Physical theatre is the name given to specific form theatrical performance that emphasizes the use of physical movement, as in dance and mime, for expression and the telling of stories.

Physical theatre as a form

Key figures in the evolution of modern versions of the form have been Jacques Lecoq, playwright/performer Steven Berkoff

Physical theatre in South Africa

The form has really taken hold in South Africa since the 1980s, partly because of its vast potential for intercultural communication.

Numerous platforms have been created to show the work, notably the Grahamstown Festival and the annual Dance Umbrella.

Courses

While it is generally believed to have been initiated at Rhodes University under the guidance of Gary Gordon, physical theatre is now taught as a form in most Drama Departments in the country.

South African Exponents

The form is part of the training of most of the younger generation of performers, but among the many specialists are Gary Gordon, Andrew Buckland, Lionel Newton, Lara Foot, Christopher Goetsch, Ilona Frege, Juanita Finestone, Samantha Pienaar, Ellis Pearson, Bheki Mkhwane, Jaco Bouwer,

South African companies

First Physical Theatre Company, Jazzart Dance Theatre, Magnet Theatre

Plays and performances

The Ugly Noo Noo; The Well Being; The Anatomical Journey of a Settler Man; Daddy I've Seen This Piece Six Times and I Still Can't Know Why They Are Hurting Each Other; They include: Dialogue (1994);The Unspeakable Story (1995); Dead: A Slight History of One Called Ivan (1996); Lilith (1998); Bessie’s Head (2000); De Wet’s On The Lake (2001)and Gordon and Finetone-Praeg’s Lake – beneath the Surface (2001); and Drifting (2013).

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_theatre

Robyn Sassen. 20165. "Physical Theatre" in Martin Middeke and Peter Paul Schnierer (editors). 2015. The Methuen Drama Guide to Contemporary South African Theatre. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.

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