Role on the Wall is a brilliant way to help students explore character in a visual and interactive way. By mapping out what a character shows on the outside – and what they may be feeling inside – students start to see beyond the surface and really step into someone else’s shoes.
What it is
Role on the Wall is a simple but powerful visual strategy used in drama classrooms to deepen students’ understanding of character.
A basic human outline is drawn on a whiteboard, flip chart or large paper, and students build up layers of detail by writing inside and outside the outline.
- Inside the figure – students write what the character is feeling, thinking, or possibly hiding
- Outside the figure – they note external facts or what others see, hear or say about the character. This could be their age, gender, job, family situation and things about their physical appearance
It works just as well for devising original characters as it does for analysing characters from scripted texts.
How it works
- Draw a life-sized or large outline of a person – either on paper, a whiteboard, or digitally if you’re teaching online. You can download a free template to use here
- Choose a character – this could be one the class is exploring in performance or creating from scratch
- Gather contributions – ask students to suggest facts (for the outside) and emotions or inner thoughts (for the inside)
- Write in and around the outline – different colours can be used for internal and external aspects
- Discuss what the figure reveals – what contradictions appear? What might be motivating their actions?
You can return to the same figure throughout a scheme of work to add new insights as the drama progresses.
When to use it
- At the start of a unit to build character backstories
- During scripted work to support textual analysis
- As a reflective tool after improvisation or role-play
- When preparing for practical assessments (especially for GCSE or A Level)
- To support students with SEND or EAL by giving a clear, visual structure to character development
It’s especially helpful when characters have complex motivations or are behaving in a way that students need help unpacking.
Teaching tips
- Use sentence starters to help prompt ideas, such as: “This character feels…”, “Other people see them as…”, or “They might be hiding…”
- Work collaboratively – build one big outline as a class, then ask small groups to create their own versions for different characters. It’s sometimes useful to model a version with a well-known Disney or fairytale character
- Revisit over time – encourage students to revise or add to the outline as the story or character develops
- Add quotes or evidence for GCSE and A Level analysis – use post-it notes or annotations to link ideas back to the script
- Use colour coding – e.g. red for emotions, blue for actions, green for what others say about them
Extension ideas
- Use objects or symbols to represent key traits or experiences of the character – students can draw or attach them to the outline
- Layer multiple characters on the same figure using tracing paper or different colours for comparison
- Create a “live” Role on the Wall where students physically stand in for the outline and others place labels around or on them
- Tie in to writing tasks – use the completed Role on the Wall as a scaffold for monologues, diary entries or hot-seating preparation
- Digital twist – students can use a collaborative digital board (like FigJam or Padlet) to build their character profile virtually
FREE download: Role on the wall technique sheet
Want to keep a copy for your classroom?
Download our FREE printable: Drama Techniques 3: Role on the wall
Includes an overview, how-to steps, teaching tips and extension ideas – all in one colourful A4 resource.
Other techniques to explore:
Drama techniques 2: Thought-in-the-head
Drama techniques 4: Hot seating
