1. One main and most obvious feature of physical theatre is that it is story-telling through physical means. The performer uses his or hers body as a way of narrating the story, they are “the creators of their own work and the potential authors of their own theatre.” (Murray and Keefe, 2007, p.202) It can convey various relationships through how different bodies react to each other. During the process, such activities as experimenting with supporting one another’s weight, catching, lifting and even falling will communicate to the audience a certain relationship between the performers. The performers will also physically express a range of emotions and motives through simple, pedestrian gestures, which the audience will automatically relate to and decode. Physical theatre is not entirely reliant on abstract movements to produce an effective story.
It is often assumed that physical theatre is dance, however it is unlike dance in many ways. When practising dance the body is choreographed in a way that it must look perfect and be aesthetically pleasing to the audience. Whereas in physical theatre the body must look imperfect. This is realised through the use of improvisation to create work. The performer is “starting the work from an improvisational approach rather than an intellectual one. Using imagination as an ‘embodied activity’ rather than a mental one.” (Murray and Keefe, 2007, p.203)
In physical theatre it is stressed that the body is the main feature of communication and story telling, however one should not rule out using dialogue whether naturalistic or naturalistic as there is no rule against it and can enhance the work further and give it more depth.
2. When using the term ‘physical theatre’ one may assume that it is theatre consisting purely of movement and dance. However, as stated in the quote, physical theatre is a “hybrid character” and therefore possesses many different elements from different forms of theatre. It can be so diverse that it is often applied to Mime, Theatrical Clowning, Theatrical Acrobats and Contemporary Dance. Mainly because of the predominantly using the body as a form of communication. It is almost an excuse to find various ways and means in which a performer can tell a story, without using the techniques of traditional theatre such as scripted dialogue and naturalistic acting. The production will still include an equally effective story, but told in a more diverse and intricate manner.
A performer may become a prop, for example a chair or table, that the other performers can utilise or they may mime using a prop with precision.
Performers will support each others weight, throwing, catching or lifting them, which may be perceived as dance. However physical theatre can use elements of dance and perform these movements with precision and grace or can purposefully make their bodies abstract to highlight a significant difference. This can be performed to music, to sound effects or simply just silence depending on what the performer would like to convey.
Physical theatre “implies bodies in image, and the ‘theatre’ between them - which, again, includes the spoken word, language, text, as one of its fundamental components” (Murray and Keefe, 2007, p.113), therefore dialogue between performers is encouraged and does not just rely on movement to tell a story.
3. The British performance company DV8 specialise in physical theatre and was created by its founders simply because they were frustrated and disillusioned with the direction of most dance forms, stating that “dance is not about anything. DV8 is about something.”
. DV8 uses their performances to break down the barriers between dance, theatre, personal politics and the way in which one can communicate ideas. This meant that they were giving ‘dance’ and the movements a meaning which ultimately changes the way they are performed. DV8 also use set designs and live composers to bridge the gap between dance and theatre.
Masks are used in their productions, often that if clowns which draws upon elements or Commedia del’Arte. Some productions or not performed in a theatre but in a realistic location such as a pier or bar.
There are often duets of physical movement using lifts and falls, a good example of this would be in their production Strange Fish in which strong relationships are developed and communicated. Also naturalistic dialogue is used which can make the scene seem naturalistic itself at first, however the performers will then start incorporating movement and the different elements of physical theatre.
DV8 is a significant example of how physical theatre is ‘hybrid’ and how in physical theatre there really are no rules as to what can or cannot be used.
Bibliography
Dennis, A (2002) The Articulate Body: The Physical Training of the Actor London: Nick Hern.
Keefe, J & S, Murray (2007) Physical Theatres: A Critical Reader London: Routledge.
Carlson, M (2004) Performance: a critical introduction London: Routledge.
Other Sources
www.dv8.co.uk/about_dv8/interview_article_19_lloyd_newson_and_dv8 [accessed 2nd March 2010]
www.artsadmin.co.uk/projects/artist [accessed 2nd March 2010]
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