ABSTRACT
Thematic content in this unit: Curriculum connections:
An introduction to London’s Great Plague of 1665 History
The history of Eyam, Derbyshire History, Geography
Community and responsibility Citizenship, PSHE
Epidemics and plagues Science, Media Studies
Dramatic techniques and keywords in this unit:
The use of visual stimulus/pretext Depiction
Dramatic reconstruction based on historical and fi ctional accounts
Parallel Play Montage Split stage and cross cutting
Whole group improvisation Teacher in role Defi ning the space
Tableaux and tableaux vivants Caption making Step out
Thought tracking Narration Atmosphere and dramatic tension Spontaneous improvisation
In this unit, students begin their drama by exploring events that happened in London during the Great Plague before the focus shifts towards a small Derbyshire village called Eyam (pronounced E’em). The year is 1665 and both communities are visited by the worst outbreak of plague since the Black Death of the 1300s.
