What are your expectations for Experimental Theatre?

"What are your expectations for Experimental Theatre?"

Well, the key word being “experimental” sums it up pretty well. I expect it to be spilling with actions of pure spontaneity and devising in such abstract and interesting ways. Experimenting means having to keep an open mind and that’s what I pride myself on. Don’t be too set on one thing and just let the moments and movements flow. I expect our performance not to be linear and created by a handing out of scripts and auditioning for characters, but to be taken on a journey of its own with inspiration from poems and novels and music.

 

Traditionally audiences are seen as passive observers, merely there to watch a performance and having uprising questions or situations answered for them with the act of movement by the actors. Many practitioners of experimental theatre have wanted to challenge this. For example, Antonin Artaud, the practitioner we are studying, wanted to affect them directly on a subconscious level. He believed that everyone, subconsciously or as wise as an owl, have shocking thoughts or fantasies about the most taboo subjects. He wished to make the audience face these subjects in an immersive way where it wouldn’t be okay for them to just get up and leave. I think this was a great idea and a very intelligent and engaging way of making people face situations they may have once experienced, thought about or were completely oblivious to. That’s the beauty of experimental theatre and the beauty of Artaud himself.  Peter Brook, another name that has made many appearances already this term with his experimental directing, identifies a triangle of relationships within a performance: the performers' internal relationships, the performers' relationships to each other on stage, and their relationship with the audience.

 

I’m looking forward to taking charge as an experimental director, deviser and actor; being free within the art of experimenting with theatre and making bold and clear choices within my individual work and group work. I am excited. Very excited.