Set texts
Pages distinguish the written text from what a director, performer or designer might choose. One production’s staging is not presented as the only correct interpretation.
About Stark Drama
How Stark Drama is made
Free GCSE Drama revision, rehearsal and design resources, created and reviewed by an experienced UK secondary Drama teacher.
Built for practical Drama
Stark Drama is designed for the work students actually have to do: understand a set text, make specific acting and design choices, prepare for the written exam, develop devised work and rehearse independently.
The site is independent of the exam boards. Board-specific guidance is checked against current official specifications and assessment material, while set-text pages separate what the script states from production choices and possible student interpretations.
How the resources are checked
Exam guidance
Board-specific pages are checked against official specifications and assessment material. When a qualification changes, older guidance is labelled as legacy material rather than quietly mixed into the current course.
Professional productions
Named production choices are used only when they can be supported. Modern production photographs are not treated as free to reuse simply because they appear online.
Teaching images and audio
Generated theatre images are teaching reconstructions, not photographs of named professional productions. Original audio examples demonstrate sound-design ideas without reproducing copyrighted scores.
Official exam-board sources
Use the board links below when you need to check the current specification itself. Stark Drama explains and practises the material; the exam board remains the authority for its qualification.
Found something that needs changing?
Drama specifications, prescribed texts and assessment materials change. If you spot an error, an outdated board reference or a production claim that needs a better source, send it through the feedback form.
Editorial standards reviewed 23 August 2026.