Physical Theatres: A Critical Introduction »

Simon Murray is a performer, director and academic. He is currently Director of Theatre at Dartington College of Arts, and author of Jacques Lecoq (2003).

John Keefe is a senior lecturer at London Metropolitan University Undergraduate Centre, and a lecturer and visiting fellow at Queen's University International Study Centre (Canada), specialising in performance—theatre—film studies. He is also a freelance director and performance dramaturg.

Physical Theatres: A Critical Introduction is the first account to provide a comprehensive overview of non text-based theatre, from experimental dance to traditional mime. This book synthesizes the history, theory and practice of physical theatres for students and performers, in what is both a core area of study and a dynamic and innovative aspect of theatrical practice.

This comprehensive book:

• traces the roots of physical performance in classical and popular theatrical traditions


• looks at the Dance Theatre of DV8, Pina Bausch, Liz Aggiss and Jérôme Bel


• examines the contemporary practice of companies such as Théatre du Soleil, Complicité and Goat Island


• focuses on principles and practices in actor training, with reference to figures such as Jacques Lecoq, Lev Dodin, Philippe Gaulier, Monika Pagneux, Etienne Decroux, Anne Bogart and Joan Littlewood.

Physical Theatres: A Critical Introduction can be used as a standalone text, or together with its companion volume, Physical Theatres: A Critical Reader, to provide an invaluable introduction to the physical in theatre and performance.

1. Physical Theatres: Genesis, Terminology and Realisation 2. Roots or Routes: The Technical Traditions of Contemporary Physical Theatres? 3. Contemporary Practices 4. Physical Theatres and Regimes of Training and Preparation 5. Physicality in Text-Based Theatre 6. Cross-Cultural and Global Bodies 7. Conclusion