Stomp SEN resource pack

STOMP

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS RESOURCE PACK For Mousetrap Theatre Projects 23 – 24 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8ND © June 2009

DID YOU KNOW...

Academy Awards In 1996, STOMP made a special appearance at the Academy Awards, uniting 20 performers from all 5 productions around the world.

The Millennium STOMP performed on the steps of the Lincoln memorial for President Clinton’s Millennium celebrations.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF STOMP Combining comedy, percussion and movement, Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas created STOMP back in 1991. The show made its debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, receiving critical acclaim and launching it on a world-wide tour for the next 3 years.

It was also in 1994 that STOMP began its run at the Orpheum Theatre, New York.

This run has been so successful that in 2004, to celebrate its 10th anniversary, New York renamed 2nd Avenue at 8th Street, Stomp Avenue.

After establishing the American cast, the original UK cast of 8 performers then expanded to over 30 for a specially extended version of the show.

This production broke all box office records at the Royal Festival Hall in the London and subsequently toured to Melbourne, Australia before performing in the open air at the Acropolis in Athens.

STOMP now has multiple companies touring throughout the world, but it’s original founders and cast members continue to develop new projects including television commercials, movie soundtracks and independent films, all of which have received critical acclaim from Emmy awards to Academy Award nominations.

Their most recent projects include a Sesame Street special called “Let’s Make Music” in which they collaborated with the Muppets and the IMAX film “PULSE: A Stomp Odyssey” which takes audiences on a spectacular journey around the globe.

In 1994 the production returned to London, selling-out at the Sadler’s Wells theatre and receiving an Olivier nomination for ‘Best Entertainment’ and winning the award for ‘Best Choreography in a West End show’.

To find out more about STOMP visit their website at: www.stomp.co.uk

STOMP Teacher Resource Pack

BEFORE YOU SEE STOMP For those who have never been, a trip to the theatre is often confused with going to the cinema. Surprisingly, the concept of seeing real people on stage is still relatively foreign to most young people.

An introductory session explaining what to expect in a theatre environment (for example, the lights going out, the audience talking, the volume on stage etc‌) is often a good idea.

The volume of STOMP can be extremely loud at times; therefore anyone with sensitivity issues might need forewarning. Seek advice from the theatre whether to use the Induction Loop for hearing aids.

INCLUDED IN THIS SECTION ARE: A ROLE-PLAY DRAMA which can help to prepare students who are either not comfortable with the idea of a theatre trip, or for those that may get overexcited (they can practise behaviour beforehand and you can set up acceptable guidelines).

A glossary of THEATRE TERMS (with questions related to STOMP and the theatre).

A list of KEYWORDS & a PICTURE COMPOSITION follow-up activity to introduce students to the style of performance created in STOMP. See also the GAMES LIST included in this handbook, for some general activities to introduce the group to the percussive, movement and teamwork aspects of STOMP.

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STOMP Teacher Resource Pack THE ROLE-PLAY DRAMA (© Sheree Vickers 24 Oct. 04) Time Allowance: 30-40minutes You Will Need: • a classroom or a sports hall.

• enough chairs for each student.

• some mock theatre tickets.

The Set-Up: Explain that you are going to do some drama and go on a pretend trip somewhere.

The Activity: Take a register of everyone’s names, asking each participant if they have ever been to a theatre before. (Explain the difference between a cinema and the theatre.)

“Well, now that we are all here, how are we going to get to the theatre?”

Take some suggestions and guide the group to the mode of transport you will be using. (For the purposes of this breakdown, I’ll use a bus.)

“How do we normally catch the bus? Do we line up or just run and grab any seat possible? Line up? OK, who would like to be in charge of lining the group up and getting them on the bus?”

Cast a participant in the role of teacher and explain that you are going to be a naughty student. In role, demonstrate the bad behaviour that would be unacceptable during a bus If necessary, wear a trip such as pushing in line, yelling out, eating etc…(If hat or scarf to denote when you are playing the bus trip is taking time, drop the naughty student role the role of the naughty and suggest the group sing a song or do a travel activity.) student. By removing this, you can then resume your teacher role when needed.

Once you have arrived at the theatre, resume your normal teacher role and explain that the theatre tickets need to be given out, checked by an usher and everyone needs to take their seats. Set up the space and all the necessary roles (including someone in charge of the group) before resuming the drama to enter the theatre and take your seats. The naughty student character can then start misbehaving again.

Encourage the group to disapprove of this behaviour and suggest what behaviour would be acceptable.

End with a follow-up discussion, listing what happened in the drama and what the naughty student did that was wrong.

Explain to the group that what you were pretending to do today is actually going to really happen next week – without you being naughty of course!

Variations/Extensions: • Have someone (or a small cast) perform in front of the group on a mock stage.

It could be a poem, a dance or one of the games from the GAMES LIST.

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STOMP Teacher Resource Pack THEATRE TERMS Below is a selection of theatrical terms with a few guide notes related specifically to the production of STOMP. The questions included with each may be asked while waiting for the performance to begin or in a followup session after the theatre trip.

STAGE The space on which the ACTORS/PERFORMERS present the show.

The Vaudeville Theatre has a traditional Proscenium Arch stage, which means the audience sits facing the performers, not unlike sitting in a cinema. The audience can also sit quite high and look down on the stage. The Vaudeville has three audience levels – the stalls, the dress circle and the upper circle.

Often a proscenium arch theatre has a curtain, which rises at the beginning of the performance.

Other styles of STAGE include ‘Thrust’ (in which the stage juts out into the audience) and ‘The-Round’ (in which the audience sit in a circle with the STAGE in the middle).

Q. Did a curtain rise at the beginning of STOMP? How did the AUDIENCE know that the show had begun, e.g.: ACTORS/PERFORMERS walking onto the stage, change in lighting?

At the Vaudeville Theatre, the technician operating the lighting board is sitting in a Dress Circle balcony.

LIGHTING Lighting is very important in a theatre as it helps the audience to see the show. It can also help to set the mood of the piece, for example, happy/sad or daytime/night-time. The lighting in STOMP changes colour and sometimes goes out entirely. The lights are operated by a TECHNICIAN or STAGE MANAGER.

Q. What mood does the LIGHTING create, e.g.: was the performance set at night or during the day? Was it scary? Did the lighting change during the performance?

Did the change affect the mood?

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STOMP Teacher Resource Pack

ACTOR/PERFORMER A person who performs for the entertainment of others.

The cast of STOMP works as an ensemble or team. There is no star or main part and everyone is important to the production.

Q. Did all the ACTORS enter onto the STAGE via the wings (side entrances) or did some enter in other ways, e.g.: flying in from the ceiling or coming through the audience?

COSTUME The clothes worn by the ACTORS/PERFORMERS on STAGE which also help define character. The COSTUMES in STOMP must be hard-wearing and strong as the ACTORS/PERFORMERS use them to create sound (such as with their shoes); use them to hang from parts of the set (swinging from harnesses) and they must also wear them every night!

See the end of this handbook for interviews with some of the performers in STOMP.

Q. What are the PERFORMERS on-stage wearing, e.g.: ballet tutu, ice-skates, construction boots etc...? Do these COSTUMES fit in with the SET and the PROPS?

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STOMP Teacher Resource Pack PROPS An item used on STAGE by an ACTOR/PERFORMER. The PROPS will usually relate to the SET and story. In STOMP, the various PROPS are used to make sound.

Q. How many different PROPS did you spot the ACTORS/PERFORMERS using to make sound? Did these PROPS fit in with the SET? (In other words, would you also expect to find these PROPS in a street scene?)

Sometimes the SET changes during a theatre performance, indicating a change of location.

SET The background used to represent a place on the STAGE. The unique SET of STOMP helps to set the scene, telling the audience where the production will take place. As there is no curtain to rise, the SET is on display from the moment the audience enters the theatre.

Q. Where is STOMP ‘set’, e.g.: a bedroom, in outerspace, on a street? What defines it as a street, e.g.: bins, street signs, graffiti etc...? Does the SET change to a different location at all?

AUDIENCE The people who watch the performance. Generally in the theatre, an audience quietly watches the show. In STOMP however, there are times when the cast invite you to be involved and guide clapping and other forms of audience participation.

Q. Is there any music playing as the AUDIENCE waits for the show to begin? How many different styles can you hear, e.g.: Hip Hop, African, Classical, Pop etc...?

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STOMP Teacher Resource Pack KEYWORDS FOR STOMP Included here is a list of keywords and simple activities to help illustrate and explain them. They may be introduced before the performance and repeated again after the group has seen the show.

INSTRUMENT STOMP re-defines what is meant by the word A device for producing musical sounds.

INSTRUMENT, breaking • Have a hunt around the room for some convention to produce unlikely objects. Without damaging them, is sounds on some very it possible to make different and unlikely objects. unexpected sounds from them?

• Try grouping these different instruments together (or creating a list of objects that could be used as unique instruments) for use in different environments. For example, an undersea orchestra or an outer-space orchestra would have very unique instruments compared with the conventional instruments in a modern orchestra.

• As a sensory activity, try dropping different objects into a bucket to hear the sounds. Breaking old china into a bucket or bin (with lid) is a good & safe sound effect to bang on the ground.

• Demonstrate different sounds around the participants’ body and/or what they're sitting on. Explore with different “instruments” eg: a stick to a feather duster. Allow them to copy and explore on their own or with a partner – being aware of/sensitive to any areas where they might feel vulnerable, such as the face.

PITCH The extent to which a sound tone is low or high.

• Have a competition in the classroom to see who can find &/or create the highest sound and the lowest sound.

• Try tapping up and down a broomstick with a pencil.

• Using a xylophone, look at the different lengths of each bar. Before tapping up and down the instrument, ask the group if they think the sound will be low or high. If possible, remove the bars from the xylophone and get the group to put them into ascending order using only their ears and listening to the PITCH. TEMPO The speed at which a passage of music is played – fast/slow/medium • Take the group jogging (running on the spot in the classroom) pretending to go up a hill (slow) and down the other side (fast).

• Play two (or more) contrasting pieces of music for the group to move to.

Discuss if the TEMPO is fast, slow or medium.

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STOMP Teacher Resource Pack

The Washing Machine Game (© Sheree Vickers 24 Oct. 04) Time Allowance: 10 minutes You Will Need: • the fast, slow and medium picture cards (see templates included) • a collection of chairs The Set-Up: Set up chairs to form the edge of a large square.

The Activity: Put everyone into the pretend washing machine. Switch it on and get ready for the different cycles. Tell everyone that a change in cycle is due and randomly choose one of the picture cards (either out of a hat or set up on a spinner board).

When the MEDIUM picture card is chosen, the group gently bobs up and down on the spot.

When the FAST picture card is chosen, everyone must spin around quickly for a count of 3 (any longer and they can get dizzy) before sitting down on the spot.

When SLOW is chosen, they must spin slowly until the next cycle is chosen.

Extensions/Follow-Ons: • Add an “overload” command at which point everyone must rush out of the washing machine back to their places. Last one back to their place is out.

• Could also combine this exercise with VOLUME, getting the group to make loud or quiet sounds as they spin.

For those with physical impairments or other disabilities that make running to certain locations or moving in general an issue, adapt the exercises in this handbook accordingly.

For example, with The Washing Machine Game, either have a helper spin each participant in a chair or run, walk and stop to bob around the participant themselves – blowing bubbles as they do this helps to create a fun environment.

Alternatively, include a more sensory aspect by using blue material to spin around individuals (or waft over them) in the fast, medium or slow tempo. On the “overload” command, the group could get lightly sprayed with water!

VOLUME The degree to which the sound is loud or quiet.

• Choose a sound for the group to make and direct their volume by standing up high (LOUD) or crouching down low (QUIET). This can also be done just with the arms. Choose other sounds and get the other members of the group conducting.

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STOMP Teacher Resource Pack RHYTHM Remember, a regular rhythm doesn’t have to be fast and for A strong, those that may have trouble keeping the rhythm regular, regular repeated pattern of adjust by having them suggest a sound for you to put into a rhythm or use an electronic devise to record their sounds. music, sound or movement.

• Clap your hands together and count 1, 2, 3, 4 in a regular and irregular pattern. Encourage the group to hear the difference and demonstrate themselves.

• Repeat the clapped rhythm, but this time miss out saying a particular number. Get the group to copy. Keep clapping and dropping the spoken numbers.

• Set up a numbered hopscotch game (see diagram). The group must hop and jump with a regular beat along the hopscotch pattern.

(Cushions or hula-hoops may be substituted for this activity if necessary.) The traditional game is played by throwing a stone onto a particular number and jumping to avoid that number.

• Get the group to explore different clapping rhythms around their body such as tapping on the shoulders, the knees and stamping the feet. Put a combination together KEEPING A REGULAR RHYTHM.

REPETITION To occur again in the same way or form – to do again and again and again.

• Decide with the group a signal for stop, e.g.: a wave of the hands, holding an object in the air etc…

Although REPETITION has already been explored with RHYTHM, by stopping the sound and action it helps to establish the importance of silence and stillness, and can then allow for another RHYTHM to carry on.

For more games on RHYTHM see COPY ME GROUP RHYTHMS in follow-up activities.

Picture Composition This activity puts all the keywords together and allows the students to create their own rhythmic compositions.

Time Allowance: 30minutes You Will Need: • a set of KEYWORD picture cards (Included at the back of this teachers pack are some sample picture cards for you to photocopy, but feel free to use cards your group may be familiar with such as the MAKATON symbols.)

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STOMP Teacher Resource Pack a large wall to stick the cards on (see sample composition sheet at the end of this activity) NOTE: If working with small numbers, spread the cards out on a table.

• a hat or bag to pull the KEYWORD picture cards out of • a cape &/or conductor’s baton (optional) •

The Set-Up: Set the group up as an orchestra, facing the picture wall with either yourself or a volunteer in-role as the conductor.

NOTE: When new to an activity, it is often a good idea to demonstrate the lead role yourself, before passing it onto a member of the group.

The Activity: REMEMBER TO Pull the 1st INSTRUMENT card out of a hat. Discuss KEEP THE TEMPO! with the group how it will be played as each “instrument” can be explored in many ways. For example, the hands can be clicked, clapped or rubbed together; the mouth includes the lips, tongue and even sounds or words; armpits can make farty sounds or the action of spraying under them with deodorant etc...

Pull out a VOLUME and PITCH card and discuss with the group how a loud/quiet and high/low sound could be made with the chosen instrument. (I have suggested that a constant TEMPO is kept, but the group can also decide this if you wish.)

Finally pull out a RHYTHM number card. The group will then play that instrument on that particular beat – therefore the entire composition will only be 4 beats in length and should be repeated at least 3 or 4 times.

Variations: • This exercise can be as simple or complicated as you wish, for example, keep the same instrument, but vary the VOLUME, PITCH or TEMPO. • The RHYTHM aspect of this exercise can also be adapted. For example, each number could represent how many times that particular INSTRUMENT is played - once, twice, three times etc...

Extensions/Follow-Ons: • Get individuals to create their own compositions. Add the individual pieces together and create a symphony.

• Individuals invent a 1-Man-Band, each performing their own composition.

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COMPOSER:

TEMPO:

STOMP Teacher Resource Pack

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES The activities in this section have been inspired by some of the different instruments and routines used in STOMP. They may be taken individually or worked through in order, but by putting various activities together (along with exercises from the GAMES LIST), any group should be able to re-create their own STOMP performance for an audience.

CHARACTER SOUNDS, WORDS AND ACTIONS Inspired by the opening routine where street cleaner characters enter the stage with brooms – brushing, banging, kicking and sweeping the bristles on the ground before greeting each other with “alright”.

1st Exercise – Greetings 1. Explore all the different ways you can say the word “hello” – changing the tempo, volume and pitch.

2. Have the group walk around greeting each other with different “hello’s”. Use a drum or clap your hands to keep a steady RHYTHM. 3. Put these “hello’s” into a rhythm (use the PICTURE COMPOSITION SHEETS if necessary). For example, a HIGH “hello” is said on 1, a LOW “hello” on 3 and so forth. Repeat these rhythms and start to add a repeatable action.

4. Think of different jobs and people associated with these jobs. How would these different characters greet each other? Practise these different character greetings as above, creating a rhythm and repeatable action.

2nd Exercise – Emotions 1. Create a list of emotions, e.g.: happy, sad, angry, vengeful, frightened etc…

2. Under each emotion, write some things you might say if you were feeling these emotions, e.g.: yippee, boohoo, No!, mine, help etc…

Q. Is there a tempo, pitch or volume that is naturally Tongue Twisters associated with these emotive words? are an excellent example of how to 3. Put these emotive words into a rhythm as in the st play with words 1 Exercise.

3rd Exercise – Playing With Words 1. Pick a letter from the alphabet and list about ten words beginning with that letter.

2. String some of the words together, establish their rhythm and repeat as necessary, for example: Daddy’s Driving Dangerously Drip Drip Drip

and are great for explaining alliteration and onomatopoeia!

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STOMP Teacher Resource Pack 3. Repeat with another letter of the alphabet and either add it after the first word composition or have the two rhythms going simultaneously.

See also the Name Game in the GAMES LIST.

Don’t forget to explore their PITCH, TEMPO & VOLUME. 4. Try creating some word plays with different topics – keeping the rhythm and even adding emotion & character.

For example…

THE BODY TIP TOE, TIP TOE STAMP STAMP STAMP COUGH COUGH KISS KISS BLINK BLINK SSHH!!

FOOD GOBBLE SLURP, GOBBLE SLURP MUNCH MUNCH MUNCH SUCK LICK BURB CRUNCH MORE MORE MORE

SHOES Click Clop Click Clop Click Clop Click Stomp Scuffle Stomp Scuffle Stomp Scuffle Stomp Sliiiiiiiiiiiddddddeee !!!

You can also use the composition sheet for this,

4th Exercise – Creating Scenes just replace instruments with words.

In STOMP, a routine involving chairs and newspapers is a perfect mix of rhythm, comedy and mime. The following guidelines should help you and your group create your own comedic skit.

1. Choose a location such as THE FAMILY CAR. 2. Next, choose the characters involved in this location, for example, MUM, DAD, BROTHER & SISTER. 3. Think of a sound or short piece of dialogue that each character might say (see below for my suggestion). Add a repeatable action to it also.

4. Set up the “scene”, such as four chairs representing the seats in the car with mum & dad in the front and the two siblings in the back.

5. Set up a RHYTHM for each character to repeat their dialogue or make their sound.

6. Add texture such as building the emotion, changing the PITCH or increasing the VOLUME and TEMPO. THE FAMILY CAR Brother: Sister:

She’s kicking.

I’m not!

Repeat 3times.

Mum: (tuning the radio) Where’s that station?

Mum says this once, and then we go back to the beginning with the brother and sister starting again and

mum repeating her line. The entire sequence builds in TEMPO and VOLUME until dad says…

Dad: (yelling) Stop!

There is silence and stillness before the brother starts again, very softly and slowly and the whole routine can repeat.

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STOMP Teacher Resource Pack Other Environment Ideas: • The Hairdressers – brushing up the cut hair, admiring in the mirror, snipping scissors…

• A Busy Street – shopping, cars, police directing traffic, road works…

• All at Sea – rain washing, sails blowing, sailors singing…

• A Doctors Office - sneezes, coughs, reading magazines, shuffling, Next!...

• Going to Bed - the rhythm of a nodding head, sighing, yawning, waking up dad snoring in the chair…

• Fighting with Mum – “Go to your room”, No!…

• The Accident – Oops, Ouch, Sorry !…

• The Zoo – animal sounds, feeding time…

• The Restaurant – clinking cutlery, eating noises, taking food orders…

• The Noisy Neighbourhood – stereo blasting, playing kids, revving cars…

• The Dragon’s Hideout / At The Palace / The Spooky Mansion Combine these with unique INSTRUMENTS that would only be found in these environments (see KEYWORDS section p.10 in this handbook).

COPY ME GROUP RHYTHMS Inspired by the matchbox routine in STOMP. After cleaning the streets, the group sits down for a break and each of them taps out routines with their bodies and by shaking matchboxes.

To precede these exercises, do the Sharing Rhythms activity in the GAMES LIST.

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STOMP Teacher Resource Pack 1st Exercise 1. Have the group in a circle. The first person in the circle performs a simple 4beat rhythm with (sound and action) for the group to copy.

2. The next person in the circle creates another 4beat rhythm that is also copied by the group.

3. Now, before moving onto the third person in the circle, the first person repeats their 4beat rhythm, followed by If need be, simplify this exercise the second. to cut the group copy aspect and 4. Slowly a large group composition is created. just build up the group 4beat rhythms one after the other.

2nd Exercise 1. Start a simple rhythm for the group to copy and repeat, for example: clap, clap, click, click.

2. Tell them you are going to drop a certain segment of the rhythm for example, clap, clap, [space], click. Practise keeping the rhythm with the space.

3. As the group maintains the clap, clap, [space], click rhythm, fill the [space] with a variety of weird & wacky sounds. Point to others in the group. On the next rotation of the steady rhythm, they must fill the [space] with a weird & wacky sound.

4. Create another space in the rhythm, for example: clap, [space], [space], click for the group to fill in.

How important is KEEPING THE RHYTHM?

Variations: • After each insert of a weird & wacky sound, the group copies it once.

• Put whole body action into the empty [space].

• Add/extend with “instruments”.

WATCHING DANCING VIBRATIONS 1st Exercise: Sprinkle some talcum powder, glitter or light sand on a drum and watch the jumping vibrations.

2nd Exercise: 1. Fill a shallow cardboard box with a thin layer of sand or talcum powder.

2. Put a small ball in the cardboard box and roll it around, listening to the sounds and watching the emerging patterns.

3. Try banging underneath the cardboard box or blowing the ball around with different forces of breath – experiment with how to make different sounds and create different patterns with this new “instrument”.

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STOMP Teacher Resource Pack WATER SPLASH MONSTER (© Sheree Vickers 24 Oct. 04) The following activity was inspired by the kitchen sink routine in which the cast don’t just bang on the metal sinks, but, wearing marigold gloves, also scrape back and forth across the surface like a DJ playing records – making a very similar sound too!

Time Allowance: 20minutes You Will Need: • A bucket filled with water • A basketball or other object suitable for dropping into the bucket of water • A small ball, small beanbag or balloon • Some towels to dry off afterwards.

NOTE: Good outdoor fun!

TEAMWORK What happens if one person isn’t paying attention?

The Set-Up: The group is either sitting or standing in a large circle with the water splash monster walking around the outside, carrying his bucket of water and basketball.

The Activity: The group is tossing a small ball, beanbag or balloon to each other – keeping a rhythm going as evenly as possible - if the rhythm stops or the ball, beanbag or balloon hits the ground, the WATER MONSTER stops and splashes whoever dropped the ball or broke the rhythm!

Variation: • YOU as the water monster, keep a steady rhythm as the group get closer and closer, knowing that at any moment you might break the rhythm & splash LOUDLY! (For smaller groups or one-to-one work, play this game around an actual kitchen skink – chanting for the dishes to be brought over by the brave participant!)

Further Water-Based Exercises: 1. Explore PITCH further by lightly tapping or rubbing the rim of glasses filled with different water levels.

2. Pour water out into the buckets in a steady stream and short bursts. Can you create a new rhythm piece or incorporate this into one of your own already developed?

3. The kitchen sink routine in STOMP made washing up fun! Can you make other household chores fun?

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STOMP Teacher Resource Pack ALIEN CREATURE WALKS To clean up the mess made by the water, the cast of STOMP bring out a series of mops and plungers that are slapped and sucked across the stage.

Exercise: 1. Walk across the room in front of the group. On each “step” that you take, make a particular noise.

2. Encourage other members of the group to show you walking and making sounds at the same time. (Alternatively, you make the sound as they walk across the room.)

3. Adapt and play with the walk, for example walking on just your heels, your toes, bobbing up and down as you walk, incorporating your hands etc…

4. What type of foreign/alien Why not add costume and develop an entire creature could this be? Give it a scene, for example, alien creatures on a name and decide what planet it’s shopping trip, running a marathon, packing from. the spaceship to fly away on holiday!

5. Get multiple aliens walking across the room at the same time.

MARTIAL ART MADNESS (© Sheree Vickers 24 Oct. 04) A safe non-contact exercise inspired by the stick fighting routine in STOMP. It requires nothing except the ability to be silly!

Exercise: 1. In slow motion, with large facial expressions, exaggerated actions and a large voice, introduce yourself as the Martial Arts expert and show the group a few karate type moves (with appropriate noises)!

2. Get them to copy. “When I go hiiiyyyyyaaaa – you go hiiiyyyyyaaaa back…OK… hiiiyyyyyaaaa!!!”

3. Repeat with different sounds for different actions, all in the martial art style. Ask the group if others have any martial art style moves for the group to learn.

4. Extend this exercise by telling the group you will now be testing their responses. Therefore, when you swing your (imaginary) sword low, they must all jump up high. If you swing it high, they must bob down – and so forth. Don’t forget the appropriate sounds and try to keep a steady rhythm.

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STOMP Teacher Resource Pack SPINNING LIGHT RHYTHMS The following exercises come from two routines in STOMP. In one, they use empty water coolers that are thrown, caught and spun on the ground. The other routine involves cigarette lighters and a dark stage.

1st Exercise: 1. Fill up some empty jars or plastic bottles with different coloured water (or glitter works well). Secure the lids tightly back on the jars.

2. Spin the jars around, watching the colours and listening to the sounds made by different sized jars. Note the change in PITCH when there is a smaller jar or less water.

2nd Exercise: A selection of torches (at least 4) is needed for this exercise and a room that can be blacked out.

1. Set up four people with a torch, giving each of them a number.

2. When you call out that particular number, the person holding that torch must switch it on and off. (Alternatively, YOU hold the torches and get the group to call out a number.)

3. Try and establish a steady rhythm and possible action to accompany turning the torches on. Can these torches (without breaking them) make any other sort of sound?

4. Maintaining this rhythm, call out the numbers in a different order.

5. Try adding some colour to the exercise by covering each torch with different coloured scarves or cellophane. If possible, replace the torches with items that glow in a fluorescent environment.

THE RUBBISH BAG! From a lovely routine involving plastic bags and a banana peel.

1. Fill up a garbage bag with different rubbish-type props.

2. Either get the group to reach into the bag and choose a prop for you to make sounds from or for a bit more fun, place the rubbish bag in the centre of a circle of chairs. Play the traditional Musical Chairs game and whoever is left without a chair, must choose an “instrument� from the rubbish bag.

Why not create your own garbage orchestra and develop it into a scene set in a rubbish tip with alien creatures and the family car broken down in the corner!

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STOMP Teacher Resource Pack

GAMES LIST These games can top and tail any drama session, but are also good to use as standalone time-fillers.

NAME GAME 1. In a circle everyone introduces themselves by adding an adjective with the same letter that begins their name, for example Silly Sally, Jumping John etc…

2. Include an action to accompany every name.

3. The rest of the group repeats each name and action.

4. Once everyone has been introduced, the whole group repeats the entire list from the beginning.

This activity can be adapted for different themes, e.g.: animals (laughing lions) or food (yummy yoghurt) etc…

SHARING RHYTHMS 1. In a circle, pass a clap around the group. Each participant only claps once, and only claps when it comes to them.

2. Once the group has mastered that and a fairly quick rhythm is established, vary the clapping pattern, e.g.: 3 times in a row or add a jump turn. This then gets passed around the group.

3. Keep extending and complicating the rhythmic patterns being passed around.

Aside from maintaining the rhythm, this exercise is also good for observation and memory – how many individual 4beat rhythms can you remember in a row?

Variations: • Clap the rhythm of your name and the names of those in the group.

• Clap the rhythm of different words (from a pre-determined list) for the group to copy. Once it has gone around the circle a couple of times, ask them if they can guess which word you were clapping. (You can also start to explore the STRESSES in different words – light & hard emphasis.)

• Try passing the clap across the circle while still maintaining the rhythm and tempo. (Eye contact and focus are very important to achieve this.)

THE IMAGINARY BALL GAME To carry on from passing a clap, try passing imaginary balls around and across the circle. Each imaginary ball has a different size, sound and weight.

How you throw the ball 1. Start off with one ball. Show the group the may affect the way you size and demonstrate the sound it makes when catch the ball! thrown or bounced.

2. Start passing this ball slowly around the circle.

Try to maintain the RHYTHM and TEMPO.

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STOMP Teacher Resource Pack 3. Once the group is comfortable/confident with that one ball, add another into the group (such as a bowling ball that rolls along the ground).

4. See how many imaginary balls the group can keep going at any one time.

If being able to imagine each ball is not possible for certain groups, this activity may be played with a variety of real balls. Note the different sounds they make.

BUILDING MACHINES This exercise uses any number of different people to build a group machine.

1. The group is standing or sitting in a large circle.

2. One person enters the middle of the circle and starts a robotic action and accompanying sound, both of which need to be repeated over and over again.

3. Once established, a second person enters the circle and builds onto the existing piece of robotic machinery with their own action and sound that are also repeatable.

4. Slowly the whole group adds on, making one large machine, which can either (on your command) slowly speed up before falling to the ground in pieces or wind down to a stop.

5. Try creating a machine with a purpose, such as a clock with chimes that needs to be wound up.

A SOUND WALL As a more sensory exercise, create an interactive sound display wall for students to play as a large musical instrument.

In STOMP, the finale begins with cast members swinging from the ceiling, playing “instruments” hanging on the background wall.

ORCHESTRA RUN You will need a large empty classroom or sports hall for this exercise.

• Set up four different “instrument” images in the four corners of the room, for example, the HANDS, FEET, HEAD and BELLY. (You can use enlarged instrument pictures from the templates included in this pack.)

• Randomly call out different “instruments”. When that particular instrument is called out, the group must run to that corner and start making a sound (any sound) with that particular instrument such as (with HANDS) clapping, clicking or rubbing together.

• Continue calling different instruments for the group to discover, however…

• …when ORCHESTRA is called, the group must first choose their own instrument to play and then assemble in the middle of the room, grouping up with others who have chosen to play the same instrument (albeit not necessarily in the same way).

• Look at the way different instruments are being played before choosing someone to conduct this orchestra (exploring VOLUME & TEMPO).

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STOMP Teacher Resource Pack LISTENING As an excellent way to wind the group down after a busy session (or to calm them down before you begin), have them listen intently to sounds either outside or inside the room. Write a list of all those heard and get the individuals to show what they thought was happening to make those sounds. Is there a difference between outside and inside sounds? How about daytime and night-time sounds?

INTERVIEWS WITH THE CAST The following interview was with Fraser Morrison, Jeremy Dolan, Melanie Joseph and Naomi Richards who are all from London’s West End production of STOMP. 1. How long have you been with the show?

Fraser: Jeremy: Melanie: Naomi:

I’ve been with the show from the start, which is now thirteen years …

I surprise myself!!

5 years 5 years 4½years

2. What is your favourite part in the show?

Fraser:

Many different parts for many different reasons – HANDS & FEET as you are using purely your body as an instrument; BINS as it is big and loud … and the end, because the audience are doing the work!

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STOMP Teacher Resource Pack Jeremy: Melanie: Naomi:

The HANDS & FEET routine too.

I like the POLES routine.

BROOMS, BINS and BAGS – all the ‘B’ routines!

3. What is the worst thing that's ever happened during the show?

Fraser:

Jeremy: Melanie: Naomi:

We’ve had light failures, fire alarms go off etc … but when playing outdoors and a thunderstorm starts above you – that’s fairly scary. A stage full of junk and puddles doesn’t mix.

I fractured my skull once.

The lights going out whilst doing the POLE combat routine is pretty scary.

Somebody once broke a rib.

4. What's the strangest thing you've ever used to make a sound?

Fraser: Jeremy: Melanie: Naomi:

I once played the bald head of a television presenter in Norway … don’t think I’ll do that again!!

A length of scaffold pipe.

A banana skin!

Chocolate.

5. How do you keep the rhythm going?

Fraser: Jeremy: Melanie: Naomi:

Follow your heart, play with passion and listen to your fellow STOMPERS – that usually does it.

It keeps itself going really – you become one of the engine parts.

I sing the rhythm in my head.

Count and listen!

6. What is physically demanding/hurting after each show? Are any parts of it dangerous?

Fraser:

Jeremy: Melanie:

Naomi:

The whole show is very physically demanding and I think different things hurt different people. A lot of the show is potentially dangerous, but with lots of awareness, practise and good choreography, that danger can be limited Everything is physically demanding. I usually find my back, feet, knees, hands, shoulders and ears hurt.

The entire show is physically demanding. My arms usually ache for an hour. Concentration is required throughout the show, otherwise it would be dangerous.

My back often hurts and needs stretching and any part of the show can be dangerous, so you have to concentrate all the time.

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STOMP Teacher Resource Pack 7. Do you get on well with the rest of the cast? Do you ever fight or argue?

Fraser:

Jeremy: Melanie: Naomi:

I do, but it’s only right that if you spend that much time with the same people and working together so closely that there will be the odd discrepancy. Talk about it and sort it out, if you feel like hitting something – save it for onstage!!

Generally we all get on, but there are the occasional arguments.

We all get on well, but we have small disagreements sometimes, but they’re soon settled.

Yes we do get on well, but we sometimes argue like any large group who spends a lot of time together. It’s a bit like a big family.

STOMP Special Needs Teacher Resource Pack compiled and written by Sheree Vickers for The Mousetrap Foundation Bedford Chambers The Piazza Covent Garden London WC2E 8HA © Monday, 25 October 2004

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