In the AQA exam, the 8-mark question will often highlight a single line of dialogue and ask how you would perform it. You must break the quote down into multiple beats, explaining exactly how your pitch, pace, tone, and facial expressions shift as you deliver the specific words.
"You're a Nought and I'm a Cross and there's nowhere for us to be... nowhere for us to be together."
Sephy Hadley
Beat 1 ("You're a Nought..."): Fast pace, exasperated high-pitched tone, rigid posture to show her frustration with society.
Beat 2 ("...nowhere for us to be together."): Heavy pause. Drop volume to a stage whisper. Break eye contact and slump shoulders to show her heartbreaking realization.
"I'm not going to be a blanker anymore. I'm going to make a difference."
Callum McGregor
Beat 1 ("...be a blanker anymore."): Hard, plosive articulation on 'blanker'. Tense facial expression, clenched jaw.
Beat 2 ("I'm going to make a difference."): Shift to a slow, deliberate pace. Break the fourth wall and maintain aggressive, unblinking eye contact with the audience to show cold determination.
"You don't mix with blankers. You don't even talk to them."
Kamal Hadley
Beat 1 ("You don't mix..."): Impeccable RP accent. Slow, measured pace and a booming, resonant volume. He expects instant obedience.
Beat 2 ("...even talk to them."): Downward inflection to make it a final command, not a discussion. Use spatial dominance by stepping closer to Sephy to physically intimidate her.
"We're Noughts. Zeroes. Nothing. We don't exist."
Jude McGregor
Beat 1 ("We're Noughts. Zeroes."): Rapid, staccato delivery. High volume with a harsh, guttural tone. Pacing like a caged animal.
Beat 2 ("Nothing. We don't exist."): Sharp downward inflection on 'Nothing'. Aggressively invade Callum's personal space (close proxemics) to emphasize his explosive anger.
"Why do we have to play by their rules? Why can't we make our own?"
Sephy Hadley
Beat 1 ("Why do we have to..."): Light, questioning intonation with an open, relaxed posture.
Beat 2 ("...make our own?"): The pace should be energetic and enthusiastic. Maintain continuous, warm eye contact with Callum to highlight their shared naivety away from the Cross society.
⚙️ The AQA Exam Prep Engine
Practice interpreting the play for performance and minimalist design. Click the button to generate a random exam-style prompt based on the Cooke/RSC production.