Jade Bevington 0819795
1.

The key features of a physical theatre piece are movement, emotions and physicalising narrative with the use of semiotics. Many physical theatre pieces do not have a narrative, they can stem from an idea or an issue in society, such as sexual politics.

The element of movement can take the form of a pedestrian style, which is everyday gestures and movements, which may be performed in a naturalistic way. Alternatively the pedestrian movement may be choreographed into a sequence. The non pedestrian movement is influenced by dance, making it acrobatic and stylised. This kind of movement is very theatrical, with lifts and throws. It is likely this type of physical theatre would be used in a very highly emotional moment in the piece. When creating physical theatre, you would not think about what you were doing, you would let your body explore and make meaning afterwards, as Callery says “Physical theatre is theatre where the primary means of creation occurs through the body rather than through the mind.” (Callery; 2001, p4).

The movement in physical theatre is fuelled by the emotion of the work, as there is often no spoken language, the movement demonstrates the emotion.
Physical theatre work is often inspired by serious issue in society, so will be highly emotional not only for the performers but for the audience too, “Our response as a spectator and audience is physical, visceral, psychological and emotional” (Keefe and Murray; 2007, p5).

Pina Bausch has had a great influence over the genre of physical theatre. She has created some great examples of showing emotion through movement, “Bausch’s dancers repeatedly embody entrapment but also the fleeting possibilities for escape, transformation and redemption through movement...” (Keefe and Murray; 2007, p78).

When watching a piece of physical theatre, concentration is purely on the physicality of the performers, and every movement could be interpreted as a sign, “it is impossible for any theatre piece not to convey meaning” (Keefe and Murray; 2007, p92). Physical theatre allows the audience to question the signs, and make meaning of their own, opposed to giving the answers.


2.
The definition of physical theatre is constantly being redefined as a genre, as it doesn’t sit in any one category. Sanchez-Colberg describes the genre as having a “hybrid character” which is most definitely the case.
Physical theatre does have a hybrid characters its combines many different genre’s of theatre, from avant-garde dance, mime, ballet, the list of influences is endless. This style of contemporary theatre allows great variations of work and there is no solid definition of what physical theatre actually is.

The wide variety of styles and influences allows for a wide range of performance subjects. The audience never really know what to expect, this is partly due to the way in which physical theatre is devised, there is often no script, and with so many influences, they are usually highly hybrid performances, “Part of the hybridity of contemporary theatre lies in the cosmopolitan and multicultural character of the key protagonist and their aspirations” (Keefe and Murray; 2007, p75).

Furthermore many members of a psychical theatre company have come from different back grounds. Some many have been trained in ballet; some may have no dance background to speak of. Newson said “what fascinates me is who the performers are, and the style of the company will vary depending on the amalgamation of those performers. None of us move the same way; I want to acknowledge differences and what the mean, not eradicate them.” (Newson in Keefe and Murray; 2007, p82).

3.
Jasmin Vardimon Company is a leading physical theatre company. Vardimon is “Renowned for her uniquely theatrical choreographic and directorial style combining physical theatre, quirky characterisation, innovative technologies, text and dance, Vardimon accentuates her work with an acute observation of human behaviour.” (Jasmin Vardimon Company, www.jasminvardimon.com/about).

What Jasmin Vardimon Company creates is “a unique combination of sculpture, theatre and dance” (Catherine Wood ,www.jasminvardimon.com/testmonials) The influence of dance is strong, yet they are not just a dance company, the combinations of ballet, street dance, theatre, sculpture and many more make this company one of the leading Physical theatre companies in Britain.

After experiencing a workshop with some members of Jasmin Vardimon Company I learnt that the group had different theatrical backgrounds, which added layers to their creative pallet. As quoted early by Newson, no one will move in the same way; this is definitely the case in this company.

Jasmin Vardimon creates a language of their own using movement and body language, in a way like no other; their shows are full of semiotics, and suggestive signs. They use pedestrian and stylised movement, they also make use of props; a fine example of this is the well known scene in Yesterday where feathers from the pillows scatter the stage, creating a fantastic visual effect. This scene in particular can be used as an example of audience’s interpretation, letting them ask questions, without receiving answers.

Although I consider Jasmin Vardimon Company to be of the physical theatre genre, after reading reviews on their shows, it is clear they are considered by many, to be a dance theatre company. One company is well established in the physical theatre genre, are DV8. They were the first company to be labelled in this category.
The definition of physical theatre will continue to be redefined due to its broad spectrum of influences, and lack of boundaries. It doesn’t conform to old fashioned stereotypes of what a dancer should be, DV8’s the cost of living is a perfect example of this.

Bibliography
Callery, D (2002) Through the body London: Routledge.
Keefe, J & Murray, S (2007) Physical Theatres: An Introduction London: Routledge.
Keefe, J & Murray, S (2007) Physical Theatres: A Critical Reader London: Routledge.

Websites
DV8. 2010. About DV8 [online]
www.dv8.co.uk [accessed 01/03/20110]
Jasmin Vardimon Company. 2010. about us [online]
http://www.jasminvardimon.com/about.html [accessed 02/03/2010]