Stage Directions
(or: everything important that isn’t spoken out loud)
- In drama, what characters do is just as important as what they say.
Sometimes, it’s even more important. - That’s where stage directions come in.
1. What are stage directions?
Stage directions
Stage directions are the instructions in a play that tell actors how the scene should be performed rather than what is said.
- Stage directions are the instructions written into a script that tell us:
- how characters move
- how they behave
- how a scene looks or feels
- They are usually written in italics or brackets and are not spoken aloud.
- In simple terms:
Dialogue is what the audience hears. Stage directions are what the audience sees.
2. Why stage directions matter
- Stage directions:
- reveal character emotions and traits
- create tension and atmosphere
- support subtext
- guide actors and directors
- Without stage directions, a play would be a list of floating conversations with no meaning attached.
3. What stage directions can show
- Stage directions often show things characters don’t say directly.
- They can reveal:
- emotion (hesitates, turns away, pauses)
- power (stands over, interrupts, steps back)
- conflict (slams door, avoids eye contact)
- relationships (moves closer, keeps distance)
- Stage directions are a key way writers show, not tell.
4. Types of stage directions (the useful ones)
Movement and gesture
- These show how characters use their bodies.
- These often reveal emotion or internal conflict.
- crosses the room
- clenches fists
- avoids eye contact
Positioning and space
- These show where characters are in relation to each other.
- This often shows power or tension.
- stands apart from the group
- moves closer
- blocks the doorway
Pauses and silence
- Sometimes nothing happening is the most important thing.
- Silence usually means:
- tension
- hesitation
- something unsaid
- pauses
- silence
- long pause
Tone and delivery
- Some stage directions guide how lines are spoken.
- These change the meaning of dialogue without changing the words.
- quietly
- sharply
- with hesitation
5. Stage directions and subtext (they're best friends)
- Stage directions often carry the real meaning of a scene.
- Dialogue: “I’m fine.”
- Stage direction: (turns away, pauses)
- The words say one thing. The stage directions say another.
- That gap is subtext.
6. Stage directions and dramatic structure
- Stage directions help control tension over time.
- small movements build tension in the rising action
- dramatic gestures often appear at the climax
- stillness or silence often appears in the resolution
- They help the audience feel where the story is heading.
7. Using PEEL to analyse stage directions
You can analyse stage directions just like dialogue.
P: Point
- Identify what the stage direction shows.
- emotion
- power
- tension
- conflict
- The stage direction reveals the character’s hesitation and internal conflict.
E: Evidence
- Quote or describe the stage direction.
- a movement
- a pause
- a gesture
- This is shown when the script states, “She pauses at the door.”
E: Explain
- Explain:
- what this suggests about the character
- what the audience understands without it being said
- The pause suggests the character is unsure about leaving, revealing doubt and emotional tension without any dialogue being spoken.
L: Link
- Link to:
- conflict
- character development
- theme
- dramatic structure
- This hesitation highlights the character’s internal conflict and reinforces the theme of difficult choices.
- Sentence starters for analysing stage directions
- Identifying meaning
- The stage direction suggests…
- This movement reveals…
- The silence or pause implies…
- Using evidence
- This is evident when the stage direction states…
- The writer includes the direction…
- Explaining effect
- This suggests the character feels…
- The audience understands that…
- This adds tension by…
- Linking to bigger ideas
- As a result, this highlights the conflict between…
- This moment contributes to the character’s development by…
- This reinforces the theme of…
- Identifying meaning
8. Now it's your turn...
- Practice task: analysing stage directions
- Dialogue: “I don’t need your help.”
- Stage direction: (He steps back and avoids eye contact.)
- Your task
- Write one PEEL paragraph answering the question below.
- Question:
- How do the stage directions add meaning to the dialogue?
- What students should focus on
- What the dialogue suggests on the surface
- What the stage direction adds or contradicts
- What this reveals about emotion, power, or conflict
Solution
The stage directions add meaning by revealing the character’s insecurity beneath their confident words. This is evident when the character says, “I don’t need your help,” while the stage direction notes that he steps back and avoids eye contact. Although the dialogue suggests independence, the physical movement contradicts this, implying discomfort and emotional uncertainty. By showing the character retreating rather than standing firm, the playwright allows the audience to infer internal conflict without it being stated directly. As a result, the stage directions deepen the tension of the scene and highlight the theme of pride versus vulnerability.
- P: Point
- The stage directions reveal the character’s insecurity beneath their spoken confidence.
- E: Evidence
- This is shown when the character claims, “I don’t need your help,” but then steps back and avoids eye contact.
- E: Explain
- The contrast between confident dialogue and hesitant movement suggests internal conflict, showing that the character is uncomfortable despite what they say.
- L: Link
- This moment deepens the tension and reinforces the theme of pride versus vulnerability, demonstrating how stage directions communicate meaning beyond dialogue.
- Revision summary: dialogue, subtext, and stage directions
- Dialogue
- What characters say out loud
- Moves the plot forward
- Can hide meaning through tone or wording
- Subtext
- What characters really mean
- Lives beneath the dialogue
- Creates tension through what is avoided
- Stage directions
- What characters do instead of say
- Show emotion, power, and conflict visually
- Often reveal the subtext
- How they work together
- Dialogue gives us the words
- Subtext gives us the hidden meaning
- Stage directions show that meaning physically
- Dialogue