Exploring different theatrical genres and styles
The The type of story being told. of a performance refers to the type of story being told, and the How theatrical ideas are presented on stage. refers to how the work is presented on stage. A genre or style can help to give performers a framework to shape the Creating and developing a performance together as a group. work. In the initial stages of devising, it is important to explore a range of contrasting approaches. Popular theatrical genres and styles include (but are not limited to):
- A performance for educational purposes, often with a message for the audience.
- A mime technique in which actors use their bodies to create props or part of the set.
- A style or movement of theatre that focuses on political ideas, ensuring that the audience are engaged and questioning the action. Bertolt Brecht’s ideas are usually categorised as Epic theatre.
- A performance that focuses on current events in society.
- A light-hearted drama that is played for laughs.
- A type of drama in which characters undergo suffering or calamity and which usually ends with a death. A sad or catastrophic event causing suffering or death.
- A play or film characterised by exaggeratedly emotional or overdramatic scenes.
- Often performed outside with very few prompts and an improvised script.
When considering genre or style, it is important to think about the The collection of people that the finished work is aimed at.. The devised piece’s content needs to be appropriate for and appealing to the chosen audience.
Certain genres and styles will lend themselves well to different devised works, so it is important to invest some time in thinking carefully about what will work and to consider the content and The way a text is built and shaped. Chapters, plot, acts, scenes, stanzas, narrative, verse form, rhyme and rhythm are all aspects of structure. of the piece.
