Drama and Theatre
In the past term, the Year 11 HSC drama cohort has been fortunate enough to learn about physical theatre. Physical theatre is a form of performance that emphasises the use of the body and movement to convey stories, emotions, or ideas, often with little to no spoken dialogue. It blends elements of dance and traditional theatre, allowing actors to express meaning through physical actions, gestures, and expressions.
We started this topic with a focus on Jaques Lecoq, a French man who invented many conventions seen in, not just physical theatre, but many other types of mainstream theatre. From his teaching methods, Year 11 learned how to use techniques such as “7 levels of tension”, “neutral masking”, and “flocking”.
In addition to Lecoq, we also studied Frantic Assembly, a British theatre group that focuses on physical theatre. They utilise movements such as “chair duets”, “building blocks”, and “round-by-through”.
Studying these faster paced techniques in combination with Lecoq’s movements, Year 11 were asked to compose a 6-8 minute piece inspired by a key stimulus photo, story or excerpt of text, in addition to accompanying it with music. After weeks of preparation, all four groups performed their devised pieces today and yesterday to great success. Being able to watch groups collaborate, devise and perform in a group setting has been a cherishing experience that shows great signs of progress for their final HSC performances next year.
Angus Baker
Year 11 HSC Drama Student
Year 10 is continuing their work investigating Multidisciplinary Theatre. This style is allowing our classes to experiment with a variety of different techniques and approaches to creating engaging and meaningful dramatic moments. These photos are from some experiments with lighting and staging in the newly blacked out W5 Studio!
Lincoln Gidney
Drama Teacher
Year 12 IB Theatre Solo Performance Examination
