Year 8 Drama · Making Drama — Create and Perform · 9m read

Physical Theatre

Bodies can become doors, waves or machines. Physical theatre tells stories through movement as much as words.

Learning objective: Create meaning through physical theatre techniques.

By the end of this lesson you can:

• I can use the body to create objects and settings.
• I can work in ensemble with synchronised movement.
• I can communicate without words.

Physical theatre is speaking body-language fluently. Some people speak one language; others are fluent in many. Physical theatre actors become fluent in the body — they can be a door, a storm, a heartbeat or an entire forest.

Bodies tell stories

TECHNIQUES:
• Ensemble movement, canon and unison, slow motion, levels.
• Creating objects and settings with bodies.
• Exaggeration, contact work (with safety), chair duets.

COMPANIES:
• Frantic Assembly, DV8 (UK); Australian physical theatre companies.

SAFETY:
• Warm up, consent for contact, controlled lifts.

| Technique | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Body as object | Become a thing | Three actors form a car |
| Chair duets | Partnered sequence with chairs | Frantic Assembly style |
| Slow motion | Controlled, exaggerated time | A fall in a fight scene |
| Lifts and weight-sharing | Supporting each other | Show trust or struggle |
| Chorus movement | Group moves as one | A crowd or a wave |

Key ideas at a glance

• Safety first: Warm up and practise lifts carefully.
• Precision: Clean starts and stops.
• Movement must mean: Link to theme or emotion.
• Use the ensemble: Bodies create the world.

Worked example (Medium)

How can five actors create a storm?

1. Bodies. Swaying as trees, crouching as waves.
2. Sound. Vocal wind and rain sounds.
3. Rhythm. Building in speed and intensity.

Answer: Use bodies, sound and building rhythm.

Worked example (Medium)

Use physical theatre to show "anxiety" without words.

1. Motif. A repeated hand-to-chest gesture.
2. Chorus. Others crowd in, pressing closer.
3. Climax. Actor breaks out into stillness, breathing.

Answer: A repeated motif and crowding chorus show rising anxiety.

Common mistakes

• Unsafe contact Injuries happen. Fix: Warm up and rehearse slowly.
• Unsafe lifts without training Injuries. Fix: Learn safe techniques step by step with spotters.

Frantic Assembly

UK company Frantic Assembly builds physical theatre through simple tasks: "chair duets", "round/by/through" and "hymns hands".

Actors create small movement phrases, then layer and repeat them. Their method shows that even beginners can create striking movement sequences by building from simple building blocks.

Practice questions

1. Everyone moving the same way at the same time is:

   1. Canon
   2. Unison
   3. Mime
   4. Aside

   (1 marks)

2. Why warm up before physical theatre?

   (2 marks)

3. Using actors to become a car is:

   1. Mime
   2. Body as object
   3. Monologue
   4. Realism

   (1 marks)

4. Which company is known for chair duets?

   1. Frantic Assembly
   2. Royal Shakespeare Company
   3. Disney
   4. Commedia

   (1 marks)

5. Explain how chorus movement can represent a crowd.

   (2 marks)

Summary

• Bodies create objects and settings.
• Unison, canon, slow motion.
• Safety first.
• Physical theatre makes the body speak.