A team class in which a group performs a scene lifted from a play or an acted-out story, entered as one company and marked on how well the whole group tells it, with time limits of eight to twenty minutes on the South African template that carries it.
Group Dramatic Extract / Acted Story is a team class for a group of performers who act out a scene together. The material is either an extract taken from a published or written play, or a story that the group has turned into a dramatic piece and acts out instead of simply reading. In both cases the group enters as one company, presents a single piece and receives a single result, so the class rewards a cast that looks as though it has rehearsed together over a few strong individuals.
On the eTalenter template built from a Cape Town speech and drama syllabus, it sits in the Action category and is offered in four school-grade bands: Grade 3-5 (converted to ages 9 to 11), Grade 6-7 (12 and 13), Grade 8-10 (14 to 16) and Grade 11-Adult (17 and over). Boys and girls enter together and the language is English. The time allowed grows with the band, from 8 minutes at Grade 3-5 to 10, then 15, then 20 minutes for the oldest band, and the template counts the time per head, so a larger group has a larger allowance. The syllabus prints no mark scheme for the class, so marks are carried on a nominal ten-point scale and the adjudicator's percentage band decides the award.
A round needs very little equipment. The group walks on, takes up its opening positions, performs and leaves, usually with a few chairs, a table or a single prop standing in for a whole setting. Because several people share the stage, the adjudicator is watching things a solo class never tests: whether every member has a clear character, whether lines are passed on cleanly, whether the group places itself so that the audience can always see who is speaking, and whether the scene has a beginning, a turning point and an ending inside the time limit.
Organisers run the class because it brings a whole drama club, class or youth group on stage at once. It rewards listening and ensemble timing, gives quieter pupils a place in a company instead of a solo spot, and produces a varied programme, since every group picks a different extract or story. It is also a natural step up from the duologue class and a bridge towards full short-play and one-act festivals.
Where Group Dramatic Extract / Acted Story is run
In eTalenter's data this item appears on one template, a South African speech and drama eisteddfod syllabus from Cape Town, where it runs alongside duologue, mime, public speaking and group theme or recital classes. Group acting classes under names such as group scene, dramatic extract, acted story or ensemble drama are common in speech and drama festivals in England, Australia, Canada and other Commonwealth countries, but the rules differ by event, so always read the group size, time limit and script rules of the festival you enter.
- South Africa - Cape Town (speech and drama eisteddfod syllabus)
Key facts
- Team entry for a group; boys and girls together; performed in English on the template.
- Four school-grade bands: Grade 3-5, Grade 6-7, Grade 8-10 and Grade 11-Adult, converted on the template to ages 9-11, 12-13, 14-16 and 17 and over.
- Time limit: 8 minutes (Grade 3-5), 10 minutes (Grade 6-7), 15 minutes (Grade 8-10) and 20 minutes (Grade 11-Adult), counted per head on the template.
- Scored on the template's nominal ten-point scale, because the source syllabus prints no mark scheme for the class; the group receives one result.
- Idea: a group of villagers who gather to decide what to do when the river floods, each with a different opinion (an idea, not a rule)
- Idea: an acted version of a folk tale such as a clever hare outwitting a larger animal, with the group playing both characters and scenery (an idea, not a rule)
- Idea: a three-minute extract from a school-set play, performed by a cast that has chosen a single clear setting (an idea, not a rule)
On eTalenter, Group Dramatic Extract / Acted Story is filed under Action and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Group Dramatic Extract / Acted Story is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 10, commonly time-limited to 8–20 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in Group Dramatic Extract / Acted Story
What a Group Dramatic Extract / Acted Story panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Ensemble work: the group enters, speaks, moves and leaves as one company, with cues picked up cleanly and no one left waiting or hiding
- Character: every performer has a distinct, believable character who stays consistent from the first line to the last
- Clarity of speech: lines reach the back of the room, at a pace the audience can follow, with no one drowned out by neighbours
- Shape of the scene: a clear beginning, a point where something changes, and an ending that feels finished rather than cut off
- Use of the stage: positions, groupings and levels that let the audience see the speaker, with sensible use of the few props available
- Choice of material: an extract or story that suits the age and ability of the cast, and a performance that fits inside the time allowed
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Group Dramatic Extract / Acted Story under Scoring Setup, or start from the full drama & skit judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Group Dramatic Extract / Acted Story
How entrants and their teachers usually get Group Dramatic Extract / Acted Story right on the day:
- Pick the extract or story early and cut it to fit the time; a tight, well-shaped five minutes beats a long scene that has to be rushed
- Give every member a part that matters to the story, and make sure no one is simply 'crowd' for the whole piece
- Read the scene aloud sitting down first, so that everyone knows whose line follows whose, before any movement is added
- Block the stage on paper or with chalk marks, deciding who stands where for each beat, and rehearse so that groupings never hide the speaker
- Practise picking up cues with no gap: a pause where a line should begin is the commonest way for a group piece to lose its pace
- Time full runs with a stopwatch and check whether your event counts the limit per head or for the whole group
- Keep props and costume to a minimum, plain and matching, so the story is carried by the actors and not the set
- Rehearse the walk-on and the walk-off as carefully as the scene; both are watched and both cost marks if they are untidy
Frequently asked questions
Is Group Dramatic Extract / Acted Story judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter's templates it's most often run as an Team entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
What is the difference between a dramatic extract and an acted story?
A dramatic extract is a scene taken from a play and performed as written. An acted story starts from a story and turns it into a dramatic piece the group acts out. The template runs both under one class, so check your own syllabus to see which kinds of material are allowed.
How many performers can be in the group?
The template does not fix a group size, so follow the syllabus or entry rules your organiser publishes. Because time is counted per head on the template, the group size affects how long the piece may run.
How long can the piece run?
On the template the limit is 8 minutes for Grade 3-5, 10 minutes for Grade 6-7, 15 minutes for Grade 8-10 and 20 minutes for Grade 11-Adult. Always use the limit in the rules of the event you actually enter.
Is it judged individually or as a team?
It is a Team item, so the group receives one result. Each performer's character counts, but the panel is marking the whole company.
How is it different from a duologue or a group theme or recital?
A duologue is a scene for exactly two performers. Group Theme / Recital is a separate class on the same template, filed under Literary rather than Action; check the syllabus for its exact format. Group Dramatic Extract / Acted Story is the Action class in which a larger cast plays a scene or story with characters.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full drama & skit judging criteria guide, or browse every action competition item.
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