Oscar Wilde's The Canterville Ghost | Teacher Resources

OSCAR WILDE’S THE

CANTERVILLE

GHOST TEACHER RESOURCE PACK

TEACHER RESOURCES A Unicorn Production

OSCAR WILDE’S

THE CANTERVILLE GHOST Adapted by Anthony Weigh Directed by Justin Audibert

FROM SUN 10 NOV 2019 - SUN 5 JAN 2020 FOR PUPILS IN YEARS 3 - 11 GET INTO THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS...

This wonderfully witty, delightfully spooky retelling of Oscar Wilde’s 1887 comic novel is brought to life this Christmas with spine-tingling magic, spectacular illusions and ghoulish effects.

Mr and Mrs Otis and their boisterous children arrive from America to move into Canterville Chase – a rather old, rather creepy Gothic mansion. Of course, like all the best old mansions, the Chase comes with its own ghost; the rather tormented Sir Simon Canterville.

The spectral knight does his best to spook the trespassers from his ancestral home, but his ghostly machinations hold no fear for this rational modern family.

Sir Simon succumbs to utter despair until he meets young Virginia Otis, who sees him for who he really is…

Duration: 2 hrs (approx)

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TEACHER RESOURCES

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION

p. 4

ABOUT THE PLAY

p. 6

MAKING THE PLAY

p. 10

INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR JUSTIN AUDIBERT

DRAMA ACTIVITIES

p. 12

SEQUENCE ONE

p. 15

SEQUENCE TWO

p. 16

SEQUENCE THREE

RESOURCES

p. 31

p. 35

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TEACHER RESOURCES

INTRODUCTION This is the teacher resource pack to accompany the Unicorn Theatre’s Christmas 2019 production of The Canterville Ghost.

The production is aimed at children and young people in school Years 3 and above, and these resources have been written with both primary and secondary teachers in mind. The purpose of this resource pack is to provide useful contextual information about the production and a series of exploratory drama activities, so that teachers feel equipped to support and extend pupils’ visit to the theatre, enabling them to get the most from the experience.

The Canterville Ghost was written in 1887 by the Victorian poet and playwright Oscar Wilde. Though Wilde was already an established journalist and editor, the story was his first piece of prose to be published. Since then, it has been adapted for screen and stage many times. This new adaptation for the Unicorn Theatre has been written by Anthony Weigh, and will be brought to life on stage by the Unicorn’s Artistic Director, Justin Audibert. Weigh’s script is a faithful retelling of Wilde’s original story, staying true to the plot, characters and setting, as well as capturing Wilde’s distinctive witty tone and elaborate use of language.

In the story, Mr and Mrs Otis and their four children move from New York to Canterville Chase, an old country house in England, despite warnings about its resident ghost, who has been mercilessly tormenting the inhabitants for hundreds of years. The Otis family, with their progressive views and rational attitude to life, do not have time for the supernatural and certainly do not believe in ghosts.

To them, the old house, along with its gloomy housekeeper Mrs Umney, are stuck in the past and in need of modernisation. However, it soon becomes apparent that Sir Simon, the ghost, is determined to make his presence known to the American family, whatever it takes. Much comedy ensues as the Otis family, instead of reacting with fear, focuses on finding practical solutions for dealing with the ghost’s presence. The familiar world of the haunted house story is turned on its head as its characters refuse to be scared by what they encounter.

The Unicorn’s production of The Canterville Ghost will be theatrically exciting, involving illusion, magic and the sense that things appear unexpectedly out of the dark. The set itself will be relatively simple: a long, Victorian dining table and several chairs. However, this table will also become a stage on which moments in the story are brought to life in miniature form with models of Canterville Chase, or the carriage driving through the night. As the Unicorn’s Christmas production, the show will be entertaining, uplifting and fun. However, there is also plenty of opportunity for meaningful engagement and reflection. At the heart of the story is the ghost’s crisis of identity and his inability to escape from his painful existence, perpetually stuck between life and death. The heroine of the story is Virginia, the Otis’s only daughter, who with her compassion, thoughtfulness and bravery is the only person able to truly hear and understand the ghost’s vulnerability.

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TEACHER RESOURCES Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. Born in Dublin, Wilde’s parents were Anglo-Irish intellectuals. He went to Trinity College Dublin and then the University of Oxford. He became associated with the philosophy of aestheticism (the belief that aesthetics should be valued over sociopolitical themes in the arts), a movement led by two of his tutors, Walter Pater and John Ruskin.

After University, Wilde moved to London where he became a key part of the literary scene. He wrote in many different forms throughout the 1880s; poetry, novels, short stories, as well as a number of short stories for children, which include The Happy Prince and The Selfish Giant. In 1882 he was asked on a lecture tour of America where he spoke on aestheticism. He wrote the novella The Canterville Ghost in 1887.

In the early 1890s he became famous as a playwright, with particular success for The Importance of Being Ernest (1895). Wilde was known for his biting wit and conversational skill, as well as for being a flamboyant dresser, contributing to his profile as a celebrity of his day.

In 1895, at the height of his fame, he tried to prosecute the Maquess of Queensbury for libel after he accused him of being homosexual. The resulting investigation found evidence which led to Wilde’s prosecution for gross indecency. He was sentenced to two years in prison with hard labour. He wrote about his experiences in prison in De Profundis and The Ballad of Reading Gaol; his final book.

After his release, Wilde left to live in France, where he died at the age of 46, in 1900.

The Unicorn Theatre is the UK’s leading professional theatre for young audiences, dedicated to inspiring and invigorating young people of all ages, perspectives and abilities, and empowering them to explore the world – on their own terms – through theatre. Purpose-built for children and based in central London, the Unicorn is one of the most prolific producing theatres in the UK, presenting 12 to 15 productions for children of all ages every year, and touring widely across the UK and beyond.

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TEACHER RESOURCES

ABOUT THE PLAY The Canterville Ghost blends the comic and the macabre. It has many of the familiar attributes of a classic Victorian haunted house story – a gothic setting, mysterious noises in the night, threatening thunderstorms and a tormented, shape-shifting ghost - but is inhabited by characters who do not abide by the rules of the genre, who upturn and undermine its traditional conventions.

The Victorian interest in ghosts and haunted house stories has been written about by Kira Cochrane.

She explains that, although the era’s fascination with the supernatural may initially seem at odds with its scientific and technological developments, they are in fact intimately connected. She describes how the increasing ability to communicate at a distance, in a disembodied fashion, initially by telegram and then later by telephone and radio, along with the invention of film and photographs which could be manipulated to make dead loved ones seemingly reappear, meant that ‘ghostly disembodied voices and images poured out of the screen and over the airwaves’.1 In The Canterville Ghost, Wilde playfully explores this tension between the traditional and modern worlds, with misunderstandings and mismatches comically played out in the cultural differences between the American and the English characters. Wilde’s perception of America would have been shaped by his ten-month tour of the country in 1882, where he is believed to have come up with his infamous response when asked if he had anything to declare: ‘Nothing… nothing but my genius.’

However, the prevailing ideas of the time about the differences between America (the forwardthinking New World) and England (traditional and superstitious) might not resonate in the same way for today’s audiences.

Though the play is predominantly light-hearted and playful in tone, as a ghost story it will of course have a darker and eerier feel at times. However, these moments will be designed to allow young audiences to find enjoyment in experiencing sensations of fear, trepidation and suspense within the safe confines of a piece of theatre. The practical and rational responses of the Otis family perhaps also remind us that fear is often a product of the imagination; that our perception and expectation of something can be what makes it feel frightening, rather than the thing itself. This is articulated by the narrator, as he describes Virginia’s journey into the dark with Sir Simon:

Now, the dark was a terrifying thing, but not the way you might expect. You might think to find cockroaches and spiders and squelchy things underfoot and the smell of rotting corpses and be grasped at by long bony fingers. None of this occurred. Virginia held tight to Sir Simon’s cold hand and found that the dark was… well… just that. Dark.

Similarly, Sir Simon perhaps defies our expectations of how an archetypal ghost should behave. He demonstrates psychological depth, experiencing a broad range of feelings such as humiliation, guilt, defiance, powerlessness and even fear. Though initially we might get caught up in the fun of the Otis’s refusal to take him seriously, with the help of Virginia, who shows Sir Simon compassion and treats him with humanity rather than dismissing him, we may also find a sense of empathy for him too.

If the play explores the tension between old and new ways of thinking, we might think of Virginia as representing a healthy balance between both positions. She is a part of her family, but also in tune

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www.theguardian.com/books/2013/dec/23/ghost-stories-victorians-spookily-good Page 6

TEACHER RESOURCES with the history contained within Canterville Chase.

But, Momma, not everything has to be new all the time. Sometimes things that are old and dead looking just need a little care and attention to be brought back to life.

The Otis family focuses on optimistically looking forward and Sir Simon is perpetually dwelling on his past successes; Virginia demonstrates the benefits of remaining open to both.

KEY CHARACTERS Mr Hiram Otis – rational, optimistic and practical, Hiram Otis works for the US diplomatic services.

When he gets a new posting in England, he buys Canterville Chase for his family to move into.

Mrs Lucretia Otis – wife of Mr Otis. Loves everything modern and up-to-date. On arrival at Canterville Chase she sets about renovating the old house, replacing all its furnishings with modern ones.

Washington – the Otis family’s eldest son. A budding inventor. Current projects include trousers with self-warming pockets and self-warming underwear.

Stars and Stripes – the young identical twins whom no one can tell apart. Budding film makers, they are also noisy, mischievous fans of practical jokes and determined not to follow their parents’ rules.

Virginia – the Otis family’s only daughter and the only member of the family who likes the old style of Canterville Chase. Intelligent and sensitive, she is a keen gardener.

Mrs Umney – the housekeeper of Canterville Chase. Gloomy in outlook, Mrs Umney hates the ghost and has a pessimistic view of life generally.

Sir Simon Canterville (the ghost) – a 16th century aristocrat who lived at Canterville Chase and murdered his wife in the house. As a ghost, he has been successfully terrifying the residents of Canterville Chase for hundreds of years in various forms and guises. He is proud of his past achievements and unable to understand why the Otis family do not react with fear to his attempts at scaring them.

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TEACHER RESOURCES SYNOPSIS Act One: Arrivals At the start of the play, we meet Mr and Mrs Otis and their four children: Washington, Virginia and the twins, Stars and Stripes. Mr Otis, a special envoy in the US government, has been given a new post in England, so the family sets sail from their home in America. They move into Canterville Chase, an old house in the English countryside, despite warnings that the house is occupied by an active and troublesome ghost. Mr Otis claims that Americans do not believe in the ‘superstitions and traditions’ of the Old World.

The family explore their new home, and Virginia notices a riddle written into the stained-glass window:

When a golden girl can win Forgiveness from the lips of sin, When a little child gives away her tears, Then the almond tree, its flowers, bears, Then shall all the house be still And peace will come to Canterville.

As Mrs Otis starts planning extensive renovations to modernise the house, including the removal of the dead almond tree at the front, she notices a large red stain on a rug. Mrs Umney the housekeeper reveals that, hundreds of years ago, Sir Simon Canterville murdered his wife and her body was found there. She explains that the stain is impossible to remove, and that Sir Simon disappeared but now haunts the house as a ghost. The family is unperturbed by this and instead focuses on the practicalities of removing the stain. Washington successfully does so, using Pinkerton’s Champion Stain Remover and Paragon Detergent.

The scene ends with the first of several comic magic show-style advertisements performed by the family. Mr Otis, as a magician, cuts Mrs Otis in half, and Pinkerton’s Champion Stain Remover is used to magically clear up all the blood and bring Mrs Otis back to life.

However, the next morning the bloody stain has come back. The Otises try three times to remove the stain, but each morning it reappears, ‘bubbling up before their eyes’. On their third unsuccessful attempt, the family admits that the ghost may exist after all.

Sir Simon the ghost works hard to make his presence felt by the family in a series of unsuccessful attempts to scare them. When he appears in the form of a giant knight in armour, wielding an axe, Mr and Mrs Otis suggest he tries some Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator to help with his creaking and squeaking. On his next attempt he finds himself trapped beneath a fishing net with the twins standing above him, brandishing water pistols. Mr and Mrs Otis apologise to Sir Simon for the boys’ antics and offer him Dr Dobell’s Tincture for indigestion. Each attempt is followed by a magic show-style advertisement for the product the family offers him.

Sir Simon, becoming increasingly furious and humiliated by the family’s responses, decides he must come up with his most horrific guise so far: Reckless Rupert, the Headless Earl. However, he ends up falling victim to the family members’ trickery, as they disguise themselves as a giant scarecrow-like creature and reduce Sir Simon to a quivering wreck. Sir Simon breaks down in a ‘crisis of the most existential kind’. He has lost his purpose and his power: ‘For what is a ghost if he cannot frighten?’

For a while all is peaceful at Canterville Chase and Sir Simon seems to have finally disappeared. The Page 8

TEACHER RESOURCES Otises decide to throw a housewarming party. But as the family cheerfully head off to bed, confident that that they have got rid of the ghost of Sir Simon, Virginia hears a small, faraway voice that sounds like crying. Following the voice ‘deep into the bowels of Canterville Chase’, she discovers Sir Simon quietly weeping at his dressing table.

Virginia’s eyes open wide with recognition. A gust of wind and the candle goes out.

Act Two: Departures Virginia tries to comfort Sir Simon, but he is still humiliated and angry. He reveals the story of the terrible crime he committed which led to his imprisonment in the cellar without food or water, where he died a lonely death. When he explains that, as a ghost, he cannot eat or sleep, Virginia is moved and says she could almost weep for him. This reminds Sir Simon of the riddle in the window and they realise that Virginia must be the golden girl who can ‘win forgiveness from the lips of sin’ with her tears. She agrees to follow Sir Simon ‘into the dark’ in order to try and help him.

There is chaos and panic as the family searches for the missing Virginia through the night. Mrs Umney gloomily predicts the worst, suggesting that Virginia has probably been ‘abducted by some foul murderous gang with blackmail on their minds’. Just as the family are about to give up hope, there’s a huge peal of thunder and a shrill cry, like that of a strangled cat, and Virginia appears out of nowhere holding a small coffin. She tells them that she has been with the ghost, but that now Sir Simon is at rest. She explains that she has promised to give him a proper burial under the almond tree so that peace can return to Canterville, which they do, inviting all the neighbours to the funeral and the wake at Canterville Chase.

In the final scene of the play, time has passed; Canterville Chase has been fully renovated and is gleaming and modern. Lord Canterville has returned to visit and he and Virginia both work together in the garden; sharing their passion for growing things. Lord Canterville asks Virginia to tell him what happened on the night she disappeared. Instead of telling him, Virginia steps out and speaks directly to the audience; she explains, movingly, that Sir Simon took her to the place where he died and that she wept for him, granting him forgiveness. As he was disappearing Sir Simon told her of his wish for a proper burial, after which peace will return to Canterville Chase.

Virginia steps back into the play and rejoins Lord Canterville. They look out over the gardens together, and blossoms from the almond tree float through the air and onto the ground.

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TEACHER RESOURCES

MAKING THE PLAY

INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR JUSTIN AUDIBERT WHY DID YOU WANT TO PROGRAMME AND DIRECT THE CANTERVILLE GHOST? For me, it’s a timeless, classic story that examines the argument between rationality and spirituality.

And at the heart of it is this beautiful but sad relationship between Sir Simon the ghost and Virginia.

I feel like that’s something that doesn’t get explored very often – a relationship between an older person and a young girl, and what that means. Virginia is the one who is intuitive and understanding of his sadness, and that felt kind of beautiful. I’m really interested in work that reaches across generations and that sees generations having a conversation with each other.

On top of that, Anthony’s adaptation is very witty and playful. It looks at the fun relationship between the different English and American sensibilities and plays around with them in a humorous way. My other big reason for wanting to direct the play is that it gives me the chance to play and experiment with magic and illusion and trickery… and that all feels really Christmassy and festive and fun.

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUNGER AUDIENCES WILL ENJOY ABOUT THE SHOW? The show is going to be a real Christmas spectacular. There will be lots of illusions – ghosts appearing and disappearing, headless knights attacking people, all sorts of ghoulishness, but then of course all of these brilliant illusions then get spoiled and foiled by the Otis family. There are very precocious, very interesting, very smart children in the story, which is always going to be fun to see on stage. I think audiences are going to love the no-nonsense boldness of Stars and Stripes (the young twins in the play). They’re very funny and audacious. I think every kid can recognise the feeling that you don’t want to take any nonsense from anyone. I also think they’ll like watching the Otis family on stage, as I think everyone has a bit of them in their own mum and dad, or in a relative or a friend.

But then in the second half, we go to a slightly different place, and reach a level of emotional delicacy which I think is really redeeming. In a way, the show starts off as this action-packed adventure, but it becomes something a bit more complex and nuanced. There should be something in it for everyone, really – I think it really will appeal across the ages. There’s excitement and adventure, but there’s loads of heart and soul and spirit to it as well. I’m excited as I think for the actors it’ll be a great challenge wrestling with both of those things – making it fun and enjoyable, but also finding the sense of sadness and reconciliation and understanding which is just as important in the story.

CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE TONE OF THE PLAY? The first half of the play has an interesting tone as it’s all about the Otis family moving into this great big stately home and Sir Simon the ghost trying to get rid of them. Each time he tries to do this, he thinks he’s come up with a more brilliant way of terrifying them, but every time the family is distinctly unimpressed. He’s managed to drive everyone else out who’s lived in the house, but he just can’t get rid of these pesky Americans, as he thinks of them.

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TEACHER RESOURCES But then when he can’t get rid of them, he falls into despair. That is the point at which the play changes and the tone of it really shifts. It suddenly becomes about the ghost’s tender relationship with Virginia. She is the only person who can see that his behaviour, even his attempts to threaten them and scare them, all comes from a place of vulnerability. In a way, she wants to free him of the guilt and sadness he feels because of the consequences of his actions. I think there’s something beautiful in that, because I think all of us look for redemption for our actions in some way, shape or form… or at least understanding and compassion. And the amazing thing about this story is that it’s a child who is empowered to give that compassion and empathy. This feels like something that’s increasingly important in this world; that we find ways of connecting across generations and try to see things from other people’s perspectives and not judge them on an initial view that we have of them.

HOW WILL THE SHOW LOOK AND FEEL? I think it’s going to have a mixture of very inventive and imaginative theatre magic, but also leave room for people’s own imaginations to conjure up the old house too. Anthony’s stage directions describe that everything revolves around a dining table and six chairs, so that will be the basis of what we do. I think we will need to appear and disappear things really frequently and fluidly. I think it’s going to have a real sense of ensemble work from the company. I imagine, for the actors, it will be one of those shows where, when you’re not on stage, you’ll be running around helping some sort of magic trick happen. So they’ll probably be relieved when they are on stage saying their lines, because the rest of the time they’re going to be busy!

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TEACHER RESOURCES

DRAMA ACTIVITIES CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES The drama activities in this pack are designed to give teachers ideas and strategies for work in the classroom through which to explore the characters, themes and setting of the play before and after a visit. They extend the imaginative reach of the play and allow young people to give shape to their own thoughts, feelings and understanding in drama form.

Our teacher resources and CPD support teachers in embedding drama in their curriculum planning.

Working through drama allows children to explore things that matter to them within a fictional context, draw on their prior knowledge and apply it to new situations, develop language as they give expression to new understandings and develop emotional intelligence and critical thinking as they explore things from multiple perspectives. Drama enables children to take responsibility, make decisions, solve problems and explore possibilities from within a fictional context.

OVERVIEW In this section there are three sequences for teachers to work through with their classes. The activities are designed to build sequentially, but also to be flexible enough for you to adapt to your own classroom priorities and curriculum planning.

Sequence One: Inventions Through the Ages

Pre-show, classroom-based activity Sequence Two: Welcome to Canterville Chase

Pre-show, in role drama sequence Sequence Three: The Canterville Ghost Trailer

Post-show reflection You may wish to divide activities up differently, depending on the time you have available and your own class’s needs.

The sessions are designed to extend and deepen the experience of watching the play; introducing pupils to the setting and context for the story, as well as allowing for practical exploration and imaginative engagement with some of the key themes and ideas.

Sequence One is a simple timeline activity that explores the development of household equipment and technology over the years. Becoming familiar with the type of equipment domestic servants would have had available in the late 1800s will enable children to invest more fully in their roles in the following sessions.

Sequence Two is made up of four sessions of exploratory drama work designed to open up the world Page 12

TEACHER RESOURCES of the play, with both children and teacher in role as servants at Canterville Chase. The drama is ‘set’ before the play begins, in the lead up to the departure of Lady Canterville and the arrival of the Otis family. Children will encounter one of the characters from the play, Mrs Umney, and gradually discover, from within the drama, that she is hiding the presence of the ghost from them. As well as providing dramatic tension, revealing the ghost in this way also mirrors the experience of the Otis family, who, though initially sceptical and disbelieving, come to accept the ghost’s presence after their encounters with him.

As well as allowing children to think, feel and speak from other perspectives, the work in role should also encourage a sense of curiosity about the ghost and his origins. It will also ask children to consider some of the key tensions between the two families in the play, before they encounter them on stage: • The desire to preserve the traditional and historic versus the wish to modernise and be progressive • Rational versus irrational thinking – including what might make someone more susceptible to thinking irrationally • Scepticism versus belief in the paranormal • Illusion versus reality Framing the servants as young people, away from home for the first time, will allow the children to connect with the emotional content of the situation and draw on their own real-world experiences of feeling new, nervous, unsure and vulnerable in order to build their role. This framing also allows for both a collective and individual response to the situation.

Sequence Three allows for processing and reflection on their experience of seeing the play. Pupils will be asked to create ideas for a trailer for the The Canterville Ghost which will aim to encourage other children, young people and adults to come and see the play. Children will be asked to shape ideas for a short film that will communicate to an audience the essential elements of the production in both form and content.

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TEACHER RESOURCES

SEQUENCE ONE

INVENTIONS THROUGH THE AGES AIMS

To consider the concept of progress.

To explore timelines for a range of inventions in everyday life.

To set the historical context for Sequence Two.

RESOURCES Images of inventions through the ages (resource one).

STRATEGIES Whole class and small group discussion, sorting activity.

INTRODUCTION This is a stand-alone session that prepares the children for the drama sequence that follows. It can be done in the classroom.

This session prepares the class for the following drama work by exploring what life was like in the 1880’s in Britain and the kinds of technology that were available to ordinary people in everyday life.

STAGE ONE • Begin by introducing the idea of progress, and pose the question: do things always get better with new inventions?

• Explain that the play you are going to see at the Unicorn is set around 1887. Ask the class to think about how things would have been different then and the things that they have in their lives now that wouldn’t have been invented then. Create a list of as many things as you can think of that would have been different in 1887.

• Break into small groups and ask the class to discuss: - Were some things better in the past?

- Why do some people look back on the past and think things were better then?

- Are there things that we have now that they think we could do without?

- Are there things that we have now that we would be better off without?

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TEACHER RESOURCES • Feedback from the small groups together and discuss whether progress and modernisation is always a good thing.

• Focus the discussion on communication, and the fact that around the time the play was set, photography and telecommunications were rapidly developing. The first photograph of a human being was taken in 1838 and family photography became more widely available in Britain in the 1860s – 1870s, when some working people would have been able to afford to go to a photographer’s studio and have a portrait or family photograph taken.

The first telephone was invented by an Italian called Antoni Meucci in 1871, but he failed to patent his discovery so when Alexander Graham Bell patented his telephone in 1876 he became the legal owner of the invention. In 1878, he presented his invention to Queen Victoria.

• Today, we take photography, film and telephones for granted; in pairs, ask the children to imagine what it must have been like for people when they first saw a photograph of someone they knew, or heard a voice from far away through a telephone. How might people have reacted to these new inventions?

STAGE TWO • Explain to the class that you are going to look at some everyday objects and explore how they have changed over time.

• Divide the class into six groups and give each a selection of images from one of the following categories (resource one): laundry, kitchen equipment, garden equipment, telephone, cleaning equipment, transportation.

• Ask the groups to try and put the images into chronological order, starting with the oldest. Once they have spent some time on this, ask each group to feed back to the rest of the class the order they have decided on. Reveal the correct order and see how close to it they were.

• Explain that the story we are going to be exploring is set in 1887, in a large house, and ask the children to identify the items that would have been invented either around the time that the story takes place or in the years preceding it. When all groups have fed back, discuss with the class: - What do they think life would have been like in 1887?

- Which of the things that are invented after 1887 do you think would have made most of a difference to people’s lives?

- Is there always progress in new inventions?

- What might the inventions of the future be and how might they be beneficial to humans?

- What might the negative effects of future inventions be?

• Explain that in the play they are coming to see, there is an English family, Lord and Lady Canterville, who live in a large house. The Lord and Lady are wealthy, valuing history and tradition and things that have been in their family for many years. Their house, Canterville Chase, is full of very old objects and, whilst they can afford the latest inventions, they prefer their old family portraits, that have been painted in oil paints, to the new invention of photography.

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TEACHER RESOURCES

SEQUENCE TWO

WORKING AT CANTERVILLE CHASE AIMS

To introduce children to Canterville Chase, the large country house which is the setting for the play.

To explore the lives of servants who work in the house in the Victorian era.

To introduce the concepts of rationality and irrationality, and the way in which our minds can play tricks on us.

RESOURCES Images of old houses (resource one), playlist of old house sound effects, ticking clock and music choices (resource two), teacher in role scripts (resources three, five and seven), guided listening text (resource four), Lord Canterville dialogue with Mrs Ummey (resource six).

STRATEGIES Responding to images, paired discussion, Stop/Go, still image, teacher narration, thought-tracking, crossing the circle, group and whole class discussion, teacher and pupil in role, guided listening, paired improvisations, listening hand, scene making, slow motion action.

SESSION ONE INTRODUCTION Was I not responsible for the departure from this house of 43 housemaids, 40 cooks and 35 butlers on account of my nightly groanings and creakings?

This session introduces the children to a big country house, and asks them to consider the different jobs servants in such a house would undertake and imagine they are a young person who is about to leave home and begin work in Canterville Chase.

STAGE ONE: SETTING THE SCENE • Start by looking at some images of large, old houses with your class. We have provided some links to example images in the resources section of this pack (resource one), but you could find others.

Ask children to talk with the people next to them about what it might be like to live in a house like this and what sort of people might do so. Hear their responses, keeping all possibilities open at this stage.

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TEACHER RESOURCES • Extend the discussion by asking: - What jobs might there be in a house like this?

- What might be the positive and negative things about living somewhere like this?

- What type of story might be set in one of these houses?

The aim at this stage is to hear their initial response to the images and encourage a sense of curiosity. Some children might describe the houses as spooky and suggest the possibility of ghosts.

Accept these ideas, but for this session we will try to focus on the reality of living and working in a house like this.

• Once you have heard their ideas, explain the following to the class: the play that they are going to see1 is set in a similar type of house to the ones we have looked at. The play is set in the Victorian era, but the house itself is much older than that. The house is called Canterville Chase and is owned by a wealthy couple called Lord and Lady Canterville. The Lord and Lady would have had many servants working for them, who would be responsible for different jobs in the house.

• Remind the class about the type of equipment the servants would have had to do their jobs in the 1800s – there would not have been modern inventions such as washing machines or microwaves.

STAGE TWO: STOP/GO - BRINGING THE HOUSE TO LIFE • Explain that we are going to start imagining life inside Canterville Chase. Ask the class to walk around the room using all the space, finding their own path, establishing an even pace and making sure they don’t bump into one another.

• Practice stopping as a whole class when you say ‘Stop’, and then walking again when you say ‘Go’.

Encourage a sense of group focus and cohesion – with everyone stopping together and staying still until you say to go.

• Once you have established ‘stop’ and ‘go’, explain that they are now going to imagine they are some of the servants working in Canterville Chase, and that when you next stay ‘stop’ you will describe a servant that you would like them to become - making a statue and showing what the servant is doing using their bodies and faces. On each ‘stop’, ask the class to take up a still image of a servant: - Carefully polishing an old and very valuable glass vase - Preparing dinner for the Lord and Lady and their guests in the hot kitchen - Chopping wood outside for one of the many fireplaces in the house - Taking care of the horses in the stables – perhaps feeding, grooming, putting on the saddle and bridle - About to open the grand front doors as the Lord and Lady arrive home (this should be in pairs: bring the image to life over five seconds, then ask the servants to show how they would bow as the Lord and Lady entered) • Use some of the class’ ideas about jobs in the house from the initial discussion to add to this list.

With each image, comment on some of the detail in what you see happening, using descriptive

1 If possible, avoid using the title of the play during this drama sequence so that the class are not immediately focused on ghosts.

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language to help bring the world to life. For example, you might notice someone holding the vase very delicately and carefully examining it in the light.

• The aim is to build on the children’s responses and create a shared understanding of the world of the house, emphasising details that help the class locate the house and the servants in the specifics of the era.

STAGE THREE: GUIDED IMPROVISATION - LEAVING HOME • Tell the class that most of the servants who worked in Canterville Chase have left their jobs and that the housekeeper has advertised for new staff. Explain that you are going to ask the class to imagine that they are a young person who has applied successfully for a job, and is about to start work as a servant for Lord and Lady Canterville. Describe how in the Victorian era, it would have been normal for people to start working at a young age, probably between 13-16 years old.

• Ask them to imagine that they have already worked but not yet left home, now they have applied for a job as a live-in servant and they have been accepted. They will live in the house in servants’ quarters and will be allowed to return home to their families for one Sunday a month. Explain that a job like this would’ve been very well thought of and competitive to get, as it would pay well and offer job security and that their families need the extra income. Discuss as a whole class: - What do you think a young person might look forward to in leaving home to work in a big house for a Lord and Lady?

- What do they imagine it will be like ‘living in’ rather than going home at the end of their working day?

- What might they be worried about starting a new job, in a new place, with people they don’t know?

• Ask the class to find their own space and to sit down. Give each person a pencil and a piece of plain paper. Explain that they have got up early ready to start their new job. Narrate: Today is the day you start your new job as a live-in servant at Canterville Chase. It is a very good job, very respectable, and the salary is much better than the other jobs you have done in the village. Your family are proud of you. Now that you are old enough, it is important you contribute financially to family life – the money you will send home each month will help the rest of your family financially. You will also be able to keep some of your salary and either save for your future or buy a few luxuries.

• Ask the class to start to mime packing their bag. Ask them to think about what kind of things someone would pack when leaving home in 1887.

- What clothing might they pack? (they will be provided with uniform) - What might they take with them that is precious to them?

- Is there something they might take to remind them of home and their family?

• As they pack, ask them to think about the things they will miss about home and the things they are looking forward to in their new jobs.

• When they have packed their bags, ask the class to decide who they might want to leave a note for; it might be a brother or sister, a parent or friend from the village where they live. What might Page 18

TEACHER RESOURCES they want to say for them to read after they’ve left?

• Ask them to write the note and think about whether they would hand it to the person, or leave it somewhere for the person to find.

When they have finished their notes, ask the children to underline one line in their letter that they would be happy to share with the rest of the class. Bring the class back into the circle with their notes, and ask each person in turn to read out what they have underlined.

SESSION TWO INTRODUCTION This session explores what happens when the new recruits begin work at Canterville Chase and the kind of jobs that they would do. Using teacher in role, pupils are introduced to Mrs Umney, the housekeeper, who gives them information about the owners of the house, Lord and Lady Canterville, and makes it clear what the expectations are of them.

STAGE ONE: CROSSING THE CIRCLE - A BUSY HOUSEHOLD • Start with the class standing in a circle. Choose someone to start (person one). Person one makes eye contact with someone else in the circle (person two), walks towards them and takes their place. As they do so, person two makes eye contact with someone else across the circle (person three) and walks towards them. Person two then takes the place of person three and it continues, so that each person swaps places with a new person, until everyone has crossed the circle and is standing in a new place (the final person should walk to person one).

• Now repeat the same pattern, with everyone walking to the same person they did the first time.

Once the class are confident with the walking pattern, try picking up the pace, so that each person starts walking before the person before them has reached them, anticipating their turn.

• You can now ask the class to experiment with crossing the circle in different ways, keeping to the established pattern. Ask them to imagine the middle of the circle is the grand entrance hallway of Canterville Chase and that they are servants, going about their daily chores. Ask them to move across the circle as if they: - Are in a rush, late for their shift - Are carrying a large, multi-tiered and wobbly cake - Have spotted a dirty footprint on the floor halfway across and must clean it up - Are carrying a precious and very old glass ornament - Are nervous, having been summoned by the housekeeper – once they reach their new position in the circle they can turn, and bow or curtsey - Are physically exhausted after a long day digging in the gardens • Remind the class that the servants would have to be alert and aware of each other in such a busy environment, so they will need to negotiate the space and make sure they don’t bump into one another.

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TEACHER RESOURCES • For the final round of the pattern, ask pupils to choose one of these ways of walking, so that you create a collage of different servants moving across the hallway. You could even ask children to add a line of dialogue as they cross, so that you end up with layered voices over the movement.

STAGE TWO: GROUP DISCUSSION - SERVANT ROLES • Explain that once they had arrived at the house, they were put into groups and given a specific job, based on their skills and past work experience. Divide the class into five or six groups and give each group a role, along with some location images to help them start to imagine their jobs (resource one).

Servant roles can include: - Cooks and kitchen staff - Gardeners and groundskeepers - Stable workers and coachmen - Laundry room workers and chambermaids - Cleaners and maids – work all over the house - Butlers and waiting staff • Ask each group to look at their images and discuss: - What tasks might they have to do each day as part of their job?

- What specific skills and qualities would they need to do their jobs well?

- What equipment would they use in their jobs, given that this is 1887?

Hear back each group’s ideas, making sure they have a good understanding of what their job entails.

STAGE THREE: TEACHER IN ROLE - WELCOME TO CANTERVILLE CHASE • Explain that you are going to take on the role of the Head Housekeeper, Mrs Umney. Mrs Umney manages all the servants and oversees the running of the house. Ask them to imagine it is the first day in the new job for all the servants and that Mrs Umney is about to lead the welcome meeting.

Ideally, arrange the class so that they are sitting on benches as if set up for a meeting, in their servant groups. You may want to use a piece of costume, such as an apron, to signify when you are in role.

Mrs Umney’s position The ‘narrative’ for the drama at this point is that Mrs Umney has worked at Canterville Chase many years and is fully aware that the house is haunted by a troublesome ghost. She, like Lord and Lady Canterville, is tormented by the ghost, but loyal to the house and the Canterville family and her priority is to get on with the job of running the house. Over the years she has lost high numbers of staff due to the ghost terrifying them out of the house. She is determined to keep this new staff team on board and has decided her best chance will be to deny all existence of the ghost and convince the new servants that all is as it should be.

Mrs Umney should remain pragmatic and rational, dismissing any concerns the servants may have at this time as implausible and as village gossip.

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TEACHER RESOURCES The function of the in role work here is to - Build on and add detail to the children’s understanding of the daily life of a Victorian servant, and what it might be like to live in an old house like Canterville Chase - Further invest the children in their role in the drama - Allow space for children to ask questions and voice thoughts in role, playing with their ideas of what they imagine working in a house like this might be like.

- Deepen children’s emotional connection to the idea that they are away from home for the first time Below (resource three) is a text to help shape the in role conversation. It is not designed to be used as a script, as ideally you want improvise the conversation and respond to what the children bring up, letting them create and shape their in role characters. (In the later in role sections, there will be more space for children to be creative within the role). The points in the script indicate the key points to try and include within the meeting.

Information for Mrs Umney to give Good morning everybody. On behalf of Lord and Lady Canterville, I would like to welcome you all to your new posts here at the magnificent Canterville Chase. We’re very glad to have you on board ,and it was clear from your applications that you all have the relevant experience needed for your roles.

Ask some of the servants ‘What made you want to apply to work here?’

I’m sure you all know that the Cantervilles are one of the most important, successful and highly regarded aristocratic families in the country. The family have lived in this house for generations, and you will see the house is full of valuable and historic objects, as well as the beautiful portraits of the family in the corridors. A sense of history and tradition is important to the Cantervilles things haven’t changed here for many years, and that’s the way they like it.

You could ask ‘What are your first impressions of the house?’

I’ve been head housekeeper here for many years, and this is the first time I have had a completely new staff team. It really is an opportunity for us have a fresh start, and make sure everything runs like clockwork. The most important thing is that we keep the house running smoothly, and to ensure the Lord and Lady are happy and relaxed.

Briefly engage with each group (examples): Cooks – obviously you will work in the kitchen, preparing and serving all meals. Do I remember that one of you is a skilled baker? Has anyone worked in a large kitchen like this before?

Groundskeepers – there are the many acres of land, plants, flowers and vegetables to tend to, and as it is the outside of the house, that creates the first impression! Who amongst you has experience in growing vegetables? What are you good at growing? Is anyone an expert in trees?

We have an almond tree at the front which hasn’t flowered for years.

Stable workers – the horses need a lot of care and the coaches must look impeccable. Who amongst you has driven a coach? What made you want to work with horses? Do you know what is Page 21

TEACHER RESOURCES needed to keep the horses healthy and happy?

Laundry workers – of course, you will know how important it is that all the linen and clothing is washed, dried and folded. Does anyone have any remedies for stubborn stains? Repairing and maintaining Lord and Lady Canterville’s fine clothes is an important part of the job.

Cleaners – you work all over the house, and you must pay particular attention to the old stainedglass windows. Who has experience of stained glass? Do you know how to clean a chandelier?

Butlers – you are at the front of the house to greet the Lord and Lady and guests, but also must be on call if they need assistance at any time. How would you greet the Lord and Lady on their return home?

I know for most of you, perhaps all, this will be your first time working away from home, and that may be hard at times. Of course, you will all be far too busy to be missing home much. There is always plenty of work to be done here at Canterville Chase.

Does anyone have any questions?

Be prepared to answer questions about: Salary - a very good rate of £25 a year Hours - rising at 6pm, most servants should be finished by 10pm Meals - to be taken in the kitchen – breakfast, lunch and supper Time home - one Sunday a month Servants’ quarters - they will sleep in male and female dorms in the attic, of around 4 to 6 servants. There is a staircase from the kitchen up to the servants querters And areas they can’t go - they should be out of Lord and Lady Canterville’s rooms by 8am, and only return if they are called for; Mrs Umney will let the cleaners know which rooms they can clean when she knows the Lord and Lady’s movements. There is the grand entrance hall, the library, the gallery – where all the family portraits are, the drawing room, the dining room, the ballroom, the study and the bedrooms • At the end of the meeting, come out of role, and ask the class what new information they have about the life of a servant in Canterville Chase, and what they make of Mrs Umney.

• What more would they like to find out about the house, and the people in it that they are working for?

STAGE FOUR: STILL IMAGE INTO MOVING IMAGE - THE SERVANTS HARD AT WORK • Explain that the servants had been at Canterville Chase a few days and everything was going well; all the different areas of the house were running smoothly and Mrs Umney was pleased with their efficiency and hard work.

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TEACHER RESOURCES • Ask each group to create a still image of their group of servants hard at work, showing the range of tasks done in that role. Once the groups have created their still image, ask them to practice bringing it to life for a few seconds with clear repeatable actions that show clearly what it is they are doing.

• Now ask them to add one line of dialogue per person. See each group’s still image and bring each one to life, hearing the lines of dialogue.

• As each group performs, briefly go into role as Mrs Umney and comment on what they are doing in their jobs and ask them questions in role.

• Finish the session with some reflective questions: - How was the new servants’ first few days of work at Canterville Chase?

- What do you think the servants might make of the house?

- What do you think the life of a servant would have been like in a large house in Victorian times?

SESSION THREE INTRODUCTION This session begins to introduce the idea of strange happenings at Canterville Chase, and asks the children to consider the idea of irrational thoughts. Through a drama activity which has the servants hearing strange noises in the night, we explore the way in which in certain circumstances our minds can lead us to imagining things that aren’t real. As the drama unfolds, the children create ‘mysterious happenings’ that the servants come across in their work.

We are all trapped inside our own heads and our beliefs and our understandings about the world are all limited by that perspective, which means we tell ourselves stories.

There are an infinite number of things that we could think about, but we edit and delete, we choose what to think about, what to pay attention to. We make up a story to make sense of what’s going on and we all get it wrong. Because we’re all trying to navigate with our skewed compasses and our own baggage, but the stories themselves are utterly convincing and we all do this.

Magic is a great analogy for how we edit reality and form a story and mistake that story for the truth.

Derren Brown (illusionist)

STAGE ONE: OPENING DISCUSSION - IRRATIONAL AND RATIONAL • Ask the class for their ideas about the meaning of the word ‘rational’. What does it mean if someone says, ‘There must be a rational explanation?’ Then discuss what ‘irrational’ means. For example if someone says, ‘Stop being so irrational’, what might they mean? A helpful distinction may be to talk about irrational thinking often being led by emotion or feeling, whereas rational thinking is often lead by logic and the mind.

• Ask the class if they have examples of when they have been irrational or had irrational thoughts.

When it is people are most likely to be irrational? Perhaps when they are under pressure, fearful, Page 23

TEACHER RESOURCES anxious or vulnerable in some way.

STAGE TWO: STOP/GO - LOST IN CANTERVILLE CHASE • Play a game of Stop/Go, as you did at the start of Session One. This time, ask the class to stop and show a still image of: - You are doing your job in the house or gardens.

- You are lost somewhere in the house you’ve never been before.

- You hear a strange noise from behind you. You decide its nothing so keep walking.

- You hear the noise for a second time, this time its louder. You decide there must be a rational explanation and keep walking.

- You hear the noise for a third time, this time it’s even louder. Thought track some children in this moment: tap them on the shoulder and ask them to describe the noise they have heard.

STAGE THREE: GUIDED LISTENING - NIGHT-TIME IN THE OLD HOUSE • Tell the class that we are going to listen to some sounds that could be heard in the old house.

• Listen to the sounds together (resource two). Discuss what the source of the sounds might be from a rational perspective (dripping tap, creaking floorboards, squeaky hinge, branches tapping on the window etc), and what your mind might convince you the sounds are if you were thinking irrationally.

• Explain that they are now going to imagine themselves back into their servant roles, lying in bed after a long day of work. Remind the class that this is their first experience of staying away from home and that most of them would not have been used to sleeping in such a big old house, with its unusual and unfamiliar noises.

• Ask the class to find a space and lie down and shut their eyes. Narrate (resource four): The tired servants settled down in their beds in the servants’ quarters after a long day. They closed their eyes and tried to get to sleep. All was quiet for a while, just the sound of breathing from the others in the dorm. But then, just as they were drifting off, the noises began… (play sound effects) The servants tried to stay rational, but they were tired and far away from home, so their imaginations started to fire up. They didn’t want to show to the others around them that were afraid, but as they lay there in the dark, it became harder and harder not to let their imaginations take over…

• Explain that the servants finally drifted off to sleep, but that they all had very strange dreams, some even had nightmares and called out in their sleep. Ask the children to take up a position as though they are part way through a strange dream; explain that if you tap them, they can say something aloud, as if in the middle of their dream.

STAGE FOUR: PAIRED IMPROVISATIONS - RECOUNTING DREAMS • Explain that the next morning, the servants got on with their jobs as usual, but that images from Page 24

TEACHER RESOURCES their dreams kept coming back to them. Put the class into pairs and ask them to imagine they are with another servant whom they know well, perhaps a friend from their own village, whom they can trust. They should decide on a location that they have met in within the house, somewhere where they are unlikely to be overheard.

• Ask the pairs to improvise a conversation between the servants where they take it turns to tell each other about their first night in Canterville Chase and the dream they had.

STAGE FIVE: TEACHER IN ROLE - MORNING BRIEFING • Ask the group to imagine it is the next morning and they are waiting for Mrs Umney to arrive for the morning briefing. Set up the meeting space as before and enter in role. Use resource five for this in role speech.

Function of the in role work here This is a shorter in role conversation, in which Mrs Umney can continue to present a pragmatic and sceptical perspective, downplaying the servant’s concerns and denying knowledge of anything unusual in the house. Perhaps there is some way, beyond her words, that Mrs Umney ‘signals’ to the servants that all is not as it seems – this could be a nervousness, a repeated glance up, some awkward pauses – something that indicates she is hiding something.

Suggestions for the conversation (resource five) I trust everybody slept well? We have a long, busy day ahead of us… Anything to report before we get going?

The house is hundreds of years old, so of course it will make noises that are unfamiliar and strange, it is to be expected. The Cantervilles like a sense of history and tradition; they have kept the house this way for many years.

Of course, you might be feeling irrational; you are far from the comforts of home. But this sort of talk is how rumours start... You need to focus on getting rest, so you are ready to work.

Lord and Lady have important guests arriving tomorrow, we must prepare for a party. Today there is a lot of work to be done to get everything ready and the house in order. Everything must run smoothly.

• Check in with all of the teams and give them the opportunity to respond in role and ask questions about the preparations needed before coming out of role.

STAGE SIX: SCENE MAKING - DISCOVERING A MYSTERIOUS PROBLEM • Explain that the servants got to work preparing for the party, busily working in their separate areas of the house. However, as the day went on, some strange events occurred.

• Give the example of a servant discovering a stain on the rug in the entrance hall in the morning - they cleared it up and went about their jobs, but by lunch time the stain had reappeared. They were a little confused but cleared it up again, but by the evening it had reappeared again. Explain Page 25

TEACHER RESOURCES that the first incident could be easily explained, but by the third time the servant was unable to find a rational explanation and was starting to feel very uneasy.

• In their groups, ask the servants to decide on a problem or event that occurred three times throughout the day, whilst they were preparing for the party. Give the groups the chance to look at their location images from Session One again. Ask them to be specific about one unusual thing that happened (some examples from our partner school were: the portraits changing clothes, the coach moving position, laundry becoming unfolded and dirty after it had been put away).

• Now remind the groups that the problem happens three times in one day – in the morning, at lunch time and then again in the evening.

• First ask them to improvise a scene around the first occurrence of the problem – how do they react, what do they do and say, and what rational explanation and practical solution do they find?

• Then ask them to imagine that it is later in the day and the problem reappears for a second time – ask them to improvise this scene. How are their reactions different this time? Do they find a different solution? Is someone blamed for the problem?

• Finally ask them to improvise the moment the problem is discovered for a third time. What are their irrational suspicions or fears?

• Now ask the groups to refine these three improvisations into three very short scenes showing each moment, with one line of dialogue per person for each scene. Ask them to transition between each scene in slow motion, moving into their position for the start of the next scene.

• Create a short performance piece where each group shows their three moments. You could use the sound of a ticking clock between each group’s three moments, and between one group and the next.

• Reflect on what the groups have shown and discuss: - How might the noises of the old house be linked to these reoccurring problems?

- What questions might they have for Mrs Umney?

- What would the servants say to their families back at home if they could talk to them?

STAGE SEVEN: WRITING IN ROLE Give the class a piece of plain paper and a pencil and ask them to imagine they are in their dormitory that night, just before they are going to sleep. Ask them to write a letter to someone back at home; what would they tell them about life at Canterville Chase and the mysterious incidents that happened today?

SESSION FOUR INTRODUCTION In this session, the truth about the Canterville Ghost is revealed to the servants as Lady Canterville, Page 26

TEACHER RESOURCES after the last straw, finally leaves the house. On behalf of Lord Canterville, Mrs Umney asks the servants to help sell the house, but the appearance of the Canterville Ghost eventually drives all of the servants to leave. This final session in Sequence Two will take you up to the beginning of the play, where Lord Canterville and Mrs Umney are about to sell Canterville Chase to the American Otis family.

STAGE ONE: WARM UP • Recap what happened in the last session, and explain that some of the servants were beginning to feel that there were other, supernatural forces at work in Canterville Chase. Others still thought that there must be rational explanations for what is happening.

• In pairs, ask the children to play a game where one person has a rational perspective and the other has an irrational perspective. Ask them to incorporate some of their ideas from the drama so far, recap some of their ideas in response to the sound effects in the last session.

• Ask the irrational person to describe something they have seen or heard at Canterville Chase, for example: ‘I saw a werewolf prowling in the grounds.’ The rational person then has to come up with a rational explanation for this, for example: ‘It was just the shadow of a little dog.’

• They can then swap roles so they each have a go at the rational and irrational perspective.

• Now ask the pairs to choose one of their examples and to practice transforming in slow motion from the rational idea to the irrational idea, and then back again. So, in the example given, they would transform from a little dog into a werewolf. Ask them to try and slow the transformation right down so that it happens over ten seconds This will prepare them for the slow-motion scene making at the end of this session.

• Discuss the way in which our imaginations can take over and convince us that something is happening when in fact it is not - particularly when we are feeling unsettled and uncertain about what is really happening.

STAGE TWO: OVERHEARING LORD CANTERVILLE AND MRS UMNEY • Explain that early the following day, whilst the servants were waking up in the servants’ quarters at the top of the house, they overheard Mrs Umney and Lord Canterville talking in hushed tones in the kitchen below. Mrs Umney and Lord Canterville didn’t realise that the sound of their voices carried up the chimney, from the kitchen where Lord Canterville went to speak to Mrs Umney, and into the fireplace in the servants’ dorms.

• Ask the class to close their eyes and imagine they are the servants still in bed, overhearing this conversation. Read the following script (resource six) ideally with a Learning Assistant (or possibly a child) reading the part of Lord Canterville: LC: Mrs Umney, I’m sorry to say the party is cancelled. It’s finally happened. Lady Canterville has gone… She’s packed her bags, taken her valuables… She said she couldn’t stand it one minute longer: last night was the last straw.

Mrs U: I am very sorry to hear this news, my Lord. I had noticed Lady Canterville seemed particularly pale these past few weeks… Indeed she’s barely left her room.

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TEACHER RESOURCES LC: The poor woman is not who she used to be… She hasn’t slept a wink in months. I’m not sure she’ll ever fully recover.

Mrs U: The poor soul. What will you do sir? What do you need me to do?

LC: Well, it is with deep regret that I tell you this, Mrs Umney, but I have decided that the house must be sold. This has been a painful decision for me; you know my family have lived here hundreds of years. But we both know nothing more can be done. It seems peace will never return to Canterville.

Mrs U: Yes, after last night’s antics, I agree… If last night was a black python… Who knows what’ll happen next.

LC: Mrs Umney, you must talk to all the staff and tell them the house is to be sold.

Mrs U: Yes sir, of course… But do I tell them everything?

• Ask the class to discuss in pairs what they have overheard. Why do they think Lady Canterville has left? What do they think will happen now? What questions do they have?

STAGE THREE: TEACHER IN ROLE - MRS UMNEY COMES CLEAN • Explain that Mrs Umney has called the servants to an emergency meeting. Set up the meeting space and ask the class to imagine they are the waiting for her to appear. Ask pupils to speak to the person they are sitting next to in role about what they overheard first thing this morning.

Function of the in role work: At first in the role play as Mrs Umney, just give the servants the practical details - the party is cancelled, Lady Canterville has left and the house is soon to be sold.

However, as the children respond in role, begin to reveal more about the truth behind all the strange happenings in the house and Lady Canterville’s exit. This is when Mrs Umney’s true character can be revealed – she is very pessimistic and gloomy, she feels there is no way out, but she is loyal and will follow Lord Canterville’s wishes to try and sell the house.

Ideas for in role conversation (resource seven): Good morning, staff. I have some updates for you: tonight’s party is cancelled – Lord and Lady Canterville’s guests will not be visiting. In fact, you may already know, early this morning, Lady Canterville left the house. Yes, coachmen, I know you had to prepare a coach for her very early… and she was not in happy mood, I understand? (Hear what the coachmen have to say about Lady Canterville’s exit). Did she have anything to say to them as she left? Was her hair still standing on end? Was she making sense?

There’s more… I’m afraid to say that Lord Canterville has decided to sell the house. He has asked you all to stay on in your jobs in order to help sell the house and show prospective buyers around.

He will double your wages during this time.

You may have noticed some strange occurrences in your time here? (Ask for their experiences and Page 28

TEACHER RESOURCES inform them that each was the ghost trying to scare them). I’ve done my best to hide his presence from you… But it hasn’t worked. Now you know why all the other servants left…

Go on to tell them the truth about the ghost: He’s haunted this place for hundreds of years; he’s the original Lord Canterville… Spends his time tormenting the residents. Once, at the New Year’s Ball, he appeared as a giant spider on the stroke of midnight in the grand ballroom, covering the revellers in a mess of sticky web… They all tried to run for the doors but they were stuck. He can take all sorts of forms – he’s appeared in a suit of armour, as a dead fox… all that creaking and groaning and door slamming and tapping you heard at night… Well, it wasn’t just the old house.

We’ve tried for years to get rid of him, but nothing works. He wins every time – terrorising poor innocent people and taking great pleasure in causing fear… Poor Mrs Canterville could take it longer… she’s a shadow of the woman she used to be. I don’t sleep any more… We’re all doomed, I tell you… doomed. There’s nothing that can be done to restore peace to Canterville… He’s set on roaming the halls of this old house, forever, it seems.

Lord Canterville wants the place sold… What do you think would help sell the house to prospective buyers? What kind of person would want to buy Canterville Chase? Lord Canterville won’t like it, but perhaps the only solution is a complete renovation… Rip everything out – all the old furniture and ornaments… Get rid of all the family portraits... Complete modernisation and refurbishment – what ghost would want to live in a new, modern house?

• Still in role, ask them whether they will agree to stay and help Lord Canterville sell the house. They will need to keep the house looking nice and think of ways to distract prospective buyers from the ghostly goings on. It’s going to be a hard sell, and they will need to try to cover up all evidence of the ghost.

• Reassure them that the ghost can’t hurt them physically: it will just try to scare them off. Ask which of the staff are prepared to stay on and which, understandably, choose to go home.

• As Mrs Umney, explain that if they do agree to show people around they will need to find rational explanations for the mysterious happenings the buyers might witness in Canterville Chase. Remind them of the things that happened with the mysterious happenings they witnessed. Ask them what plausible explanation could they give for those happenings.

• Ask them to come up with some rational explanations for some of the things Mrs Umney has seen in her time: - A horse with its mane standing on end and walking backwards - The eyes on the portraits in the gallery following you around the room or all hanging upside down - Bed sheets ripped to shreds - All the flowers dead in the garden outside • Come out of role, and explain that many members of staff left, never to return, but some agreed to stay on and help Mrs Umney and Lord Canterville sell Canterville Chase.

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TEACHER RESOURCES STAGE FOUR: SCENE MAKING - TRYING TO SELL THE HOUSE • In groups of four or five, ask the children to create a short scene where the servants are showing prospective buyers around the house. One or two of them should play the buyer(s) – if possible this should be those who had decided not to stay on to help Mrs Umney and Lord Canterville sell the house.

• In their scenes, ask the groups to show the servants as they show the buyer around one or two locations in the house and its grounds.

• Ask them to include a moment where the ghost causes something mysterious to happen that the servants have to find a way to cover up or explain away to the buyer. What rational explanation do they give to the prospective buyer? Or how do they manage to distract the buyer?

• Watch the scenes and feed back together to the whole group. Reflect on whether they were successful in distracting the buyers.

STAGE FIVE: SLOW MOTION SCENE - THE FINAL STRAW • Explain to the class that at the start of the play, the house has still not been sold. There are also no servants remaining; only Mrs Umney is still in post. Discuss with the class why this might be – what might have caused all the servants to leave? And why has no one bought the house?

• Tell the class that as the servants who agreed to remain tried their best to help Lord Canterville sell the house by covering up evidence of the ghost, but the ghost became increasingly angry and determined to ruin their plans, making his presence known at every opportunity and appearing in all sorts of shapes and forms.

• Ask the groups to imagine the last straw for the servants – the moment the ghost appeared to them in such a frightening way that they could not stay at the house any longer. Give the groups some time to discuss their ideas about how and where the ghost appeared, then ask them to create three still images showing the incident. Once they have their images, ask them to transform from one to the next using slow motion over ten seconds.

• Give the groups some time to practice, then watch each group’s performance, underscoring with some atmospheric music (resource two).

• Close the drama by telling the class that in the play they will come and see, a family do eventually buy Canterville Chase. Discuss what type of people they might be – why might they want to buy the house, and what do they imagine might happen once they move in?

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SEQUENCE THREE

THE CANTERVILLE GHOST TRAILER AIMS

To reflect on the play, exploring pupils’ favourite moments in the production.

To create ideas for a trailer which draw on key themes, characters, dialogue, magic, movement, music and visual imagery from the play.

To process their responses to the play in order to communicate to others what the play is about and why they might want to see the production.

RESOURCES Examples of trailers (resource eight), interactive whiteboard or flip chart and pens, music choices, paper and pens.

STRATEGIES Teacher and pupils in role, still image, slow motion action, short scene making, narration, underscoring, storyboarding.

INTRODUCTION This sequence aims to give pupils the opportunity to reflect on the play’s form and content, and to articulate what the play is about and why other children and young people might want to come and see it. Creating a trailer asks them to make choices about the story, the characters and way the story is told through the use of set, lights, sound and magic and communicate this to others.

STAGE ONE • Discuss your visit to the Unicorn to see The Canterville Ghost, and share which moments pupils enjoyed the most and why that was. Ask them what they might say to someone who doesn’t know anything about the play what The Canterville Ghost is about.

• Move the class into groups, and ask them to decide on one of their favourite moments from the play and to find a way to show it; ask them to have a clear still image at the beginning and end of their moment. They can bring their moments to life using dialogue or a narrator; whichever works best for them.

• Share all the groups’ moments and discuss what the class enjoyed about the production and why.

They will be using their enthusiasm for the production to communicate to others who haven’t yet Page 31

TEACHER RESOURCES seen the play in the following activity.

STAGE TWO: • Explain that you are going to ask the class to imagine that they are filmmakers who specialise in making trailers for films and plays. Discuss with the class what a trailer is and what function it serves.

• First, draw out their experience of trailers they have seen for films and television programmes.

You could choose to watch a few trailers; we have provided some links to trailers, including past Unicorn productions (resource eight). You may know of other trailers you think might work well with your class. When you have watched them, talk about how effective you think they are, and analyse the different approaches they use.

• Try to identify how a trailer works and the different elements you might find within it: - A trailer is an advert for a play, film or TV programme which aims to encourage others to come and see it.

- They are short – between about 30 seconds to three minutes long.

- They introduce key characters and elements of the story to the audience.

- They let people know what kind of a story to expect; romance, drama, adventure, sci-fi, comedy, horror etc.

- They will show what is exciting and interesting about the play, film, or TV programme, and why an audience will enjoy it.

- A trailer for a film or television will be different to a trailer for a theatre production; a film or TV programme can be shot in different locations, a theatre production will rely on lights and design to create different settings for the piece.

• Discuss what kind of skills, knowledge and understanding people who make trailers would have.

You can write a list of these skills and qualities for pupils to refer to as they are designing their trailers.

• Explain that you will go into role as the ‘client’; the person who wants to commission them to create a trailer for The Canterville Ghost, if you like their ideas.

• Set up the space for a meeting between you the ‘client’ and them as ‘expert trailermakers’ – an interactive white board or flip chart where you can collect ideas will be useful for the role play.

• Place the pupils in the space as trailer makers and then take up position as the client. In role, thank them for meeting with you and explain that you want a short trailer to encourage children and their parents to come along to see The Canterville Ghost at the Unicorn Theatre.

• In role, ask them: - What did they enjoy when they came to see the play?

- What is the most interesting, exciting or memorable thing about The Canterville Ghost which you could tell children and their parents about, and which might encourage them to come along?

• Remind the trailermakers that you want to give people a taste of the play without giving away its Page 32

TEACHER RESOURCES secrets, and that you expect them to be able to excite an audience’s curiosity by giving them a glimpse of what they will experience if they come.

• Ask the trailermakers what, in their expert opinion, they would include in a trailer for The Canterville Ghost. Listen to their thoughts and then, building on and responding to their input, come up with a list of ingredients you would like in your trailer. Agree on a simple set of ingredients and a structure that all groups will be able to work with in the creation of their trailers: - At least one (and no more than three) very short scenes with dialogue, which introduce some of the characters and key points in the story.

- One slow motion movement scene without dialogue, which shows an exciting moment of action.

- A voiceover which speaks directly to the audience and describes, in very few words, what the play is about. This might be lines from the playtext, or something they have written for themselves.

- One further element they would like to include; this could be introducing the characters one by one, including the element of magic and how it is used in the production, or perhaps asking a question that the play will go on to answer.

STAGE THREE • Begin by asking pupils, in groups, to create a short scene which would introduce some of the key characters and themes in the play. Remind them that they need to find a moment that will communicate clearly to an audience who don’t know the play and that will give enough information for them to understand what is happening between the characters. Children may not remember the dialogue exactly, which is fine; an approximation of the dialogue will work.

• You can keep this activity simple by asking for just one short scene in their trailers. However, if your class are working well, you could ask them to make one or two more moments which contrast with and add to the first (the Hetty Feather and The Lion King trailers have good examples of a number of snippets of dialogue building a sense of the different characters and story for the prospective audience).

• Ask the groups to remember the dialogue and action for these short scenes for later. They could record them on a story board, or write them like a script with dialogue, stage directions (recording the action) and any other information that would help (lighting, set, props etc).

• Now that they have concentrated on character and story, explain that the next thing you want to add to the trailer is a piece which gives a sense of the atmosphere, action and visual language of the piece.

• Ask them to create a movement piece which will be in slow motion, and which you will underscore with music. Ask them to be really clear where this piece begins and ends; get them to start by creating three still pictures of their movement sequence – a beginning, middle and end – and then to move from one image to the next in slow motion.

• Play them three different pieces of music from which to choose to underscore their slow motion sequence. When they have practiced their piece, ask them to write down any design, lighting, props and costume information that will be important.

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TEACHER RESOURCES • Ask the groups to now add a ‘voiceover’. This could be at the beginning or the end of their trailer.

The voiceover will speak directly to the audience, and is not a character from the play – what would they like this voiceover to say?

• Now that they have the elements of their trailer, ask them to begin to piece them together, ready to present their ideas to the ‘client’. They will need to decide which order these go in.

• Ask them to decide where the music they have chosen will be played (it could run throughout the whole thing with the volume lowered for scenes and raised in the slow motion section). Ask them to rehearse everything, including how they will move between each section.

• Finally, there may be things that they want to make clear to the ‘client’ that they cannot show, such as key images, lighting, set and costumes that are important in their sequence. They could choose one of their team to describe these elements as they perform their trailer idea, or they could choose to describe them at the beginning or end of their presentation.

STAGE FOUR • When the groups have had a chance to rehearse their pieces, explain that you are going to go back into role as the client, and that you will be asking them to present their ideas to you.

• In role, welcome them back and say that you are looking forward to seeing and hearing their ideas for a trailer for The Canterville Ghost.

• See each group’s presentation in turn, and at the end of each, respond to the ideas they have presented, asking further questions, and teasing out the elements that they are not able to easily demonstrate in this format. Enlist the rest of the class to also respond to each group’s work, sharing what they like in each one and why. In this process discuss what they are communicating to an audience about: - What an audience of children and their families might enjoy in the production - What they have shown is at the heart of the story, as different groups should have different emphases in their pieces – for one group it might be a horror story, for another, it could be a story about forgiveness and redemption, while others might see it as a comedy about family life - What the tone and atmosphere of the piece is, and how the magic and special effects will add to the audience’s enjoyment • Finish the in role work by thanking them for their hard work, insights and creativity. It is important to validate all of the ideas they have come up with. You could decide to release a series of trailers (like Star Wars) over a period of time, or combine their ideas into one or two longer trailers.

• Out of role, reflect on how the class have processed their understanding and feelings about the play in order to communicate to others what The Canterville Ghost is about. Discuss what they have expressed about how the many different elements of a theatre production can combine to make a special experience for children, young people and adults to enjoy together.

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TEACHER RESOURCES

RESOURCES RESOURCE ONE Images of inventions through the ages, old houses, and locations: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/ schools4136/

RESOURCE TWO Old house sound effects playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/45C1TTSxONnRm3nTO6cguf

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TEACHER RESOURCES RESOURCE THREE TEACHER IN ROLE SCRIPT AS MRS UMNEY

Information for Mrs Umney to give: Good morning everybody. On behalf of Lord and Lady Canterville, I would like to welcome you all to your new posts here at the magnificent Canterville Chase. We’re very glad to have you on board ,and it was clear from your applications that you all have the relevant experience needed for your roles.

Ask some of the servants ‘What made you want to apply to work here?’

I’m sure you all know that the Cantervilles are one of the most important, successful and highly regarded aristocratic families in the country. The family have lived in this house for generations, and you will see the house is full of valuable and historic objects, as well as the beautiful portraits of the family in the corridors. A sense of history and tradition is important to the Cantervilles - things haven’t changed here for many years, and that’s the way they like it.

You could ask ‘What are your first impressions of the house?’

I’ve been head housekeeper here for many years, and this is the first time I have had a completely new staff team. It really is an opportunity for us have a fresh start, and make sure everything runs like clockwork. The most important thing is that we keep the house running smoothly, and to ensure the Lord and Lady are happy and relaxed.

Briefly engage with each group (examples): Cooks – obviously you will work in the kitchen, preparing and serving all meals. Do I remember that one of you is a skilled baker? Has anyone worked in a large kitchen like this before?

Groundskeepers – there are the many acres of land, plants, flowers and vegetables to tend to, and as it is the outside of the house, that creates the first impression! Who amongst you has experience in growing vegetables? What are you good at growing? Is anyone an expert in trees? We have an almond tree at the front which hasn’t flowered for years.

Stable workers – the horses need a lot of care and the coaches must look impeccable. Who amongst you has driven a coach? What made you want to work with horses? Do you know what is needed to keep the horses healthy and happy?

Laundry workers – of course, you will know how important it is that all the linen and clothing is washed, dried and folded. Does anyone have any remedies for stubborn stains? Repairing and maintaining Lord and Lady Canterville’s fine clothes is an important part of the job.

Cleaners – you work all over the house, and you must pay particular attention to the old stained-glass windows. Who has experience of stained glass? Do you know how to clean a chandelier?

Butlers – you are at the front of the house to greet the Lord and Lady and guests, but also Page 36

TEACHER RESOURCES must be on call if they need assistance at any time. How would you greet the Lord and Lady on their return home?

I know for most of you, perhaps all, this will be your first time working away from home, and that may be hard at times. Of course, you will all be far too busy to be missing home much.

There is always plenty of work to be done here at Canterville Chase.

Does anyone have any questions?

Be prepared to answer questions about: Salary - a very good rate of £25 a year Hours - rising at 6pm, most servants should be finished by 10pm Meals - to be taken in the kitchen – breakfast, lunch and supper) time home (one Sunday a month Servants’ quarters - they will sleep in male and female dorms in the attic, of around 4 to 6 servants. There is a staircase from the kitchen up to the servants querters And areas they can’t go - they should be out of Lord and Lady Canterville’s rooms by 8am, and only return if they are called for; Mrs Umney will let the cleaners know which rooms they can clean when she knows the Lord and Lady’s movements. There is the grand entrance hall, the library, the gallery – where all the family portraits are, the drawing room, the dining room, the ballroom, the study and the bedrooms.

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TEACHER RESOURCES RESOURCE FOUR GUIDED LISTENING

The tired servants settled down in their beds in the servants’ quarters after a long day.

They closed their eyes and tried to get to sleep. All was quiet for a while, just the sound of breathing from the others in the dorm. But then, just as they were drifting off, the noises began… (play sound effects).

The servants tried to stay rational, but they were tired and far away from home, so their imaginations started to fire up. They didn’t want to show to the others around them that were afraid, but as they lay there in the dark, it became harder and harder not to let their imaginations take over…

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TEACHER RESOURCES RESOURCE FIVE TEACHER IN ROLE SCRIPT AS MRS UMNEY

I trust everybody slept well? We have a long, busy day ahead of us‌ Anything to report before we get going?

The house is hundreds of years old, so of course it will make noises that are unfamiliar and strange, it is to be expected. The Cantervilles like a sense of history and tradition; they have kept the house this way for many years.

Of course, you might be feeling irrational; you are far from the comforts of home. But this sort of talk is how rumours start... You need to focus on getting rest, so you are ready to work.

Lord and Lady have important guests arriving tomorrow, we must prepare for a party. Today there is a lot of work to be done to get everything ready and the house in order. Everything must run smoothly.

Check in with all of the teams, giving them the opportunity to respond in role and ask questions before coming out of role.

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TEACHER RESOURCES RESOURCE SIX LORD CANTERVILLE AND MRS UMNEY TEXT:

LC: Mrs Umney, I’m sorry to say the party is cancelled. It’s finally happened. Lady Canterville has gone… She’s packed her bags, taken her valuables… She said she couldn’t stand it one minute longer: last night was the last straw.

Mrs U: I am very sorry to hear this news, my Lord. I had noticed Lady Canterville seemed particularly pale these past few weeks… Indeed she’s barely left her room.

LC: The poor woman is not who she used to be… She hasn’t slept a wink in months. I’m not sure she’ll ever fully recover.

Mrs U: The poor soul. What will you do sir? What do you need me to do?

LC: Well, it is with deep regret that I tell you this, Mrs Umney, but I have decided that the house must be sold. This has been a painful decision for me; you know my family have lived here hundreds of years. But we both know nothing more can be done. It seems peace will never return to Canterville.

Mrs U: Yes, after last night’s antics, I agree… If last night was a black python… Who knows what’ll happen next.

LC: Mrs Umney, you must talk to all the staff and tell them the house is to be sold.

Mrs U: Yes sir, of course… But do I tell them everything?

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TEACHER RESOURCES RESOURCE SEVEN MRS UMNEY TEXT:

Good morning, staff. I have some updates for you: tonight’s party is cancelled – Lord and Lady Canterville’s guests will not be visiting. In fact, you may already know, early this morning, Lady Canterville left the house. Yes, coachmen, I know you had to prepare a coach for her very early… and she was not in happy mood, I understand? (Hear what the coachmen have to say about Lady Canterville’s exit). Did she have anything to say to them as she left?

Was her hair still standing on end? Was she making sense?

There’s more… I’m afraid to say that Lord Canterville has decided to sell the house. He has asked you all to stay on in your jobs in order to help sell the house and show prospective buyers around. He will double your wages during this time.

You may have noticed some strange occurrences in your time here? (Ask for their experiences and inform them that each was the ghost trying to scare them). I’ve done my best to hide his presence from you… But it hasn’t worked. Now you know why all the other servants left…

Go on to tell them the truth about the ghost: He’s haunted this place for hundreds of years; he’s the original Lord Canterville… Spends his time tormenting the residents. Once, at the New Year’s Ball, he appeared as a giant spider on the stroke of midnight in the grand ballroom, covering the revellers in a mess of sticky web… They all tried to run for the doors but they were stuck. He can take all sorts of forms – he’s appeared in a suit of armour, as a dead fox… all that creaking and groaning and door slamming and tapping you heard at night… Well, it wasn’t just the old house.

We’ve tried for years to get rid of him, but nothing works. He wins every time – terrorising poor innocent people and taking great pleasure in causing fear… Poor Mrs Canterville could take it longer… she’s a shadow of the woman she used to be. I don’t sleep any more… We’re all doomed, I tell you… doomed. There’s nothing that can be done to restore peace to Canterville… He’s set on roaming the halls of this old house, forever, it seems.

Lord Canterville wants the place sold… What do you think would help sell the house to prospective buyers? What kind of person would want to buy Canterville Chase? Lord Canterville won’t like it, but perhaps the only solution is a complete renovation… Rip everything out – all the old furniture and ornaments… Get rid of all the family portraits...

Complete modernisation and refurbishment – what ghost would want to live in a new, modern house?

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TEACHER RESOURCES RESOURCE EIGHT TRAILERS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TavVZMewpY The Lion King https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT4ExyX9ilg Hetty Feather https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_6zy2GF4cg Aesop’s Fables | Unicorn Theatre https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPu9p__xK6Y The Minotaur | Unicorn Theatre https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO0jnGl6HQU The Velveteen Rabbit | Unicorn Theatre https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReGB6Bmy9rc The Iron Man | Unicorn Theatre

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OSCAR WILDE’S THE

CANTERVILLE

GHOST

A Unicorn Production Adapted by Anthony Weigh Directed by Justin Audibert Resource pack written by Ella Macfadyen and Catherine Greenwood