Physical Theatre Definition

Physical Theatre History: * Physical theatre is a catch-all term to describe any performance that pursues storytelling through primary physical means * The term “physical theatre” has been applied to performances consisting mainly of: 1. Mime 2. Contemporary dance 3. Theatrical clowning and other physical comedy 4. Some forms of puppetry 5. Theatrical acrobatics * Modern physical theatre has grown from a variety of origins.Mime and theatrical clowning schools such as L’Ecole Jacques Lecoq Paris, have had a big influence on many modern expressions of Physical Theatre.

* Another tradition started with the very famous French master Etienne Decroux (father of corporeal mime). Decroux’s aim was to create a theatre based on the physicality of the actor allowing the creation of a more metaphorical theatre. This tradition has grown and corporeal mime is now taught in many major theatrical schools. Legacy: Physical theatre had become such a big phenomenon today, being shown in movie such as “Stomp the Yard” and “Step Up” as well as huge worldwide productions such as “Wicked”, “Cirque de Solei” and “Hairspray” * We are the building block of the movement of physical theatre.

Techniques: * Important theatre directions such as Vsevolod Meyerhold, Jerzy Grotowski, Eugenio Barba, Ariane Mnouchkine and Tadashi Suzuki all explored and developed a variety of intense training techniques for their actors, that were intended to liberate actors and audiences from boring and unstimulating performances. They argued that a performing body should be an instrument of expression that has unique rhythms and patterns that must be amplified, developed and mastered before a performance can be viewed as effective.

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* They also advocated a variety of training regimes and exercises to develop what they believed were important connections between the communication of physical and emotional truth in actors and many of their suggestions have been taken up by acting schools in a number of countries.