Kneehigh Theatre Company Its fun its physical its

Kneehigh Theatre Company It’s fun, it’s physical, its musical and it breaks the fourth wall That’s not a quote, its just me summing them up.

features- of their practice • Audience interaction • Physical Theatre • Adapting existing stories • Live music- Dance, Singing • A Playful approach • Inventive use of props • Archetype characters • Puppetry • Direct Address of the Audience (Narration) • Chorus/ ensemble • Cross gender casting • Multi-media • Multi- role playing • Representational costume

Lets watch them… • Small shows • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Do. CYIResws. A Hansel and Gretel • http: //www. kneehigh. co. uk/show/midnights-pumpkin. php Midnight’s Pumpkin • Big Shows (weeeeeel) • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Oi. M 3 wh. G 9 Oxs&safe=active Rebeca • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=DP 7 EVLyzhu. I&safe=active Brief Encounter

Adaptation of existing story • Groups- Alex, Kitty, Lilliy, Ella, Lewis, Joanne, Skye, Lauren, James, Jaime, Kirsty, Sheryce, Natasha

Adaptation of existing story • Pick an existing Fairy tale- But be fast about it… • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=x 6 gg. W 8 ei 0 y. U&safe=active

Audience interaction • Select a ‘generic archetype’ you can all portray Cleaner Doctor School pupil Pigs Hair dressers Fishermen Ushers Fairies These characters act as narrators- so it’s your default character that you multi-role.

Playful Approach • Improvise as your archetypal characters and tell each other the story of your fairytale. • But play around with it, add things that aren’t truemodernise it, change characters. Have some fun with it! • Now repeat this for an audience, talk over each other, talk directly to the audience- first with them, mock them… Basically have fun with it!

Multi-role/ representational costume • Now you have a basis for your piece! • Narrate the story again, but this time some of you become the characters in it. Get a piece of costume (hat, jacket scarf… they are easily located in the bomb site/ pig sty at the back of the room. • When you put on the costume (which can be in view of the audience or not, it is up to you) become the character physically (exaggerate an archetype- macho, feminine, stupid etc. ) – remember what they were like in the videos.

Physical Theatre/ creative use of props • Build the environment around the characters physically. • But don’t just use your bodies- use props to create the world and be creative with them… (you can create puppets or placards too)

Puppet and creative use of props • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Oi. M 3 wh. G 9 Oxs&safe=active Rebecca • http: //www. kneehigh. co. uk/page/watch. php#pretty. Photo[gallery]/3/ Old man with enormous wings • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=i. K 67 RSg. XY 0 U • 15. 30 • 20. 39 • 26. 00

Audience interaction • Add in a section to the play where you involve the audience, one or a few of them. • For instance in ‘The Wooden Frock’ a character has to find a finger to fit a ring to marry the king. They do this by grabbing people out of the audience and trying the ring on their finger. • Or in Brief Encounter where they were the ushers at the start of the play, seating people for the show.

Hansel and gretal • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Ue. Uj. SAi 7 Qc. Q