tank drama
Definition
Noun (theatre, slang): A type of melodramatic play that features a sensational rescue scene, typically involving a character being saved from drowning.
Usage Examples
- (A thrilling rescue scene in a stage play.)
- (Historical reference to popular melodramatic performances.)
Advanced Usage
- "to stage a tank drama": to produce or perform a play with a dramatic water rescue.
- The director decided to stage a tank drama for the summer festival, complete with a real pool on stage. (To put on a melodramatic rescue play.)
Variants and Related Words
Tank (n): a large container for holding water, often used in theatre for such rescue scenes.
- The stagehands filled the tank with water for the climactic scene. (The water container used in the performance.)
Melodrama (n): a dramatic genre characterized by exaggerated emotions and sensational plots.
- Tank drama is a subgenre of melodrama that emphasizes physical danger. (A type of sensational theatre.)
Synonyms
- Rescue play: a drama centered on a life-saving event.
- Water melodrama: a theatrical piece involving water-based rescues.
Related Idioms
- "A real tank drama": an exaggerated or overly sentimental situation.
- When she fainted at the news, everyone said it was a real tank drama. (An overly dramatic event.)