GCSE Drama: Physical Theatre and Movement Revision Guide

What is physical theatre?

Physical theatre is a broad performance style in which the performer's body is the primary means of telling a story, often reducing or removing reliance on naturalistic dialogue, elaborate sets, or props. Across different companies and practitioners, physical theatre generically shares certain style features: performers use levels, physical strength, shape-making, and precise ensemble timing to represent objects, environments, and abstract ideas, such as several performers forming the shape of a moving train using only their bodies.

Canon

Canon is a movement technique in which one performer begins a sequence of movement, and the same sequence is then repeated by other performers in turn, creating a delayed, rippling effect similar to a round in music. Canon is often used to represent repetition, such as a daily routine, or to build a sense of a crowd or community performing similar actions.

Ensemble movement and unison

Ensemble movement is choreography performed collectively, with a group of performers working together as a single visual unit rather than as individuals. This is often combined with unison, where all performers move identically at exactly the same time, creating a powerful sense of unity, control, or collective identity. Ensemble sequences, especially those involving lifts or contact work, require trust, spatial awareness, and clear communication to perform safely.

Choral speech

Choral speech is when a group of performers speak together, either in complete unison or in an overlapping, fragmented pattern. It can be used to represent a shared voice, such as a community or crowd, and is often layered with movement to build atmosphere, tension, or emphasis around key words or phrases.

Bringing it together

In devised work, canon, unison, ensemble movement, and choral speech are frequently combined. For example, a group might use a staggered canon of physical actions while simultaneously repeating a fragmented choral phrase, layering physical and vocal technique to create a striking and memorable stage image.

Common mistakes

• Confusing canon with unison, when they describe opposite timings of the same idea.
• Referring vaguely to "movement" without naming the specific technique being used.
• Forgetting to explain why a physical technique suits the theme of the piece being discussed.