This week we have looked at The Theatre of Cruelty. This is a rather dark look at humanity, namely our fears and other repressed dark things. First invented by Antonin Artaud, it is meant to release bad things so they do not make us feel bad all the time.
The theory is that this, although being a fatiguing experience for both the actor and the audience, is a way of making you feel better. It apparently does this by showing you all these bad things and whatnot, to make you release your bad feelings. I have no idea if it actually works, but it is, indeed, an interesting premise.
I am not sure if it is really an exercise but I do believe that sir’s performance needs mentioning, although I will try to keep it brief. As I walk in I see sir on the floor, my first thought being: Aha! This is a tricky drama thing that sir is going to show us. However I wasn't quite ready when he screamed at Katie. Neither was Katie it seemed. When that ordeal was over we had a go at tapping into primal fears. My group worked on Luke’s very deep dream of feeling he has to open a door even though he doesn't want to. I slithered around the floor as he did this making people feel uncomfortable. It was definitely weird.
To be honest my original response was one of bafflement. I had no idea what to expect when I saw sir curled up in a ball on the floor. However I soon though it was an interesting idea and had fun doing it.
In conclusion I can see us using it a lot in our next production.
Thus ends the blog.
