Our Country's Good: Based on the Novel the "Playmaker" by Thomas Kenneally (Student Editions)

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In Our Country's Good, Ralph wants to be promoted, and when he hears about Phillip wishing to stage a play, he jumps at the opportunity to prove himself by taking on this responsibility. With time, Ralph grows fond of the convicts and learns to treat them better. At the beginning of the play, he misses his wife, and he's nervous around the women in the penalty colony. By the end of the play, he falls in love with Mary Brenham. Mary Brenham John Wisehammer: Transported to Australia for stealing snuff, he continues to claim his innocence. He is Jewish and struggles against slight (Liz) and strong (Ross) anti-semitism. His large knowledge is self-taught and he says of himself that he "like[s] words" (Act One, Scene Ten). He writes a new prologue to the play, which Ralph doesn't want to use on the first night, as he considers it too political. In the end, Wisehammer wants to stay in Australia, as "no one has more of a right than anyone else to call [him] a foreigner" (Act Two, Scene Eleven), and to become an author there. He and Mary Brenham exchange words, literally, in Act One, Scene Ten, where Wisehammer's slight intellectualism is explained. The real Wisehammer would get married and become a merchant after his release. Our Country’s Good is both a comedy and a powerful drama which shows us how we can escape the chains that bind us.

be deemed age-appropriate by the Head of Centre who must submit a declaration to AQA confirming that he/she has approved the plays chosen for practical study

One night, Ralph finds Mary rehearsing alone on the beach. When he joins her and recites the lines of her character’s lover, they begin to feel a connection, and their fake embrace turns into something real. As they take off their clothes, Ralph admits he’s never seen a naked woman before—not even his wife. Lieutenant George Johnston, RM: An officer most famed for his "compassion, if not to say passion" (Act One, Scene Six) for the convict women. The real Johnston lived with a convict named Esther Abrahams and later took part in the Rum Rebellion.

Johnston is also not a main character in the play and is known for treating woman sinners with compassion. During the vote he votes for the play. Lieutenant Will Dawes Each student's contribution to the final devised performance is marked out of 20. Guidance on devising If a student’s performancedoes notmeet therequiredduration a penalty is applied to the mark (the size of the penaltydepends onthe severity of the timing infringement).Itmayalsoresult in schools or colleges being investigated for maladministration. Assessment evidence

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they answer on for Section C ie the live production seen cannot be one of their set plays. Component 2: Creating original drama

Ketch Freeman is a former convict who was given an ultimatum - to hang others or be hanged. He became the hangman of the penalty colony. The convicts detest him, and he wants to be in the play so that they can start to like him. Dabby Bryant He was transported to Australia for killing a sailor who broke a strike. He claims that he didn’t do it, that the blame was placed on him unfairly. He becomes the hangman of the colony after being given the choice to hang or be hanged. Ketch struggles to fit in as he is loathed by the other convicts, especially Liz Morden. He is desperate to act in the play but no one wants to go near him. He also blames his situation on leaving his ‘guardian angel’ in Ireland. Robert Sideway Liz has been sentenced to death for stealing food. Freeman reluctantly measures her for hanging. Harry, who oversees the process, still hears the ghosts of the dead. It becomes clear that Liz did not defend herself at her trial, but just as 'Ketch' and Harry are about to leave, she asks Harry to tell Ralph that she did not steal the food. As they question her as to why she didn't speak up, Harry collapses. Captain Watkin Tench, RM: Tench is an officer who dislikes all of the convicts for the simple fact that they are convicts. Whenever he has a comment to make about them, it is always a sarcastic aside. He does not believe in the redemption of the convicts, nor in the fact that they can be converted from their criminal ways. He regards all of the convicts as barbarians, stating that hanging is "their favourite form of entertainment" (Act One, Scene Three). have an awareness of how their design will impact on the live performance as a whole. The performance of Extract 3

Lieutenant William Dawes, RM: The colony's astronomer, who couldn't care less about matters on earth. He agrees to the play if he doesn't have to come and watch it. Extract 1, Extract 2 and Extract 3 must be taken from a different play and understood in the context of the whole play. Students are not required to perform the full key extract for assessment but all three key extracts must be explored practically in their entirety during the course. In the exam students are expected to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the subject content. This component is a written exam in which students are assessed on their knowledge and understanding of how drama and theatre is developed and performed (AO3) and on their ability to analyse and evaluate the live theatre work of others (AO4).

Ralph tells Philip that, because half of his actors are in prison, he wants to stop the play, but Philip exhorts him to continue trying, making Ralph see the much larger meaning that the play has for the colony. Philip especially advocates for Liz Morden, as he wants to make an example of her – through redemption. include reference to the social, cultural or historical context of their selected play where the instruction is given to do so The key extracts chosen must be significant to the play as a whole ie pivotal to plot, character(s) or theme(s). Dabby Bryant is a convict who takes part in the play and enjoys it, although, on several occasions, she shares that she finds it stupid and irrelevant to their current situation. Dabby talks about returning to her home, Devon, and she plans to escape after the performance. Aboriginal AustralianIn the play, Captain Tench opposes Phillip. He doesn't believe that the convicts could ever improve and become valuable members of society. He hates them all because they are criminals. Judge Collins Dabby Bryant is Mary’s best friend and constantly speaks about returning to Devon.On the ship, she sold Mary to a sailor on the ship in exchange for extra food rations for them both however she does care about Mary. Bryant’s opinion on the play is that it’s stupid and she also dislikes her part as she argues it should be more relevant to the situation they’re in. Nevertheless, she seems to enjoy taking part in the play. In the final scene she decides she will try and escape that night. Liz Morden