A-Level Edexcel: Drama &
Theatre Glossary –
Performance with correct
answers 2025/2026
acting area - correct answersthe area within the performance space within which the actor may
move in full view of the audience. Also known as the playing area
acting style - correct answersa particular manner of acting which reflects cultural and historical
influences
action - correct answersthe movement or development of the plot or story in a play; the sense
of forward movement created by the sense of time and/or the physical and psychological
motivations of characters.
analysis - correct answersin responding to dramatic art, the process of examining how the
elements of drama—literary, technical, and performance—are used
antagonist - correct answersthe opponent or adversary of the hero or main character of a
drama; one who opposes and actively competes with another character in a play, most often
with the protagonist
apron - correct answersthe area between the front curtain and the edge of the stage.
, arena stage - correct answerstype of stage without a frame or arch separating the stage from
the
auditorium, in which the audience surrounds the stage area. (see
theatre-in-the-round)
articulation - correct answersthe clarity or distinction of speech
aside - correct answerslines spoken by an actor to the audience and not supposed to be
overheard by other characters on-stage.
black box - correct answersa one-room theatre, without a proscenium arch; interior is painted
black, including walls, floor, and ceiling, and any drapes are also black.
blocking - correct answersthe path formed by the actor's movement on stage, usually
determined by the director with assistance from the actor and often written down in a script
using commonly accepted theatrical symbols.
business - correct answersa piece of unscripted or improvised action, often comic in intention,
used to establish a character, fill a pause in dialogue, or to establish a scene. An author may
simply suggest '________' to indicate the need for some action at that point in the play.
catharsis - correct answersthe feeling of release felt by the audience at the end of a tragedy;
the audience experiences _________, or is set free from the emotional hold of the action, after
experiencing strong emotions and sharing in the protagonist's troubles.
character - correct answersa person portrayed in a drama, novel, or other artistic piece.
characterisation - correct answershow an actor uses body, voice, and thought to develop and
portray a character.
Theatre Glossary –
Performance with correct
answers 2025/2026
acting area - correct answersthe area within the performance space within which the actor may
move in full view of the audience. Also known as the playing area
acting style - correct answersa particular manner of acting which reflects cultural and historical
influences
action - correct answersthe movement or development of the plot or story in a play; the sense
of forward movement created by the sense of time and/or the physical and psychological
motivations of characters.
analysis - correct answersin responding to dramatic art, the process of examining how the
elements of drama—literary, technical, and performance—are used
antagonist - correct answersthe opponent or adversary of the hero or main character of a
drama; one who opposes and actively competes with another character in a play, most often
with the protagonist
apron - correct answersthe area between the front curtain and the edge of the stage.
, arena stage - correct answerstype of stage without a frame or arch separating the stage from
the
auditorium, in which the audience surrounds the stage area. (see
theatre-in-the-round)
articulation - correct answersthe clarity or distinction of speech
aside - correct answerslines spoken by an actor to the audience and not supposed to be
overheard by other characters on-stage.
black box - correct answersa one-room theatre, without a proscenium arch; interior is painted
black, including walls, floor, and ceiling, and any drapes are also black.
blocking - correct answersthe path formed by the actor's movement on stage, usually
determined by the director with assistance from the actor and often written down in a script
using commonly accepted theatrical symbols.
business - correct answersa piece of unscripted or improvised action, often comic in intention,
used to establish a character, fill a pause in dialogue, or to establish a scene. An author may
simply suggest '________' to indicate the need for some action at that point in the play.
catharsis - correct answersthe feeling of release felt by the audience at the end of a tragedy;
the audience experiences _________, or is set free from the emotional hold of the action, after
experiencing strong emotions and sharing in the protagonist's troubles.
character - correct answersa person portrayed in a drama, novel, or other artistic piece.
characterisation - correct answershow an actor uses body, voice, and thought to develop and
portray a character.
