Story & Short Drama Sketch - Diego the Parrot

Advice and a Warning … Please note that this play makes use of sound effects like irate animals, a rather mad parrot and a deaf old lady who breaks wind!! If you use this resource, I recommend using it in the final lesson of the day. It is not for use by teachers who are faint hearted or do not have a good rapport with their students. Read on if you are interested.
This is both a short story and a short play about Diego the Parrot. The title of the play is “My Neighbour Has A Parrot”. I used to enjoy interactive lessons with my students and in partnership with my classes we used to produce plays, drama sketches and pantomimes. These were the most memorable experiences in my career as a teacher. This resource targets English and Drama or it can be used as a platform for a short stage production. Acting out plays has always been a winner for me. There are lots of sound effects included in this production and it affords the opportunity to have lots of fun with your students. As a play it would last between 10 and 15 minutes. The main characters in this production could include a narrator, old man, old lady, parrot and possibly a sound effects expert! I would target this resource at Key Stage 2 and 3 (Ages 8 to 14 year old). Initially I would read the story to the class (with the sound effects) and then develop the production as a whole class exercise and then, perhaps, in groups of between 4 and 5 children. The main aim of this classroom activity is 1) Building inner confidence and 2) Having fun in the classroom. Further developments can involve creative writing about Diego the parrot. One in particular that I have used in the past would be “Diego and the Ventriloquist”. Each child can have a go at performing and writing a small individual sketch for fun. A toy parrot strapped to the shoulder would be a useful extra. I hope you have fun with this resource.
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