ABSTRACT
It is not the intention to provide a detailed history of drama teaching in this chapter but some understanding of the debates and tensions which have been associated with the subject will provider a firmer basis for exploring its practical value. The main difference of opinion centred on the distinction made between ‘theatre’, which was thought to be largely concerned with communication between actors and an audience, and ‘drama’, which was seen as having more to do with the experience of the participants (Way 1967). Teachers who were familiar with the negative aspects of performance (pupils showing off and mouthing lines with no sense of purpose) were eager to embrace the new experiential approach which sought to engage pupils in meaningful contexts demanding real thinking and feeling. Rather than seek to educate people in and about drama, the emphasis was on developing understanding through drama.
