Two years ago, one of my teacher trainees made a whole task (10 lessons) based on a play and my 7th graders just loved it! They were highly motivated in those lessons because they knew that what they were learning - grammar, vocabulary,  pronunciation, intonation.....  --  everything had the purpose to make them have a successful final task - the play.  

 

There are 2 or 3 books on this topic that I like a lot and that have helped me to understand better the benefits of using on a regular basis this approach to teaching English in the classroom:

     - Drama with Children (1999), by Sarah Phillips, Resource Books for Teachers, Oxford University Press - the book provides a practical introduction to dramatizing in the classroom and it has  lots of activities for children between the ages of 5 and 12; 

     - Drama techniques in language learning: a resource book of communication activities for language teachers, (1982) by Alan Maley and Alan Duff , Cambridge University Press  (lots of techniques, activities and ideas - they say it is the drama teacher�s bible);