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Physical Theatre Introduction

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Physical Theatre Introduction

A storm has stopped every train at a busy station. Travellers wait, a station worker tries to help, and one person spots a stray dog. Create meaning with bodies, space, rhythm and focus. Read the short guide, then solve the tasks. For open-ended questions, answers may differ; sample answers are provided.

Physical theatre: a quick guide

Physical theatre places the body at the centre of performance. Performers use movement, gesture, facial expression, posture, stillness and voice to communicate. Dialogue may be minimal or absent. Space, levels, timing, rhythm, repetition and focus help shape meaning. Performers can transform their bodies into objects or settings, and an ensemble can build a shared image or sequence. Physical theatre is not simply movement for its own sake: each choice should help tell the story or communicate an idea.

Read the moment

At the station, Tahnee checks an imaginary watch and shifts from foot to foot. A gust of wind sweeps through the crowd: the ensemble leans together, then recoils. A worker stretches out an arm to guide people. At the edge of the group, Hudson crouches and slowly reaches towards something on the floor. No one speaks. The performers use a repeated three-beat pattern: look, lean, freeze.

1.Which choice best describes the main purpose of physical theatre?

To communicate ideas and stories primarily through the body and movement
To use elaborate scenery instead of actors
To perform only without any sound
To reproduce everyday movement without shaping it

2.In the station moment, what might the ensemble’s shared lean and recoil communicate about the storm? Give one interpretation and explain which movement suggests it.

3.Match each physical theatre term to the best example from the station moment.

Gesture
Repetition
Levels
Focus

Repeating the pattern: look, lean, freeze
Directing attention towards Hudson reaching at the floor
Showing different heights, such as standing and crouching
A clear movement, such as the worker stretching out an arm

4.True or false? Physical theatre must contain no spoken words or sound at all.

TrueFalse

5.Complete the sentence: When performers use their bodies to represent an object or setting, they are using .

6.Imagine you are Tahnee, waiting for a delayed train. Describe two specific physical choices you could use to show impatience without speaking. Explain what each choice communicates.

7.The ensemble repeats “look, lean, freeze”. Give one reason repetition could be effective in this scene, and one way the performers could change the repeated pattern to build tension.

8.Create a three-step movement score for Hudson discovering the dog. Write one short action for each beat. Make the actions clear enough for an ensemble to perform without dialogue.

9.A group wants to show the station clock without using a prop. Suggest a way two or more performers could create it with their bodies, and explain how the audience would recognise it.

10.How is physical theatre different from a scene that relies mostly on dialogue? Give one difference and explain one thing the two approaches can still share.