ABSTRACT
This chapter uses extracts from a recorded discussion in February 2019 to explore the nature of role-play; how it is used within the drama curriculum of adolescents and influenced by contemporary theatre practitioners ‘Frantic Assembly’ (Graham and Hoggett 2014), Complicité (Wiśniewski 2016) and Kneehigh (Kneehigh CookBook); the elements involved in role-play and reflection on the skills, attitudes and dispositions exhibited in children’s role-play; and how these can enable young people to successfully engage and develop their creativity further. The discussion includes reflection on the way role-play can provide insights into areas of a child’s experience, which may indicate areas of concern. The reflection draws on Vygotsky’s (1978) ‘Zone of Proximal Development’ (ZPD). Consideration is also given to implications this exploration has for best practice in the Early Years and the consequent foundation this lays for the child’s continuing development and well-being (Seligman 2011). The chapter explores how early childhood role-play experiences can relate to confidence in adolescence and challenges how Early Years pedagogues can successfully match the demands of an Early Years curriculum, where the measures used to judge success are increasingly narrow, to those of young children by promoting a ‘creative curriculum’ (Kingdon et al. 2017, pp. 135–137) to provide coherent development for early childhood and beyond.
