Exploration of physical theatre techniques and styles

Introduction to Physical Theatre

Physical Theatre is a genre of performance where physical movement is the primary method of storytelling.
It incorporates many elements such as dance, mime, acrobatics and non-verbal communication.

Movement: It’s the central aspect. Performers use their bodies to express emotions, facts, and narrative. Both gross and fine motor skills are employed.
Body Language: The use of postures, gestures, facial expressions contribute to the overall performance.
Laban’s Eight Efforts: They are a key movement system widely used in physical theatre. The Efforts are glide, dab, flick, slash, press, wring, punch and float.
Mime: An important theatre technique where performers use mime (acting without words) to communicate a story.

Commedia dell’arte: An old Italian performance style that relies heavily on masks and established personae.
Expressionism: Involved distortion of reality for emotional effect, with an emphasis on the spiritual and symbolic.
Pantomime: A popular British theatre style which uses exaggerated body movement and clear visual signals.
Butoh: Japanese ‘dance of darkness’ which incorporates grotesque imagery and slow hyper-controlled motion.

Vsevolod Meyerhold: Russian director who focused on biomechanics and use of physical gesture.
Jacques Lecoq: Lecoq’s pedagogy focused on body movements, play and theatre as a physical approach to storytelling.
Pina Bausch: German choreographer who combined elements of dance and theatre in her work.

Physical theatre pieces often begin with a movement based exploration of a theme or narrative.
Performers should focus on their physicality and the way they can use their bodies to represent characters, emotions, and situations.
Regular body conditioning can improve a performer’s physical capabilities and adaptability.
Workshops and improvisation exercises can be valuable tools for exploring physical theatre concepts and techniques.