Selecting a Genre or Performance Style

Choosing a genre or performance style in GCSE Drama depends on the themes, message, and atmosphere you wish to convey. Genres like Epic Theatre, Political Theatre, Comedy, and Tragedy each have distinctive conventions that help shape the audience's engagement with the work. Physical Theatre and Theatre in Education offer unique ways to present messages, often without relying heavily on words, while Melodrama and Commedia dell'Arte emphasise clear character archetypes, exaggerated actions, and direct engagement with the audience. Understanding these genres can help you select the most suitable style for your dramatic exploration.

Exploring Different Theatrical Genres and Styles

Theatrical Genre: A genre is a category of performance that has distinct conventions and styles. Common genres in theatre include:

• Realism – Depicts life as it is, focusing on everyday situations and characters. Dialogue is natural, and settings are usually familiar.
• Surrealism – Features dream-like, illogical, and abstract scenarios, often with bizarre or strange imagery.
• Absurdism – Often presents a sense of meaninglessness, with characters trapped in repetitive, pointless situations. Common in plays by Samuel Beckett.
• Physical Theatre – Emphasises movement and physicality over dialogue. Often used to express emotions, ideas, or narratives through the body.
• Musical Theatre – Combines dialogue, song, and dance to tell a story, often with a focus on entertainment and spectacle.

Theatre in Education (TiE) and Physical Theatre

Theatre in Education (TiE):

• A genre aimed at educating and raising awareness on social or educational issues.
• Often used in schools or community settings to address topics like bullying, relationships, and history.
• Focuses on engaging the audience directly, often using interactive techniques and simplified narratives to communicate messages.

Physical Theatre:

• Focuses on using the body to express ideas and tell a story, often without spoken words.
• Can include mime, dance, or exaggerated movement.
• The emphasis is on physical expression, gesture, and non-verbal communication.
• Key practitioners: Frantic Assembly, Complicité.

Epic Theatre and Political Theatre

Epic Theatre (Bertolt Brecht):

• Aims to provoke critical thinking rather than emotional involvement.
• Often includes direct address, breaking the "fourth wall," and visible staging techniques to remind the audience they are watching a performance.
• Characters are portrayed as types, not deeply individualised, to encourage the audience to reflect on the social and political messages rather than become emotionally attached to the characters.
• Verfremdungseffekt (Alienation Effect) – A technique to prevent the audience from becoming too emotionally immersed, keeping them engaged intellectually.

Political Theatre:

• Aims to comment on or influence political or social issues.
• Often explores themes like inequality, injustice, or power structures.
• Can overlap with Epic Theatre, using similar techniques to provoke thought and inspire action.
• Example: Theatre of the Oppressed by Augusto Boal, encouraging audience participation in addressing societal issues.

Comedy and Tragedy

Comedy:

A genre focused on humour, often involving misunderstandings, mistaken identities, or exaggerated situations.

Aims to entertain and often ends on a positive or happy note.

Characters are typically larger than life, and situations may be exaggerated or absurd.

Slapstick – A form of physical comedy that involves exaggerated movements, pratfalls, and accidents.

Tragedy:

Centres on serious, often dark themes like fate, loss, and moral dilemmas.

The protagonist usually experiences a downfall due to a flaw or external force, resulting in suffering or death.

Famous tragic playwrights include William Shakespeare (e.g., Macbeth, Hamlet) and Sophocles (e.g., Oedipus Rex).

Tragedy aims to provoke catharsis—emotional purging or relief through experiencing the suffering of the characters.

Melodrama and Commedia dell'Arte

Melodrama:

A genre that is highly exaggerated, with clearly defined heroes and villains.

Often features dramatic situations, heightened emotions, and clear moral lessons.

Character types are stereotypical, such as the innocent victim, the evil villain, and the noble hero.

The focus is on spectacle, with music and dramatic tension used to manipulate the audience's emotions.

Commedia dell’Arte:

An improvisational form of theatre that originated in Italy in the 16th century.

Features stock characters (e.g., Harlequin, Pantalone, Columbina) who represent specific archetypes or social types.

Known for its physical comedy, masked characters, and improvisation.

Often performed in open-air venues and was highly interactive with the audience, making it dynamic and lively.

Emphasised exaggerated physicality, acrobatics, and witty dialogue.