Performance: Physical Performance Skills

Understanding Physical Performance Skills in Drama

Physical performance skills are integral to drama and must be developed and refined over time.
Developing physical skills requires practise and discipline, including warm-ups and exercises.
These skills are fundamentally about how an actor uses their body to communicate a character to the audience.
The aim of mastering these physical skills is to enable a performer to immerse themselves so fully into a character that the audience is convinced by their portrayal.

Posture is a vital physical skill. Different characters will stand, sit and move in different ways reflecting aspects such as age, health status, social position, and personality.
Facial expression is another key physical skill. It is a direct reflexion of a character’s emotional state and relates to other elements such as tone of voice.
Gestures and movements can denote character traits or emotions. For example, a nervous character may fidget or make small, jittery moves.
Spatial awareness is a necessary physical skill meaning understanding the space around you and how your character would interact with it.
Eye contact can be a powerful tool. It can show connection or tension between characters or break the ‘fourth wall’ to engage the audience.
Blocking refers to the planned movements on the stage, considering character dynamics, set design, and the visual presentation of the scene.
Stamina and physical fitness are also part of physical skills. Drama performance can be physically demanding, so maintaining fitness and endurance is important.

Characterisation involves incorporating physical skills with voice, character profile, and context.
Physicality extends to props and costume. Actors need to be comfortable and practised in their use as they become an extension of the character on the stage.
Remember, physical performance is not just about grand, exaggerated movements. Subtle changes in posture, expression, or gesture can be incredibly powerful in conveying character and emotion.
It’s essential to remember that effective physical performance is a combination of the performer’s interpretation of a character and the director’s vision. Both must work in harmony to create a credible performance.