Physical Theatre

Physical Theatres: A Critical Reader is an invaluable resource for students of physically orientated theatre and performance, drawing on a wide range of sources from all aspects of a hitherto underserved area of study. This book aims to trace the roots and development of physicality in theatre by combining practical experience of the field with a strong historical and theoretical underpinning. In exploring the histories, cross-overs and intersections of physical theatres, this critical reader provides: 6 new, specially written essays, covering each of the book's main themes, from technical traditions to contemporary practises. Discussion of issues such as the foregrounding of the body, training and performance processes, and the origins of theatre in both play and human cognition. A focus on the relationship and tensions between the verbal and the physical in theatre. Contributions from Augusto Boal, Stephen Berkoff, etienne Decroux, Bertolt Brecht, David George, J-J. Rousseau, Ana Sanchez Colberg, Michael Chekhov, Jeff Nuttall, Jacques Lecoq, CLR James, Yoshi Oida, Mike Pearson, and Aristotle. This book can be used as a standalone text, or with its companion volume, Physical Theatres: A Critical Introduction , to provide a comprehensive illustration of the physical in theatre and performance. Together they map what physical theatres have been, are, and may be. John Keefe is a senior lecturer at London Metropolitan University Undergraduate Centre, and a visiting fellow at Queen's University ISC specialising in performance-theatre-film studies. He is also a freelance director and performance dramaturg. Simon Murray is a performer, director and academic. He is currently Director of Theatre at Dartington College of Arts, and author of Jacques Lecoq (2003). Theatre and Performance StudiesMurray, Simon is the author of 'Physical Theatre', published 2007 under ISBN 9780415362528 and ISBN 0415362520.