Kneehigh theatre company was founded in Cornwall in 1980 by Mike Shephard, who has continued to be its Artistic Director until its dispansion in 2021. Kneehigh gained recognition for its unique theatrical style under Shepherd's leadership. There was a strong emphasis on physical theatre combining comedy and burlesque with dance and music, unusual...
Katie Mitchell (born 1964) is well renowned for her rigorous realism, multimedia integration, and feminist environmental perspectives, and feminist and environmental perspectives. some of her defining characteristics and stylistic features include:
Yerma, written by Simon Stone (2016), is a modernised adaptation of Federico García Lorca's Yerma written in 1934 on the eve of the spanish civil war.
Paperbirds is a devised theatre company renowned for their socially and politically engaging performances. These performances blend verbatim theatre (theatre created entirely from other peoples words, i.e. 'I love you mum I promise I won't die') with physical theatre. The company was established in 2003 by Jemma McDonnell and Kylie Walsh. Key...
Complicité (Founded 1983) is a devising theatre group known for their physical theatre style, blending movement, text, music, technology and design to create deeply imaginative, multilayered performances
- Director of the Royal Shakespeare company and founder of the International Centre for Creation in Paris.
Frantic Assembly is a british theatre company founded by Scott Graham in 1994, the company focuses on its highly physical performances with moments of intense naturalism
Jerzy Grotowski was a polish theatre director who was best known for developing poor theatre, a style of theatre that strips theatre down to direct focus onto the actors and their physical and vocal skills. unlike 'rich theatre' which uses detailed and elaborate sets, costumes and special effects. similar to Stanislavski, Grotowski likes theatre to...
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard is an absurdist play that reimagines Hamlet through the eyes of two minor characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The plot follows their journey as they are summoned by King Claudius to uncover the cause of Hamlet's strange behavior. They struggle to understand their purpose, engaging...
Waiting for Godot is a seminal work of 20th-century absurdist theater that explores existential themes and the human condition through minimalist dialogue and action. The play is set in a desolate, undefined landscape with a single tree as the primary visual feature.