Helping second language (L2) learners to enhance their oral skills is vitally important, and pedagogical approaches are often seen as challenging when offering learners chances to successfully develop them. This article shares the experiences of a class of final-year high-school Italian learners (n =10) who learned English using theatre plays both as texts combined with drama games (text-based approach) and as a full-scale performance (performance-based approach) within their rather rigid compulsory curriculum. The study was implemented longitudinally over 20 weeks, equally divided between the two approaches, aiming to create a dynamic learning environment which enables students to communicate within a safe open space. A semi-structured questionnaire and follow-up interviews were used in this mixed-methods study in order to gain insights into learners' perceptions regarding the two approaches in terms of level of control over the language, the extent to which learners were able to communicate, and their feelings of language spontaneity. Findings encourage the use of drama for maximizing L2 spontaneous and authentic speaking opportunities. Implications for research and language teaching are discussed.