Shakespeare famously suggested that 'all the world's a stage', but the spotlight fell on schools this week as two performance groups brought drama to the classroom.

Former geologist Steve Mesure, director of the Floating Point Science Theatre from the UK, presented to nine local schools his drama Push Off, which explains theories on gravity, friction, structures and materials. He said his aim was to bring a multi-disciplinary approach to teaching science and engineering. 'The conception of scientific notions is actually a very creative process. The drama works in visualising the many abstract concepts in science,' he said. Science drama was particularly effective for low academic achievers, as it explained concepts in a more intuitive way than tend to be found in textbooks, he added.

Meanwhile, the Informing Performing Company, from Australia, ended its Hong Kong tour with its show Rollicky Rhythm and Rhyme at the Australian International School. Richard Potter, a member of the duo, said children's intellectual development could be enhanced by emphasising rhythm and rhyme in poetry reading. He said the performance simultaneously exercised the left and right sides of the brain, dealing with language and music respectively.