Quick questions on Voice, movement and characterisation - OCR A-Level Drama and Theatre performer skills

The voice is shaped by a small set of controllable variables, and naming them precisely is what lifts a written answer.

Characterisation is the integration of these choices into a coherent, readable person. It rests on a few questions: what does the character want (their objective), what is their status in each moment, and how do they relate to the others on stage. A strong characterisation keeps these consistent but lets the vocal and physical choices change to track shifts in the action. The audience should be able to read the character's intention and relationships without being told.

In the written papers, the difference between bands is the move from feature to effect. Naming a technique ("the actor uses a pause") earns little; explaining its effect ("a held pause before the reply lets the threat land and forces the audience to wait with the character") earns AO2. Write "I would" or "the performer would" and always finish with the audience.

List three vocal variables and three physical variables a performer can control. [3 marks]

Explain why "the character is sad" is not an AO2 answer, and rewrite it as one. [3 marks]

As a performer, explain how you would use voice and movement to communicate a character's growing confidence across a short scene. [10 marks]