Physical Theatre Research Pack

Physical Theatre Research Pack

BERKOFF, TRESSLE, VOLCANO,  PINA BAUCSH, DV8

BERKOFF Seminar
Given by Shane Horton, Jade Francis, and Melissa Hubband

After the Berkoff seminar I came away thinking that to create theatre all you need is a performer and an audience - nothing more. 
Berkoff is about the performers utilizing themselves to maximum effect doing away with the need for set, props, and audio/visual technology. The performer is already well equipped to be able to tell the story using what God has already given them. And Berkoff’s work showcases this ethos. 
Berkoff’s work includes uses of a lot of stylized mime, Jaques Lecoq being one of his influences, and we were introduced to mime during the seminar and took part in a few mime exercises. The performer must have good control over their body for the mime to look affective, and also have good stamina as it can be quiet tiring as you use lots of energy and tension. The essence of mime is to create something out of nothing. To create an image in the audiences imagination.
The performers within Berkoff performances make full use of there bodies physicality, facial expressions and voice.

“In the end there is only the actor, his body, mind and voice.”

In ‘East’ a Berkoff play we see the performers body being used as a motorbike as apposed to an actual prop. This takes nothing away from the story being told and if anything puts more focus on what the motorbike means to the character rather than the bike itself. In the seminar the other participants and myself took part in an exercise where we created a scene using each-other as props. I found was that this was not a distraction but flowed seamlessly as the scene played out. 

Berkoff breaks with traditional mime convention by asking the actors to create sounds. We took part in an exercise where we mimed the scene, but then at the appropriate time where able to say just one word. From this exercise I saw that it’s not the amount of dialogue that is being said but rather how, when and what is being said that brings effect. The message of an entire paragraph of dialogue can being equally effectively communicated using just one word if done in the right manner. Berkoff utilizes this aspect heavily within his work. 

“Theatre can and should hold the mirror up to ourselves in the hope that we will dislike the reflection sufficiently to wish to change it, or else to show an image which is so desirable that we would wish to become it”

Berkoff’s style is very ‘in your face’. He heavily and demonstratively uses sex, violence, and swearing in his pieces, which go well with exaggerated movements and facial expressions. This could be as a way of shocking his audience and make them uncomfortable, or it it could be that he likes theatre to be raw and laid bare, and using this approach as a way of connecting with an audience. Which makes sense as he also includes Brechtian style 3rd person address, or ‘stepping out’, within his work.

Berkoff’s style of work Physicalizes the emotion of the characters and uses a combination of stylized gestures, repetitive rhythms, dialogue, and combining actors and narrator. 

The Seminar leaders did a good job as I gained knowledge of Berkoff’s work and influences, and had the opportunity to put to practice his method of creating work. 

TRESTLE Seminar
Given by Eve Dallimore, and Lexia Thompson

In the Trestle seminar I was introduced to mask work. The origins of masks in performance date back thousands of years ago when they where used in pagan worship and there influence is still seen in performance today. 

When I see a mask they tend to make me feel a certain way, either weird, weary, scared, or curios. Masks hide a persons face, so all the judgements or assumptions that you would make from looking at a person face are gone. Also with using masks speech is also gone. So you make all judgements based on the actions. In this case actions really do speak louder than words. I believe working with mask gives the performer a sense of freedom from judgment that all performers have, and allows them to create something fresh and innovative. Freeing the performer from excessive awkwardness because they are hidden. Masks in performance heighten the performers physicalization, as it is the only way for the character to communicate. In ‘A Play without words’ a devised physical piece that myself and group created, we focused on how people would communicate if you had lost the ability to talk. We experimented with different ways of communicating a message without the use of words, and how to explore using our body movements as language. The use of mask would aided this process as the focus would have been purely on body language. 

Trestle use different types of masks, basic, Intermediate, and advanced. All these masks have recognizable gestures such as happy, sad, angry, or scared. When the mask is on you automatic take on the attitude of the mask, you form a character that fits the masks gesture. Your posture automatically adapts, tension, energy levels, mental attitude suddenly change from your own to the masks. As I think about taking on the role of a character that is totally different from myself, it is a very similar process. You have to put on a character and their attitude the same way you put on the mask and it’s attitude. I also see the huge benefit in mask work when working on character physicalization. In the ‘3 Sister’s’ performance I recently completed, I had trouble embodying my character ‘Vershinin’. The use of a mask that I felt suited his attitude would of assisted in embodying him physically, as I could have explored how his pure physical presence effected his attitude and the other characters.

Trestle’s influences include the Japanese ‘Noh’ Theatre company. They use mask to tell stories based in Japanese spirituality. What I found particularly interesting was the use of an ‘expressionless mask’, and how through the performers movements they would attempt to ‘imbue’ expression into the masks. I found it fascinating to think that through movement a performer could give a blank mask a face. I imagined a performer with a blank mask moving frantically, hands nervously shaking, touching chest and clutching their arms. Such a powerful image. Physicality can say things in a way that words cannot, “as emotion is fixed upon an idea, not upon personality”.

As part of the seminar before using the actually masks we took part in an exercise that’s roots are in Commedia dell'arte. Known as ‘gammelot’, a non sensical babble speak used as communication in place of talking. As you communicate using babble speak you automatically uses clear gestures and facial expressions to portray the meaning that your babble speak cannot. A great exercise that will be useful in the rehearsal process in scenes where the characters are struggling to connect, and the energy is low. 

The Trestle seminar was enjoyable, informative, and equipped me with some new tools that I can take into the creative and rehearsal process. 

VOLCANO seminar
Given by John Mayling and Beth Hunt

Volcano focus on producing new and original work.
In the rehearsal process they use a lot of improvisation in their creative process, which was the first task of the seminar. Given just one line on a piece of paper, the improvisation started from there. With improvisation nothing is certain as nothing is scripted which provides a huge potential to create something original. A reoccurring problem with improvisation that I have come across over the years is the use of cliches, and stereotypes. As improvisation can be very challenging and uncomfortable, playing it safe is  an often used root and cliches often appear. The Jaques Lecoq “via negativa” approach is where you see the fruits of improvisation within an ensemble.

“The improvisor has to realize that the more obvious he is the more original he appears... People arrive at the same old boring answers. Ask people to give you an original idea and see the chaos it throws them into. If they said the first thing that came into their head, there’d be no problem.”

Fortunately Volcano work closely as an ensemble, and together and build a openness between them which allows them to shake off the restraints of fear, and take chances within improvisation and create new ideas.  

Volcano like to address political issues such as feminism within their work. Producing pieces such as ‘Shelf Life’ and ‘Prosthetic Soul’, a piece about cosmetic surgery. Volcano’s work is known to be ‘controversial’, ‘shocking’, and ‘ in you face’. Often using the Brechtian alienation technique, openly addressing the audience in order to communicate the message of there work. 

As Volcano desire to create original theatre, you notice that that have many different styles of performance within there work. There influences include DV8, Stan’s Cafe, and the Welsh Opera. 

As well as original work Volcano remake pieces such as ‘A Clockwork Orange’. In this piece you see how they have taken the story and retold in their unique style. Using symbolism and alienation to drive home the message to the audience.
Touching upon serious political issues with humor leaving if for the audience to meditate on. 

Similar to ‘Complicite’ they use digital media within there pieces, along with props and abstract sets they collaborate to tell the story.

For the final exercise of the Volcano seminar the group and I created a short piece, with the aim to implement the different processes that Volcano use.

I found this quiet challenging as volcano have so many influences and base a lot of there work on improvisation. I would of needed to have been working with the group for a longer period of time to have been able to get the most out of creating a piece using the Volcano method of creating.

The Seminar covered who and what Volcano are about. I found it difficult to connect with them and there ethos, and was not to fond of their work. Yet I did see that how with the use of improvisation (perhaps with a slight directive) can be useful in creating new and original work. 

PINA BAUCSH
Given by Jonathan Bailey and Lauren Dimascio

Pina Bausch is probably the greatest new discovery that I have made in the world of theatre. Watching Bausch’s work is enjoyable and breath taking. 

‘I’m not interested in how people move, but what moves them’ - Pina Bausch

You can see the heart in the work of Pina Bausch, her performances seem to physically embody emotion like no other. In contrast to the other physical theatre practitioners I have been looking at Pina Bausch comes from a background that is rooted in dance, specifically ballet as in 1972, Bausch started as artistic director of the Wuppertal Opera Ballet. 

During the seminar we watched some of Bausch’s recent work. After watching the trailer for the Pina Bausch film, and seeing some of the amazing movements her performers display inspires me to want to develop my bodies physical capabilities to the best I can. Keeping and maintaining my bodies, health, stamina, strength, flexibility, and coordination so I can be able to create physical movements that really capture the essence of the piece.

Quality of movement is one of the key principles that Bausch focuses on, which is evident in her work. Lauren took the group through an exercise where we focused on our centre of gravity, posture, and fluidity of movement. Through constant practice I can see how improvements can be made to how a performer controls their body. 

In Bausch piece ‘Vollmond’ there is a 15 ft boulder on the stage with water raining down onto the stage. The dance incorporated is full of passion and emotion as the performers thrash around the rain, and throw themselves of the boulder. It’s the emotion that is portrayed that makes this piece so powerful.

Jonathan lead the group through an exercise where to create movement we used ‘emotion’ as the motivation for the movement created. With chairs scattered around the space we were asked to recall a feeling/emotion/memory or something that has special meaning to us and to interact with the chairs and the space with these thoughts as the focus. It showed me that if you are focused you can create movement about anything and with anything.

In the seminar we looked at Cafe Muller, a Bausch piece from 1978. In the sequence we studied we saw the use of manipulation, and repetitive movement sequences. I saw how simple yet detailed moves repeated can give a real sense of importance to a sequence. 
I then created a movement sequence using manipulation, and repetition This was enjoyable, and gave me ideas for many scenarios in where manipulation could be used effectively in performance.

Pina Bausch’s influence on theatre is recognized worldwide, she has won many prestigious awards for her work and has inspired many performers and directors. 

As I am not a dancer, and have very little dance experience I am limited with what I can do  within Bausch’s style of work. But I am deeply inspired by the quality, originality and beauty of her work. 

DV8 seminar
Given by Lori Callow

'I'm an artist who's interested in real issues, not just pretty shapes’ - Llyod Newson

DV8 are well known for the quality of their work in the physical theatre world. Lori Callow presented a seminar that demonstrated that DV8 aren’t simply a physical theatre company but rather a company with something to say. 
Looking at a number of clips from various DV8 productions of late you can see that the pieces are driven by the message and not the movement. Rather than a dance, or piece of movement being performed, a simply piece of text or song would be used instead. Whatever communicated the message clearest is what would be used in the piece, not just movement. 

Llyod Newson, DV8 founder uses his art form to address issues such as Tolerance, Intolerance, Religion, and Sexuality with society. Being a gay man himself, and having personally experiencing abuse because of this, he is passionate about speaking up about intolerance towards the gay community. “To be straight with you” is just one of the DV8 pieces produced on this subject.  

DV8 look at how to put meaning and emotion into movement, or how to put text into movement. A method that DV8 have used for this was to have interview recordings played into performers ears, and then they would explore what movement would develop naturally. This is a great technique to use in the creative process for Verbatim Theatre.

As part of the seminar Lori lead us in an exercise where we explored how to portray emotion in movement. The exercise was to simply walk around the space in neutral, then when a word was called out, for example ‘Depression’, we would move around the space aiming to embody ‘Depression’ with our movements’. I found this exercise rewarding as it allowed me to explore how I relate words and feelings, and express them through movements. This exercise can be adapted for many uses and is one that I will be using in the future. 

As DV8’s recent work is mainly focused on social issues. The final exercise was to devise a short movement piece either on Tolerance, Intolerance, Religion, or Sexuality. And they where to be set either at Home, the Workplace, a place of Eduction or in Club DV8. So within our piece we would be addressing different issues within different circumstances. 

Llyod Newson and DV8 use performance to convey a message. They don’t let the performance or performers dictate the message, but rather the message directs the performers and the performance. I personally feel that when you have a strong message that allows for strong pieces to be created and strong performances to be delivered. 
In creating ‘A Play without Words‘ a recent physical theatre piece I was apart of creating and performing in, The message was of primary importance to me as I believe that it is the foundation of performance and everything grows and springs forth from there. 

Conclusion

After partaking in seminars and researching the different physical theatre practitioners is it evident to see how they are all influenced by similar sources, as you see the ripples of influence that is patterned in world of physical theatre. All the companies have their unique style while of theatre yet you can see the interlinking ideologies, techniques, and influences. In my opinion where the companies distinguish themselves is in the how they focus their work toward their target audience. They all create work with their audience in the for front of their minds, “How do we engage with our audience?” is the question they ask themselves. Wether their audience be from a minority background, certain social class, or just simply lovers of dance. It is how each of these companies create work for their target audience is where we see their individuality. Collaboration and creative freedom is also a common denominator amongst the different practitioners. Many of the companies rely heavily on collaboration for creating their unique pieces of work. Creating from the perspective of not only the director but also the performers, set designers and  audio/visual members of the company. Many of the companies use their work to address various social/political issues that are influencing their world. As well as entertaining they challenge and inform their audiences on issues that they find important and relevant, using physical theatre as their voice amongst society. Most of the companies create their own original work, and for this the creative rehearsal process is very important. Much time is spent experimenting, playing games and exploring new ideas. While working on a recent physically theatre performance I found it extremely beneficial to have time dedicated just to exploring various ideas through movement. I discovered that it extended my movement vocabulary, or as ‘Complicite’ puts it, I extended my “language of movement”. Original work requires original ideas, so the companies all aim to provide a creative environment where the company can feel free to take chances to come up with something new. Jaques Lecoq’s ethos of “via negativa”, (no right way to do it) runs fluidly through the different companies creative processes. “Sharing the performance with the audience is a central ethic in Lecoq’s teaching and is repeated in different images by a number of graduates”. With physical theatre the creative possibilities for story telling are endless and continually evolving. Each piece of new work inspires another, and so on as the art continues to grow in popularity and influence. Physical theatre would not be where it is today of not for the influences that has gone before it. All work that you see performed today can be traced back to a handful of past practitioners, who at some time impacted the world of theatre by adding a new dimension to performance. As I continue to create work, I will draw upon the present and past work that is inspiring to me, with the hope of influencing the audience and world of theatre with issues that I feel are important and relevant to the world today.  

Bibliography

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Graham Watts. (2009). Pina Bausch 1940 – 2009. Available: http://www.ballet.co.uk/magazines/yr_09/jul09/obituary_pina_bausch_0609.htm. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Ralph Yarrow, Franc Chamberlain (2002). Jacques Lecoq and the British theatre. London: Routledge. 10.

Robert Cross (2004). Steven Berkoff and the Theatre of Self-Performance. Manchester : Manchester University Press. 1.

Samuel Wells (2004). Improvisation: The Drama of Christian Ethics. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press. 59.

Sean Keenan. (2012). DV8: Can we talk about this?. Available: http://www.trebuchet-magazine.com/dv8-can-we-talk-about-this-theatredance/. Last accessed 6th April 2013.

Susan Valeria Harris Smith (1984). Masks in the Modern Drama. London: University of California Press. 54.