
About
Playback Theatre
From
the International
Playback Theatre Network Website.
Playback
is an original form of improvisational theatre.
Within
the structure of a ritual framework, the performance is spontaneous
- it is theatre created through a unique collaboration between performers
and audience. Someone tells a story or moment from their life, chooses
actors to play the different roles, then watches as their story
is immediately recreated and given artistic shape. Many artistic
variations are possible within the clear ritual structure and rhythm
of a performance event.
The
original Playback Theatre Company came together in 1975, with Jonathan
Fox as its director and was part of the experimental theatre explorations
of the 1970s.
Playback
theatre gives attention to the social interactive elements of the
whole experience, bringing theatre to the everyday reality of the
community, and enabling an enriching experience for the actors and
the audience, on and off stage.
Other
inspiration includes the rich oral tradition of storytelling, traditional
community rituals, and the psychodrama of J. L. Moreno.
Authenticity
in the spontaneous moment underlies Playback theatre practice. Playback
Theatre aims to create a ritual space where every voice and any
story - however ordinary, extraordinary, hidden or difficult - might
be heard and told. It is a place where each person's uniqueness
is honoured while at the same time building and strengthening our
connections to each other as a community of people.
Since
1975, Playback has spread all over the world, and is now practiced
in many different countries, languages and contexts. It thrives
in a variety of settings, existing as community theatre gatherings
as well as a professional service to both the business and social
sector.
Visit
the International
Playback Theatre Network Website. |