What do you want to know?

Do I have to bring my class to Paris to see a Drama Ties production?

We regularly perform in theatres in Paris but this is not your only chance to see us. You can arrange with a theatre near you for us to perform there or visit your town hall to reserve the theatre space. We can also perform in your school complex if you have a suitable space such as an auditorium or an accessible canteen. Each of our shows has different requirements so please contact us directly to enquire about performing at your school.

How can I help my students make the most of our trip to see a Drama Ties production?

Each of our shows has a teaching guide full of activities, scene extracts and suggestions for work in class that fit with your curriculum. This pack is available on our website, and not only helps your students understand the story and style of the writing but also prepares them to participate in the show. At the end of every performance, the audience members are invited to ask the actors questions so why not ask them to write some questions about the show, the life of an actor or even about the countries we come from.

How much do your shows/workshops cost?

There are many variables, please go to our contact page for a personalized quote on the show or workshop that you are interested in.

How can I get funding to pay for a workshop or a show?

Ask us for a personalized quote with information on the funding applications that suit you best. We will accompany you throughout the process and troubleshoot any problems you may encounter.

I have 35 students in my class, can they all participate in one drama workshop?

Our actors are trained and capable to adapt to any class size. However, for classes with more than 28 students we recommend that you consider splitting the class into two groups or commit to having an active role in the workshop sessions, in order to prevent the students from losing interest when the actor works with a portion of the group.

Do I have to continue the work in between the sessions with the actor?

This is not a requirement, however the more invested you are in the workshop, the more the actor will be able to accomplish, and the more your students will gain from the experience.

What space is needed for a workshop?

A classroom is fine. Please ensure that it is clean, and be prepared for us to rearrange the tables and chairs to make space for physical activities. We always take the time to put everything back in its original place at the end of the session. If you have access to a larger room such as a canteen, an audio-visual room or a spacious library, it is an extra advantage.

What materials do I need for the workshop?

The workshops are designed so that all the participants can imagine and mime their props and costumes, or create and use their own items. Actors may require a CD player.

I don’t want a 12 hour workshop, is it possible to have more or less time?

Yes. We can tailor a workshop to best suit your needs and desires. Contact us for a personalized quote.

What texts can we work on during our workshops?

Drama Ties has a large database of texts, including adapted plays, poems and mono/duologues. These texts range from British and American classics, to fairy tales and folk stories, to modern literature. Once you have booked a workshop with us an actor will contact you and open a discussion about what themes you may like to work on. From there, an actor can propose some scripts and a decision can be made together.

I would like to work on a specific story, can a Drama Ties actor write a script for us?

Actors are not required and cannot be expected to write a new script for a workshop. However, in the past, under certain circumstances this has been accommodated, so please feel free to broach the subject with your actor. We are also very happy to support you and your students during the writing of a new script, offering professional advice and feedback. We are able to adapt existing scenes to suit the level of your students and can also offer a devising workshop where the story and text is written during the sessions in collaboration with the students. We are constantly adapting new scripts suitable for workshops so don’t hesitate to put forward your ideas, and we will take them into consideration.

Will there be enough roles for all of my students?

Yes. We like to have students ‘swap’ roles, which means that in a performance of Oliver Twist, for example, the role of Oliver will be played by a different student in each scene, likewise for all the other roles. This prevents one student from having the task of learning a huge amount of text and also allows each student to have a speaking role to learn.

We’d rather not work with a script, is it still possible have a workshop?

Yes, our actors are happy to prepare exercises to help develop confidence, conversation skills, expressing emotion, trust, focus, rhythm, spontaneity and much more. It is recommended to work on some text to put these things into practice but it is not essential. You could also consider the option of having an actor devise a story with your students.

Do I need to arrange a presentation for my students to share their work at the end of the workshop?

This is not an obligation but we do strongly encourage that a small presentation is arranged, to value the students’ work and give them the experience of performing to an audience. This can be their friends and family after school, or simply the class next door during the final session. You may like to arrange a slot in a theatre or prefer to keep it low key and perform in the familiarity and comfort of their classroom.

What happens if I need to cancel a session?

Once booked you will be in direct contact with the actor running the workshop, together you can choose the dates that suit you best. If an unavoidable problem occurs and you or the actor need to change a date then this can be arranged between you before letting our administrator know.