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Introduction
These Creative Learning Journey Resources have been prepared to help you get the most out of
Horrible Harriet. These resources are full of activities and inspiration to prepare your students before
coming to see the Sydney Opera House, what you can do on the way, what you can do at the
Sydney Opera House and then unpacking the experience back in the classroom.
You should adapt these Resources to suit the student age and stage of your class and the curriculum
foci and outcomes used in your school. These Resources are written as a creative document for you
to bring to life. If you have questions about exercises or provocations please feel free to make
contact to talk it through. We are always open to feedback, comments and working with you to assist
and learn from you. Contact details are on the back page.
Some websites are suggested throughout this resource. It is recommended that you first visit the
sites and assess the suitability of the content for your particular school environment before setting
the activities based on these.
Performance Description
and Synopsis
Wicked, wild and wonderful, Horrible Harriet is not your average child. She lives in the roof of her school and keeps teachers chained in the
cellar to do her homework! But all Harriet really wants is a friend.
When Athol Egghead lands in his hot air balloon, Harriet finally meets
someone who understands her. Then Mr Chicken arrives… Fortunately
Horrible Harriet knows how to handle him…Or does she? Filled with songs, laughs and mischievous fun, this hilarious tale of
friendship and identity is sure to have kids captivated as they watch
Australian Children’s Laureate Leigh Hobbs’ bestselling series come
to life on stage. A play by Maryam Master, adapted from the books by Leigh Hobbs
Sydney Opera House Creativity Framework
These Creative Learning Journey Resources have been written using the Sydney Opera House
Creativity Framework as the pedagogy. This Framework underpins much of what we do in our
work with schools. More information can be found at the Sydney Opera House website. In short
the Framework aims to define the creative process in a way that educators can use to teach
and be inspired by.
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At a glance this Creativity Framework is:
Prepare: Tools and Pathways
Preparing mind, body, space, materials and time
Buy in: Presence and Enthusiasm
Convincing students that they want to be there
Imagine: The Fertile Unknown
Exploring a subject through arts practice. Using form
to uncover content. Allowing uncensored expression to
reveal new ways of seeing a subject
Question: Analysis, investigation and revelation
Creating new understanding by analyzing what just
happened when honing the imagination
Make: forging form from content
Putting shape to content and moving towards a project;
scripts, composition, choreography, project design
Show: Commit, frame, judgement
Performing and presenting the work
Reflect: Remembering, Processing, exiting
Creating understanding and healthy memories from the
creative process and product.
Creative Learning Journey Resource Notes
conceived and illustrated by Lilly Blue
Lilly Blue is a visual artist, educator (BFA, Dip Ed) and publisher with a background in physical
performance, installation and community arts. She edits, curates and publishes BIG Kids
Magazine, which features the work of children and artists side by side, and was recently
Head of Creative Learning at The Red Room Company. She has worked Internationally
delivering arts residencies, professional development, creative commissions and exhibitions as
well as designing programming for young audiences drawn from a rigorous personal practice.
Lilly is one the Sydney Opera House Teaching Artists and was instrumental in developing
the Creativity Framework.
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Classroom Context and
Curriculum Links
This performance provides the classroom teacher with many
opportunities for learning activities that link to the following curriculum.
Early Stage 1, Stage 1, Stage 2
New NSW Syllabus
Horrible Harriet
Early Stage 1
Outcomes
Content
General capabilities and
cross-curriculum priorities
Creative Arts
Drama DRAES1.4
Responds to dramatic.
Appreciating.
Creative Arts
Music MUES1.4
Listens to and responds to music.
Listening.
English Ene-8B
A student: demonstrates emerging
skills and knowledge of texts to
read and view, and shows
developing awareness of purpose,
audience and subject matter.
Reading and viewing 2.
ACELY1645
ACELA1786
ACELT1578
Personal and social capability
Critical and creative capability
English Ene-10C
A student: thinks imaginatively and
creatively about familiar topics,
simple ideas and the basic features
of texts when responding to and
composing texts.
Thinking imaginatively
and creatively
ACELT1577
ACELT1785
ACELT1580
ACELT1783
Personal and social capability
Critical and creative capability
English Ene-11D
responds to and composes simple
texts about familiar aspects of the
world and their own experiences.
Expressing themselves.
ACELT1575
Personal and social capability
Difference and diversity.
Outcomes
Content
General capabilities and
cross-curriculum priorities
Creative Arts
Drama DRAS1.4
Appreciates dramatic work during
the making of their own drama and
the drama of others.
Appreciating.
Creative Arts
Music MUS1.4
Responds to a range of music,
expressing likes and dislikes and
the reasons for these choices.
Listening.
Stage 1
5
English EN1-8B
A student: recognises that there
are different kinds of texts when
reading and viewing and shows an
awareness of purpose, audience
and subject matter.
Reading and viewing 2.
English EN1-10C
thinks imaginatively and creatively
about familiar topics, ideas and
texts when responding to and
composing texts.
Thinking imaginatively
and creatively.
ACELT1586
Critical and creative thinking.
English EN1 - 11D
A student: responds to and
composes a range of texts about
familiar aspects of the world and
their own experiences.
Expressing themselves.
ACELT1590
ACELT1587
ACELY1655
ACELT1582
ACELT1583
Critical and creative thinking
Personal and social capability.
Outcomes
Content
General capabilities and
cross-curriculum priorities
Creative Arts
Drama DRAS2.4
Responds to, and interprets drama
experiences and performances.
Appreciating.
Creative Arts
Music MUS2.4
Identifies the use of musical
concepts and musical symbols in a
range of repertoire.
Listening.
English EN2 - 8B
A student: identifies and
compares different kinds of texts
when reading and viewing and
shows an understanding of
purpose, audience and
subject matter.
Reading and viewing 2.
ACELY1678
ACELY1690
ACELA1478
ACELA1492
ACELT1599
Critical and creative thinking
English EN2 - 10C
A student: thinks imaginatively,
creatively and interpretively about
information, ideas and texts
when responding to and
composing texts.
Thinking imaginatively,
creatively and
interpretively.
ACELT1605
ACELT1607
ACELT1594
ACELT1602
Critical and creative thinking
Personal and social capability
English EN2 - 11D
A student: responds to and
composes a range of texts that
express viewpoints of the
world similar to and different
from their own.
Expressing themselves.
ACELT1596
ACELA1489
ACELY1675
ACELT1603
Personal and social capability
Critical and creative thinking
Stage 2
TEACHING AND LEARNING
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Getting to know artist/writer Leigh Hobbs
Leigh Hobbs is Australia’s Children’s Laureate for 2016/17.
He used to be a teacher and he loves libraries. He has a
great sense of humour and thinks ALL children should be
encouraged to do funny drawings and write silly poems.
Leigh has loved drawing since he was a little boy.
“It is a joy to be able to get up and spend my
time drawing. I love it. I would do it even if I didn’t have to.”
What do you love to do?
What would you do even if you didn’t have to?
Read or Watch: Horrible Harriet
Why do you think Horrible Harriet is mean to other kids?
Does she do anything nice for anyone?
Do you think a person can be both mean and kind? How?’
Have you ever sat alone at lunchtime?
What do you do when you can’t find someone to play with at school?
Wobbly Lines
Leigh Hobbs loves characters that are a bit berserk. What do you think berserk means?
Have a look at Leigh’s illustrations in Horrible Harriet and see if you can guess.
Look at the illustrations by Leigh Hobbs in Horrible Harriet. Notice how he uses
wobbly lines in his drawings.
What kinds of characters do you think should be drawn with wobbly lines?
What kind of personality might a character have drawn with very straight lines?
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Draw a made up character using the same kinds of wobbly pen
lines that you explored in Leigh Hobbs illustrations.
Colour in your character using markers or watercolours.
Describe the personality of your character using 5 adjectives.
Is your character flaky, goofy, peculiar, odd, nutty, shy, mean,
generous, greedy, considerate, artistic, bossy, dainty, nosy,
courageous, kind or talkative? lines?
Athol arrives to school in a hot air balloon.
Think of the most interesting, beautiful or naughty way you could travel to school.
Draw a picture of yourself arriving to school in an incredibly unusual way.
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Draw a car with fangs.
Write a poem about the naughtiest child you can imagine.
Think about where stories come from.
What is the most music
al part of a chicken?
The drumstick
Do you know any jokes
about chickens?
Make up some of your
own!
Watch: Leigh Hobbs in his studio
Find our more: Children’s Laureate Leigh Hobbs
Visit: Leigh Hobbs Website
Sit next to someone on the bus you don’t usually play with. Look out the window and
find something interesting to point out to your new friend. Tell each other an unusual
fact about yourself. Keep talking until you have discovered at least three things you
have in common.
Introduce this new friend to someone else. Try and remember as much as they said
about themselves, but add one extra fact or story about them that is not true. See if they
can guess which story or fact is the not true one!
Sit quietly for a while and watch the scenery. Notice your breath and your heartbeat
and see if they feel any different to when you talk to people you know really well.
Keep noticing your breath and your heart beat until you arrive at Sydney Opera House.
Before you get off the bus make sure to say goodbye to your new friend before you go
off to find your BFF.
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Look into the harbour and see how many different colours you can see in the water.
Next time you paint the harbour remember how many colours you collected with
your eyes today. How many colours can you see, 5, 8, 55??
Write down as many words as you can think of to describe Sydney Opera House.
Arrange your words into a list to make a list poem.
If Horrible Harriet was visiting the Opera House with you today what MEAN and NASTY,
CRUEL and WICKED things do you imagine she might do?
How was the set design inspired by Leigh
Hobbs illustrations?
Was the play exactly the same as the book? Explain.
How is reading a book different to watching a
performance in the theatre?
Which moment in the performance do you remember
the most clearly?
What didn’t you like about the show?
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Playing with feelings
Sit in a circle. Pass happiness around the circle in silence
so that you can explore facial expressions and gesture.
Turn to the person next to you and smile the biggest smile
you have ever smiled. Keep passing the smile from person
to person until it has gone all the way around the circle.
Suggest other emotions that could be passed around the
circle using only gesture and facial expression. After a few
rounds try adding sounds to enhance the emotion.
Character from costumes
Give each student an evocative costume item – clothes, glasses, hats, shoes,
gloves, jewelry etc. Sit quietly on the floor and explore the object playing with all the
ways you could wear it. Put on your costume element and walk slowly through the
space noticing the way you feel, walk, and behave as you allow yourself to
transform into a new character.
Perform your character to the rest of the class by walking onto the stage and sitting
down on a chair without saying a word. How much can you express about your
character non-verbally using only movement, facial expressions and gesture.
Introduce yourself to the class and share a little bit about your life as your character.
Think about the way you stand and speak and the kinds of things you say. Are you shy
or confidant? Mean or kind? Funny or serious? Talk about things you love, fear or hate.
Have a conversation with another character in your class about something that you
love or dislike. Stay in character while you are having this conversation. Have an
argument about something important that escalates, and then slowly calm down and
find a way to make up or come to an agreement. Perform your dialogue for the class.
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Some thoughts from playwright/adapter Maryam Master
How did you turn the book Horrible Harriet into a play?
Well, Harriet actually jumped off the page and started talking to me. She grabbed me by
the collar, looked intently into my eyes and insisted on her very own one-woman show.
She made it clear that she was to be the star of the show. She wasn’t sharing the stage
with amateurs. Especially not that ridiculous, overgrown yellow creature – Mr Chicken!
And so I obeyed her orders. I didn’t turn the book into a play, rather I wrote a new story
just for her. She stood, watching over my shoulder, giving notes throughout the whole process. She only ever whipped me once so I think she’s happy with the final script!
Choose a picture book you love and write a play inspired by the story. What might happen
after the book is finished? What other adventures could the characters have?
Some thoughts from director Liesel Badorrek
What is the most exciting, scary or difficult thing about being a Director?
Most exciting? Scary? Difficult? Actually they’re all the same. Its having both the
opportunity and the responsibility of being the storyteller. The buck really stops with
the director. So once the script has been written and the set and costumes designed,
it is up to the director to decide how the story will be told. What exactly will the
audience be watching. Working on every new show is exciting and scary and difficult.
However you have to believe that if you collaborate with the right people, you will be
able to serve the story well and make some theatre magic.
What was the hardest part of making Horrible Harriet?
Harriet is an unusual character and some people dislike her because they believe
she is a bully. That’s not the case. However it is somewhat tricky to find the best way
to reveal all Harriet’s qualities to an audience while still having Harriet storm through
the show as she does. For a children’s show, Harriet is a very complex character
and so is Athol. Getting these characters and their relationship right - and having an
audience believe in them and have an understanding of them is the most challenging
part of this show for me.
Why does Liesel say that Harriet is not a bully? In what ways is Harriet usual,
kind or complicated?
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Costume Design by Mark Thompson
Design your own costume for Harriet.
How do people’s clothes tell us something about
their personalities? What colour do your think Harriet
should wear? Why?
put your costume design here.