Physical theatre research

The Oxford dictionary definition of physical theatre is ‘A form of theatre which emphasizes the use of physical movement, as in dance and mime, for expression.’ Although simply put, this definition is correct for most performances in the style of physical theatre. Commonly, pieces of theatre in this genre usually place more emphasis on movement rather than dialogue. However, there are a huge number of variations in this particular genre. The style itself covers a broad range of work and because of this, there are many different styles of physical theatre itself. Essentially, at its simplest, physical theatre is anything that puts the human body in the middle of the storytelling process. As a result of this, physical theatre is usually abstract in nature and uses movements in a stylised yet representational way. The expression of ideas and concepts are choreographed in a physical way, so many performers have little or no dialogue at all. 

Techniques:

Physical theatre cleverly adapts performances so that they are rife with innovative, interesting visuals. However, many earlier plays in this genre show us that relying solely on such visuals may create an exciting, yet confusing production. Because of this, it is important to create an interesting play, which has some informative dialect. For example, it is almost impossible to say that someone is a sister or a family member through dance, so some dialogue is needed.  This is where many of the techniques used in physical theatre come in. These techniques focus on how to use your body to create a story that can be easily viewed by the audience.

Mime:

Mime is commonly used in physical theatre. It is the technique of suggesting action, character or emotions without using words. It can also be used in physical theatre to mime props or even pieces of set. For example, mime could be used to recreate the motion of a car or a bus. Mime originated from early ancient Greece but is in no way dated or boring. Many imagine mime as French street performers doing a stereotypical ‘imaginary box’ sequence. However, when used in physical theatre, mime is visually stunning and is the basis of many amazing sequences of dance and performances.

Status:

Portraying a person’s status using physical theatre can add to a performance in ways that simply using dialogue cannot.  Rather than adding titles or names to a character which imply status, many performances in this genre choose to use different levels, distance or strength to portray a natural hierarchy within the characters. Mixed with dialogue, this technique is used in many physical theatre productions as it is simplistic but clearly shows the audience the change in status throughout the play.

Gesture:
To portray information through movement is the basis of physical theatre. Because of this, gesture is naturally a technique widely used in productions. It can be subtle but can still produce emotional impact, or it can be a movement that defines a character. Even subtle gestures add to the emotion and depth of the play. For example, if a character was to shy away from another, the audience would automatically assume that something had happened to create this fear, even if we haven’t directly seen this altercation.

Proximity:

Proximity means how close the actors are on the stage. Similarly to gesture, this can be used subtly to create a powerful impact upon the audience. For example, literal closeness can portray emotional closeness between characters. This is an effective way to show backstory without having to literally show the characters past.

Stance:

Stance is associated with strength and power and the body can radiate authority with a simple change in posture. Similarly, the body can radiate a huge range of emotion and status through the stance and posture of a character.

Movement:

Although it seems obvious, all movements in physical theatre must be precisely rehearsed. A particular lift or sequence may rely on a small movement, so all movements must be carefully rehearsed.

Not moving:

If the stage is full of characters moving, immobility can have a huge effect upon the play.

Mask work:

Many performances in this genre choose to have scenes or plays that focus on using masks to add emphasis on vocals or movements. Because of this, many groups choose to rehearse with the use of mask work, even if they do not incorporate it into their final performance. It is largely used in performance because it makes actors think thoroughly about how the facial features largely produce emotion. This aids the movements and vocalisation of a character as it allows the actors to focus upon how these aspects of acting.

Dance work:

Because of its nature, many people link physical theatre to dance. However, many movements and sequences do not include dance as such. Many lifts and movements are naturally connected to more traditional forms of dance, but a large part of such performance do not connect with dance and may be stand-alone movements, created specifically for the performance. On the other hand, many companies choose to embrace this connection and produce beautiful sequences of dance within their performances.

Motif:

Motif is the repeated use of a movement throughout the play. This has meaning for the story and helps to remind us the central theme of the work. In more traditional theatrical performances, motif can be a repeated sound or line.