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Physical theatre is a genre of theatrical performance that encompasses storytelling primarily through physical movement. Although several performance theatre disciplines are often described as "physical theatre", the genre's characteristic aspect is a reliance on the performers' physical motion rather than, or combined with, text to convey storytelling. Performers can communicate through various body gestures (including using the body to portray emotions).

Common elements

Certain institutions suggest that all physical theatre genres share common characteristics, although individual performances do not need to exhibit all such characteristics to be defined as physical theatre. Research into the training or "work" of physical theatre artists cites an amalgamation of numerous elements adopted as a means to further inform the theatrical research/production. These elements include:

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Arguably, the point at which physical theatre became distinct from pure mime is when Jean-Louis Barrault (a student of Decroux) rejected his teacher's notion that the mime should be silent. If a mime uses their voice then they would have a whole range of possibilities open to them that previously would not have existed. This idea became known as "Total Theatre" and Barrault advocated that no theatrical element should assume primacy over another: movement, music, visual image, text etc. He viewed each element as equally important, and believed that each should be explored for their possibilities.

Barrault was a member of Michel Saint-Denis's company, alongside Antonin Artaud. Artaud has also been highly influential in shaping what has become known as physical theatre. Artaud rejected the primacy of the text and suggested a theatre in which the proscenium arch is disposed of to have a more direct relationship with the audience.

Eastern theatre traditions have influenced some practitioners who have then influenced physical theatre. A number of Oriental traditions have a high level of physical training, and are visual masterpieces. The Japanese Noh tradition, in particular, has often been often upon. The energy and visual nature of Balinese theatre fascinated Antonin Artaud and he wrote extensively on it. Noh has been important for many practitioners including Lecoq, who based his neutral mask on the calm mask of Noh. Jerzy Grotowski, Peter Brook, Jacques Copeau and Joan Littlewood have all been consciously influenced by Noh. Alongside contemporary western practitioners, certain Japanese theatre practitioners were influenced by their own traditions. Tadashi Suzuki drew partly on Noh and his students and collaborators have disseminated his highly physical training into the west. This has particularly happened through Anne Bogart's collaboration with him, and the simultaneous training of her actors in both the Viewpoints method and Suzuki training. As well as Suzuki, the Butoh Movement, which originated from Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ohno contained elements of Noh imagery and physicality. Butoh, again, has been influencing Western practitioners in recent years, and has certain similarities with Lecoq's mime training in terms of ideas (impression and consequential embodiment of imagery, use of mask, etc.)

Besides a gradual infusion of ideas from outside the Western theatre tradition, influences have arisen from within theatre as well starting with Konstantin Stanislavski. Later in life, Stanislavski began to reject his own ideas of naturalism, and started to pursue ideas relating to the physical body in performance. Meyerhold and Grotowski developed these ideas and began to develop actor training that included a very high level of physical training. Peter Brook influenced and developed this work.

Contemporary dance has added significantly to this mix, starting particularly with Rudolf von Laban. Laban developed a way of looking at movement outside codified dance, and was instrumental in envisioning and creating movement not just for dancers but for actors as well. Later on, the Tanzteater of Pina Bausch and others looked at the relationship between dance and theatre. In America, the postmodern dance movement of the Judson Church Dance also began to influence theatre practitioners, as their suggestions for movement and somatic training are equally accessible for those with dance training as those with theatre training. Indeed, Steve Paxton taught theatre students at Dartington College of Arts and other institutions.

Notable performers

Physical theatre companies and practitioners include:

Companies

  • American Physical Theater
  • Canadian Deaf Theatre
  • Chotto Ookii Theatre Company
  • Complicite
  • Double Edge Theatre
  • DV8 Physical Theatre
  • Familie Flöz
  • Frantic Assembly
  • Gecko
  • Horse and Bamboo Theatre
  • Kage Physical Theatre
  • KimchiBrot Connection
  • Kneehigh Theatre
  • Legs On The Wall
  • Margolis Brown Adaptors Company
  • Motionhouse
  • Pig Iron Theatre Company
  • Shared Experience
  • SITI Company
  • Spymonkey
  • Synetic Theater
  • Theatre de l'Ange Fou
  • Théâtre du Soleil
  • Theo Adams Company
  • Trestle Theatre

Practitioners

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  • Theo Adams
  • Antonin Artaud
  • Pina Bausch
  • Steven Berkoff
  • Anne Bogart
  • Wolfe Bowart
  • Les Bubb
  • Romeo Castellucci
  • Kate Champion
  • Alan Clay
  • Carlo Mazzone-Clementi
  • Adam Darius
  • Philippe Decouflé
  • Étienne Decroux
  • Avner the Eccentric
  • Antonio Fava
  • Philippe Gaulier
  • Niranjan Goswami
  • Jerzy Grotowski
  • Kathryn Hunter
  • Lindsay Kemp
  • Ireneusz Krosny
  • Thomas Leabhart
  • Jacques Lecoq
  • Peta Lily
  • Marcel Marceau
  • Linda Marlowe
  • Petra Massey
  • Johnny Melville
  • Matt Mitler
  • Thomas Monckton
  • Lloyd Newson
  • Dimitris Papaioannou
  • Robin Patterson
  • Adrian Pecknold
  • Alain Platel
  • Jami Reid-Quarrell
  • Bill Robison
  • Richmond Shepard
  • Daniel Stein
  • Tadashi Suzuki
  • Julie Taymor
  • James Thiérrée
  • Henryk Tomaszewski
  • Steven Wasson
  • Robert Wilson
  • Arthur Yorinks
  • Vahram Zaryan

Double acts

  • Gamarjobat
  • Shields and Yarnell
  • The Umbilical Brothers
  • Tik and Tok

Institutes and training programmes

  • École Philippe Gaulier
  • Circomedia
  • Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre
  • East 15 Acting School
  • Fourth Monkey Actor Training Company
  • L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq
  • London International School of Performing Arts
  • Coastal Carolina University
  • Accademia dell'Arte

See also

  • Corporeal mime
  • Mime artist
  • Pantomime

References