Physical Theatre looks beyond verbal narrative, and explores with the medium of movement. Physical Theatre proves that the saying ‘Actions speak louder than words’ can really be true. The movements embedded within Physical Theatre works vary from simple ‘Pedestrian’ movements, to those that are more stylised. Physical Theatre works towards breaking down Social, emotional and physical barriers. Murray and Keefe write that “Our response as spectator and audience will be physical, visceral, psychological and emotional.” (Murray & Keefe, 2007, P5) As well as other forms of Theatre, Physical Theatre can cause the surfacing of many emotions within its audience. It can often cause an audience to feel angry, frustrated and even upset. This range of emotions can also be experienced by performers of Physical Theatre. As students on the process and performance module, we have been subjected to this first hand, and we have all been taken on an emotional rollercoaster which I personally did not think would be possible. Physical Theatre often has a very clear use of semiotics, and more importantly kinesics:
Kinesis is that branch of semiotics which attempts to provide a code for translating and interpreting the movements of the body on stage; in other words, how an actor’s movements, mobility, gestures, facial expressions and postures can be constructed and controlled so as to communicate the meanings which are intended by script, director and performer (Murray and Keefe, 1997, P24)
Movements within Physical Theatre are never clinical, and always have an underlying meaning, if a performance includes an ensemble piece, the meaning of each individual movement could be different for each performer. The audience are then required to analyse each movement in order to discover its meaning.
“hybrid /’haibrid/ 1 n. Offspring of two animals or plants of different species etc.; thing of mixed origins. 2 a. Bred as hybrid, cross-bred; heterogeneous.” (Oxford dictionary, 1992, p263)
By talking about Physical Theatre as having a ‘Hybrid Character’, Ana Sanchez-Colberg is referring to the fact that Physical Theatre is almost a cross-breed between avant-garde theatre, mime, stemming from the work of people such as Lecoq and dance. Ana Sanchez-Colberg also writes that:
The process of contextualising Physical Theatre needs to take in consideration its location both between avant-garde theatre, particularly that production considered to be ‘body focused’ , but also within the context of avant-garde dance and its particular parameters which set the body as the centralized unit within the theatrical space. (Sanchez-Colberg in Keefe & Murray, 2007, p21)
Physical Theatre has adapted characteristics from both of these Theatre forms. Avant-garde theatre looks to challenge conventional theatre, particularly naturalism. The role of an audience is also challenged, making them more than just proactive spectators. Audiences are asked questions rather than given answers. Physical Theatre also takes this approach and spectators are required to constantly think and question what they observe. Physical Theatre also uses characteristics of dance through it’s use of movement, whether simple or stylised. For this reason, in my opinion Physical Theatre is a Hybrid performance genre. It is extremely hard to define as it incorporates characteristics of both theatre and dance. There are no parameters which clearly classify what is Physical Theatre and what isn’t. Any form of theatre could be labelled as Physical Theatre, from the works of Brecht through to contemporary performances.
A contemporary British performance company whose work falls into the category of Physical Theatre is DV8 Physical Theatre Company. The company’s artistic policy states that, “DV8 Physical Theatre’s work is about taking risks, aesthetically and physically, about breaking down the barriers between dance and theatre and, above all, communicating ideas and feelings clearly and unpretentiously.”
DV8 Physical Theatre (2010) Artistic policy [online] DV8 Physical Theatre [cited 28th February 2010]
The work produced by DV8 encourages audiences to become conscious to the concept that Dance and Theatre do not need to be two separate genre’s and that they can collaborate and produce a completely new style of Theatre. As stated earlier, movements within Physical Theatre performances are never clinical or conceited, and DV8 are no exception to this comment. When watching a piece of work by the company, it is obvious that every turn of the head or raising of the arm holds emotion and meaning, constantly giving additional layers to a piece. DV8’s work moves away from stereotypical dance, where the body looking beautiful overlooks any underlying meaning, and introduced narrative, although not always obvious. Their work allows audiences to make their own judgements and take from it what they choose.
Bibliography
DV8 Physical Theatre (2010) Artistic policy [online] DV8 Physical Theatre [cited 28th February 2010] http://www.dv8.co.uk/about_dv8/artistic_policy
Keefe, J & Murray, S (2007) Physical Theatres: An Introduction London: Routledge
Keefe, J & Murray, S (2007) Physical Theatres: A Critical Reader London: Routledge
(1992) The new little Oxford dictionary of current English. 6th Ed. Oxford University Press.
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