Physical theatre is a general term used to describe any mode of performance that pursues storytelling through primarily physical means. There are several quite distinct traditions of performance which all describe themselves using the term "physical theatre", which has led to a lot of confusion as to what the definition of physical theatre actually is.

Nature of Physical Theatre

The term "physical theatre" has been applied to performances consisting mainly of:

• Mime
• Contemporary dance
• Theatrical Clowning and other physical comedy
• Some forms of puppetry, especially large scale
• Theatrical Acrobatics

While performances based around all of the above could equally claim to be "physical theatre", it is often difficult to draw a distinct boundary between what is and what is not physical theatre, and distinctions are often made quite arbitrarily by critics and performing companies.

Physical theatre may utilize pre-existing text, but the primary focus is on the physical work of the actors, expressed through the use of their bodies. It is a highly visual form of theatre. The action in physical theatre may have a psychological base, or point to an emotional centre, or have a clear storyline, and it can grow out of codified forms, improvisational work, or invented gestural language among other means of creation. However, the means of expression are always primarily physical rather than textual.

Some analysts believe that physical theatre was influenced by Bertolt Brecht and his attempt to reduce theatre to its "epic form."

Origins

Modern physical theatre has grown from a variety of origins. Mime and theatrical clowning schools such as L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris have had a big influence on many modern expressions of physical theatre, and practitioners such as Steven Berkoff and John Wright received their initial training at such institutions. Contemporary Dance has also had a strong influence on what we regard as physical theatre, partly because most physical theatre requires actors to have a level of physical control and flexibility rarely found in those who do not have some sort of movement background. Modern physical theatre also has strong roots in more ancient traditions such as Commedia dell'arte and some suggest links to the ancient Greek theatre, particularly the theatre of Aristophanes.

Another tradition started with the French master Etienne Decroux (father of corporeal mime). Etienne 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 now grown and corporeal mime is taught in many major theatrical schools.

Daniel Stein, a teacher out of the lineage of Etienne Decroux, has this to say about physical theatre:

"I think physical theatre is much more visceral and audiences are affected much more viscerally than intellectually. The foundation of theater is a live, human experience, which is different from any other form of art that I know of. Live theatre, where real human beings are standing in front of real human beings, is about the fact that we have all set aside this hour; the sharing goes in both directions. The fact that it is a very physical, visceral form makes it a very different experience from almost anything else that we partake of in our lives. I don?t think we could do it the same way if we were doing literary-based theatre."

Companies and practitioners

Modern physical theatre companies and practitioners:

Theatre Companies

• Plasticene, Chicago IL
• Hotel Obligad Physical Theatre, Philadelphia PA
• Precarious
• MOVEO TEATRO, Barcelona, Spain
• Cirque du Soleil, Montreal, Canada
• Dynamo Theater] , Montreal, Canada
• Studio 58, Vancouver, Canada
• MOVEO - Centre for Training and Creation in Corporeal Mime and Physical Theatre, Barcelona, Spain
• The Danger Ensemble
• Quarto Physical Theater, Brazil / Sweden
• Tooba Physical Theatre Centre, Vancouver, Canada
• DV8 Physical Theatre, London, England
• Bottlefed - physical theatre ensemble, London, England
• Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre Australia
• Theatre de l'Ange Fou, London, England
• Complicite, London, England
• Chotto Ookii Theatre Company, Leeds, England
• Kneehigh Theatre, Cornwall, England
• Double Edge Theatre, Tufts University, Boston MA
• International Dell'Arte Company and School, Blue Lake CA
• New York City Physical Theatre, New York City
• PUSH Physical Theatre, Rochester, New York
• First Physical Theatre Company, Rhodes University, United States
• Sacramento Theatre Experiment, California
• The South Wing Theatre Company, New York City
• metroccolis - next-level-mime, Berlin, Germany
• Margolis Brown ADAPTORS Company, New York
• Snuff Puppets Melbourne, Australia
• Red Mole New Zealand
• Ake Ake Theatre Company New Zealand

Practitioners

• Dan Shorten
• Karla Shacklock
• Jacques Lecoq
• Étienne Decroux
• Anne Bogart
• Steven Berkoff
• Thomas Leabhart
• Philippe Gaulier
• Petra Massey
• Wendy Gorling
• Kameron Steele
• James Thiérrée
• Kari Margolis

See also

• Balancing Acts- a documentary about physical theatre performers who fell in love and married.

Further reading

• Bogart, Anne; The Viewpoints Book
• Cross, Robert; Steven Berkoff and the Theatre of Self-Performance
• Decroux, Etienne; Words on Mime
• Grotowski, Jerzy; Towards a Poor Theatre
• Hodge, Alison (ed.); Twentieth Century Actor Training
• Leabhart, Thomas; Modern and Post-Modern Mime
• Meyerhold, Vsevolod and Braun, Edward ; Meyerhold on Theatre
• Stevenson, Darren ; ''A Case for Physical Theatre''
• Suzuki, Tadashi; The Way of Acting
• Wright, John; Why Is That So Funny?: A Practical Exploration of Physical Comedy
• Allworth Press; Movement for Actors

External links

• MOVEO- centre for research, creation and training in physical theatre and corporeal mime
• The Moving Theatre- international site about physical theatre with schools, festivals, company's and links to information

antonin Artaud

Educational Programs

• Naropa University Master of Arts Lecoq Actor Based Theater
• Method Center/Margolis Method Physical Approach to Actor Based Theater
• Experimental company with bases in Brasil/Sweden
• Scuola Teatro Dimitri: Bachelor and Master studies program in physical theatre

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