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Writing Playscripts
Test your skills on writing playscripts in this quiz.

Writing Playscripts

Writing playscripts helps pupils turn stories into performances. This KS2 English quiz explains how to write dialogue, stage directions, and scene descriptions for a play.

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Fascinating Fact:

Shakespeare wrote some of the most famous playscripts ever, full of kings, ghosts, and sword fights.

In KS2 English, pupils learn how playscripts are different from stories. A playscript shows what the audience sees and hears on stage. It includes the characters’ names, dialogue, and short instructions for actors about how to move or speak. Writing a playscript encourages creativity, teamwork, and an understanding of performance.

  • Dialogue: The words spoken by characters in a play or story.
  • Stage Directions: Instructions in brackets that tell actors what to do or how to act.
  • Scene: A section of a play that takes place in one location or time.
What is a playscript in KS2 English?

A playscript is a written version of a play that shows the characters’ dialogue and stage directions instead of describing events like a story does.

How is a playscript different from a story?

A story describes what happens, but a playscript shows what happens through speech and actions that can be performed on stage.

What do stage directions do?

Stage directions tell actors how to move, speak, or react. They help bring the play to life and make the performance easier to follow.

To see a larger image, click on the picture.
1 .
Where would you look to find the names of all the characters in a play?
In a list before the first act.
In the title.
In an index.
In the glossary.
The list of characters used to be called the 'Dramatis Personae' (which just means 'the persons of a drama'). If the list includes the names of the actors playing each part, it is called the 'cast list'.
2 .
The speech in a play is called the ____.
speech
dialogue
conversation
argument
If a character talks to himself or herself for a while, it is called a 'monologue'.
3 .
Which of the following lines would be correctly punctuated for a playscript?
Francis says, 'Where are you going, Betty?'
Francis says: Where are you going, Betty?
Francis: 'Where are you going, Betty?'
Francis: Where are you going, Betty?
Speech marks are not used in playscripts.
4 .
If a character needs to speak in a certain way, the instructions will be given in ____.
a larger font
bold
brackets
Italian
Unless the playscript is handwritten, these instructions will also be in italics, as well as brackets.
5 .
What are stage directions?
Reminders to the author.
Instructions which tell the actors how to speak and how to move.
Instructions telling the audience what they should pay attention to.
All of the above.
Stage directions are always in brackets (and italics - see question 4).
6 .
Which tense is used for stage directions?
Past.
Present.
Future.
Passive.
Past tense would mean the actor should have already done it!
7 .
A play is made up of acts and ____.
chapters
shots
episodes
scenes
Sometimes there are intervals between acts.
8 .
In a playscript, an ellipsis (...) would be used to show which of the following?
That a character has paused in the middle of speaking.
That an actor has forgotten the lines.
That the audience should applaud.
That the actor can make up the next few words.
A pause can be very effective in a play.
9 .
A deserted park. Dusk. What is the purpose of stage directions like these?
The author adds these directions to make the playscript more interesting for the actors.
These lines should be projected above the stage.
To set the scene.
An actor should read these lines.
Different backdrops and props can be used to show where a scene is set.
10 .
A new scene should begin when ____.
there is a change of setting
a new character is introduced
something happens in the play
the actors become bored
New characters are often introduced in the middle of a scene - that way, the audience has a chance to find out who they are.
You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Performance writing: Analysing play scripts

Author:  Sheri Smith (PhD English Literature, English Teacher & Quiz Writer)

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