TASK 1

• Look at the structure of the mark scheme for this part of the exam.
• Identify what the General progression is up the Bands
• Identify what the SPECIFIC bullet points that you (the candidate have to make)
• PAIR TALK what your understanding of this is (the language can be quite hard to decipher at first)
• Look at your essay again (1 week later)
• What Band would you give it (where does MOST of the essay fit)
• Now, give it a NUMERICAL MARK out of 25 based on your analysis and the Notes I have provided.
• Look at the Mark Scheme I have given you to see if your analysis of your essay corresponds to mine.
• Stick in the BLANK Mark sheet into your So2M Journal.

How to improve (some general points)

POSITIVES: Most of you understood and got in some historic facts about|:

• Harlequin being the original / traditional name.
• The characters being a servant and lover (with the better answers indicating that the lover role was 1) made larger and 2) was more romantic than just ‘lust’ because Sacchi was the ‘star’ and had paid for the ‘commission’
• Most of you mentioned Sacchi but BE CAREFUL that you don’t rob yourself of time for the detailed focus on ‘performance’ that the essay is all about.
• YOU ARE NOT WRITING A HISTORY OF THE PLAY type essay – it must be an essay about HOW WOULD YOU PERFORM TRUFFALDINO.
• All of you wrote about being the PERFORMER (no one missed the target)

NEGATIVES:

• Write more! I gave you a detailed plan – you should have written for 45 mins. At 7-10 mins a paragraph that’s 4.5 paragraphs = 2 to 2.5 side of A4
• You must talk in specifics: Establish the moment clearly. Who, where, when and why: {Zoom in from a Long shot to a Close Up) “ When I enter Pantaloon’s room to announce my Master is down stairs, I will…”
• You MUST imagine you are playing the role. “If I was playing the part…(?) You are playing the part!!! E.g. “As Truff. I will… {Use the PRESENT tense as if you are acting as you write}
• You need to state ‘the effects’ you wish to create. I gave you a list of 6
• Some of you MUST re-read your words/sentences because what you’re writing is NOT GOOD ENGLISH.
• Try and develop a writing style that is simple but specific. Every line you write should specifically refer back to the question or illustrate your answer in some clear way.
• Don’t say ‘over the top’  – say exaggerated or heightened …
• Get in more than 1 acting skill per example: If you are saying something about vocal delivery then go on to add what your face is doing, add a gesture or move you make, say what your body language is doing, how close or far away you are from other characters or the audience. (Try for 4 acting terms – the Mark scheme say you must use subject specific terminology)
• Be more creative – don’t just say what the script says (add value!) E.g. The letter re-sealing lazzo. To say you’ll do it 3 times is just repeating what’s in the script. To say you strangle yourself in your attempt not to swallow or you tie string to the bread as a ‘clever’ precaution is CREATIVE – even if the idea came from someone else. Pass it off confidently as yours!