Task 1: Exploring Techniques: Frantic Assembly

 Frantic Assembly: Physical Theatre

What is Physical Theatre?

The use of touch to display a theme, emotion or thought. Features extremely abstract formations, gestures and physicality's.

Who are Frantic Assembly?

Frantic Assembly is a theatre production company that specializes in physical theatre. The company was founded in 1994 by Scott Graham, Steven Hoggett and Vicki Middleton, who were students from Swansea University. Frantic Assembly is internationally renowned and one of the most studied theatre companies, especially for A-Levels in the UK.

Elements / Techniques Frantic Assembly use in their Performances?

Round-By-Through 

*This is a partner task in which two chairs are placed opposite towards each other.

*Each individual in the pair will change five -somewhat- 'imperfections' in which will change that whole persons characteristics and dimena.

*To convey different emotions this can be altered by the pace and order in which they are portrayed.

*This puts the 3 individual movements of 'round', 'by' and ' through' into one piece to convey a storyline or emotion/theme towards the audience.

*Round- This is the movement in which consists you to 'literally' go round a part of your partners body as a basis for the entire piece.

*By- Consists for you to be parallel to your partner.

*Through- should be confined to only the use of the upper body/arms.

Mirror and Mirror Variations

*This is a technique in which consists of pairs-yet-again one labeled A and the other B and also relies on the full attention of each partner as each individual has to mirror the specific movement their partner does.

*This technique can altered in many such as: delayed movement; the pace in which it is does; reversal in the order and also the partners can change, to create a different atmosphere or story.

Use of Hands / Gestures

Use of first person instruction

Forest Walk

I found a path, a quiet path, a quiet calming path. The trees surrounding me like a warm cuddle. I smelt the roses that were piled upon one another, the smell of spring air, the smell of freedom. I could see the blue birds swirling around me, as if I was in a cloudy dream.

Reflection on Forest Scene

In this lesson we got into groups and put our forest walk story together in the right order. We were then told to put it all together and we started staging it in unison with techniques from physical theatre. 

Use of props

In this lesson we also worked on using props, in this case we used sticks to continue the scenes of the forest. We had to show physical theatre techniques by making the sticks seem as if they were sticks in a forest.

Here we are stationary, showing when sticks are lying flat on the floor in a forest and also when they could be attached to a tree.

Here we are showing different levels of the sticks and how some could be taller/bigger than the others.

Here we put the stick on our legs and lifted our legs up in the air, this could show when a stick is in motion and is moving/rolling in a forest.

Here we are circling the sticks around our body showing all the ways a stick could move in motion in a forest.

Once again here the sticks are stationary but are pointed in a different direction.

Here we are crossing the sticks over showing what some sticks can do for example if there were sticks like this in front of your path you would have to work your way round them.

Here we are holding both the sticks together showing how some trees could hold sticks together to lead a pathway.

Here we are twisting the sticks around our fingers to show what they could look like if they were falling in motion from a tree.

And finally here we are throwing the sticks at each other and then catching it once again showing what the sticks could look like in motion when falling from a tree.

Checking Oose

In this lesson we were told to get into two's and sit knee to knee together and take turns in improvising as if we had a piece of fluff on our clothes and then we were told to try it standing up and using levels and then techniques of physical theatre like round-by-through. Finally we were told to make it so we were in love and that these pieces of fluff were really frustrating us. My first idea was to just simply pretend to pick a piece of fluff off of Chloe and blow it away. Then we begun using levels and touch. The last movement in our piece is me using levels and going down to the floor to search for something on the ground and then me bringing it round and throwing it. We decided to change it up a bit by having Chloe face a different direction to start the piece to show that this thing about the fluff had just begun and I'd informed her she had some on her. In one movement I was pretending to take multiple pieces of fluff off of Chloe and as I went around her body I lifted her up against my hip and slanted to the side. This could show the audience the love we have for each other or it could show the support I had for Chloe as I was also helping her get all the fluff off of her.