Role On The Wall

The outline of a body is drawn on a large sheet of paper, which is later stuck onto the wall.  This can be done by carefully drawing around one of the participants.  Words or phrases describing the character are then written directly onto the drawing or stuck on with post-its.  This drama technique can be carried out as a group activity or by individuals writing about their own character. You can include known facts such as physical appearance, age, gender, location and occupation, as well as subjective ideas such as likes/dislikes, friends/enemies, attitudes, motivations, secrets and dreams.

• You can vary the approach, for example known facts can be written around the silhouette, and thoughts and feelings inside. Key lines spoken by the character can be added.
• The class can return to add more ideas, thoughts and feelings as they discover more about the character over time.
• Role on the wall can be used as a way to develop ideas for improvisation or rehearsal.
• The approach can be used for historical characters too.