For my drama TDT I have chosen to explore a picturebook through drama. The picturebook I have chosen to explore is The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler and this would be with early years children.

The key moments I would be focusing on throughout the drama would be when the mouse meets the animals and describes the Gruffalo. In this I would be looking for the children to explore different feelings such as fear through the convention of hot seating. I would have groups of children be the different characters and answer questions regarding how they were feeing when the mouse said they were the Gruffalo’s favourite foods.

I would also explore when the characters meet the Gruffalo, how have their feelings changed or intensified. I would have the children explain these feelings through a using a flash forward convention. In this the children would be representing the character once they have hidden from the Gruffalo – the use of freeze frame and narrator could also be used here – the children could freeze in a position conveying the characters feelings and the narrator could explain to the audience how the character is feeling now they have seen the Gruffalo.

I would also create further opportunities for imaginative responses by allowing the children to convey how they would have reacted in the situation if they were the mouse meeting the Gruffalo. The children could also be given opportunity to show how they think the Gruffalo should have introduced himself – could he have been scarier, nicer and why.