"Dr Faustus" - Marlowe (2) (Physical Theatre Lesson)

Physical theatre is an abstract type of story-telling that puts the performers body at the focus. There is sometimes very little (if any) dialogue in physical theatre. This type of theatre is very similar to contemporary dance, however, the difference is that contemporary dance doesn't have to tell a story. Moreover, physical theatre doesn't have to be constant movement using the whole body, it can be simple gestures, mime, or even freeze frames. It can also include complex lifts, sound and projections.

Our version of "Dr Faustus" is a shortened version, but we haven't received the script yet and we haven't cast it - however, we have decided that we would like to a have a physical theatre approach on our version. Working in physical theatre relies on devising, as opposed to blocking the play itself. This is because physical theatre can involve a lot of complex group work, and if one member of the cast doesn't feel comfortable with the movement, then it would be changed. Physical theatre isn't choreographed and is instead devised and directed.

We were given a monologue from the character of Mephistopheles. We got in to two groups; I went with Oliver and James. We worked out our individual strengths in movement to know what we were capable of as a group: Oliver is very strong and is very good lifting and supporting people, I don't mind being pushed about and am quite good at coming up with ideas, James is good at mime and coming up with ideas too. We decided the both Oliver and James would play Mephistopheles, whilst I represented those who had sinned and had just been sent to an eternity of Hell. We began our scene with me standing centre stage, with James and Oliver standing either side of me facing in. As James is also rather strong at puppetry, we included some puppetry sections. In our warm up, James and I were partners in a lead and follow exercise, so we had already worked together in this style (and had established what we were comfortable with and what didn't work). As a group, we picked out what we thought were the key words and should be emphasised. We split the narration up between James and Oliver (as they were both playing Mephistopheles), but I had the last line of "no words can express such dire torment", to emphasise the point. What we felt went well with our piece were the puppetry sections, the lift, my facial expressions and the fluidity of the piece. If we had more time, we would have all learned the lines of by heart and we could have made a short, fast-paced hymn hands section on the last line (where hands would go over my face as if to stop me from speaking).