts of people, all of whom will have different reactions to what they are seeing and hearing. We all react differently to what's in a novel too but not usually all at the same time.

Another key difference is that a novel could be compared to a finished building whereas the script for a play is more like the foundations for a building. The words will be built on and developed by a director and the actors and this will be further enhanced by costumes, lighting, scenery and a whole host of technical and artistic choices. These will have an influence on how the audience reacts to the play. The three key areas we are going to look at are:

• casting choices
• performance choices
• staging choices

As the idea of dramatisation is all about getting the play off the page and onto the stage, there are a number of clips to watch and think about to help you understand the process.