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Transcript

Verbatim Theatre

INTRODUCTION

WELCOME

Miss Tiller

WELCOME

Lesson objectives -

  • All will have developed their understanding of what verbatim theatre is
  • Most will be able to demonstrate their understanding of 'verbatim theatre' successfully in a practical way.
  • Some will have an understanding of how to use 'verbatim theatre' in their devising process and the impact it has on the performance / audience

STARTER

In pairs, label yourselves A & B.

A's- you now have 30 seconds to tell B about how your day has been so far, what you had for breakfast, your favourite lesson etc.

B's - Watch and listen carefully!

starter

B -Your aim is to recreate A's story, using as many mannerisms and exact words as you can!

Based on that short exercise, can anyone take an educated guess at what they think 'verbatim theatre' may be?

Main

Definition

Verbatim theatre is a form of documented theatre in which plays are constructed from the real words spoken by people about a particular event or topic.

VERBATIM THEATRE

definition

In its strictest form, verbatim theatre-makers use real people’s words exclusively, and take this testimony from recorded interviews.

However, the form is more malleable than this, and writers have frequently combined interview material, or specific quotations with devised scenes, or used reported and remembered speech about an event, rather than recorded testimony.

Whilst watching this short clip:

  • look carefully at his body language, gestures, speech patterns, extra words or fillers etc.
  • Use the outline provided to record your ideas and what you notice outside of the figure

We are now going to watch the clip again, this time write down any key quotations or phrases from his speech inside of the outline.

lots of rhetorical questions

We are now going to watch the clip again, this time write down any key quotations or phrases from his speech inside of the outline.

Go home, please.

Main task - in groups

Challenge: try to use one (or more!) of these other techniques within your piece: thought tracking, freeze frames, narration, addressing the audience.

  • Use the outlines and notes you have taken from the video as stimulus to start devising your own piece of drama.
  • You will also have copies of newspapers published at the time.
  • You can use verbatim as much, or as little, as you would like in this piece. You are just using it as stimulus to create a devised performance.
  • You should aim for your piece to be around 60 seconds long.

Think - Pair - Share

Why is verbatim theatre is used?

Verbatim Theatre gives voice to people who would not normally have a platform. It 'offers a voice to the voiceless' Robin Belfield. 2018.

“Verbatim theatre offers an audience a truth and authenticity that even the most well crafted and researched plays can't,” Robin Belfield, 2018.

Do audiences react differently knowing that the stories being told are to the letter?

“Yes, very much so. That made them more funny, more extreme, more painful and brutal, because ultimately they were true.' Peter Darney. 2015.

Think - Pair - Share

How do you think you can use verbatim theatre in your devising process?

The process creates dialogue in a way that most playwrights have to manufacture otherwise. The subjects speak naturally, so their dialogue includes all the ums, pauses, slang, regionalisms, dialects, repeated words, and other speech mannerisms that happen in natural speech

It is also a tool to study the physicality of a specific person or group of people. How do you imitate the gestures, physical stance, and expressions of someone else?

Verbatim Theatre is a great way for you to work on creating a physical character and to hear/analyse natural dialogue for your devised pieces.

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