Devised Theatre

24 October 2019
By American Theatre Wing

If a single word could sum up the free-wheeling flavour of alternative music and comedy in Aotearoa during the 1970s, that word would surely be ... Blerta. The 'Bruno Lawrence Electric Revelation and Travelling Apparition' included foundation members of the NZ screen industry (Lawrence, Geoff Murphy, Alun Bollinger) plus other merry pranksters. Drawing on the Blerta TV series and beyond, Blerta Revisited (aka Blerta - The Return Trip) is an anarchic collection of comedy skits, musical interludes and films culled from the Blerta archives.

"It's like making theater from nothing." Witness a devised theater production come to life, as students collaborate to create a script and build a set for a unique performance in a nontraditional location.

Whitman College's first Devised Theatre course spent fall semester 2018 creating "Because You Are Here," an avant-garde performance based on interviews with first-generation and immigrant residents of the Walla Walla Valley

Discover more about the art of devising theatre with director Sally Cookson and the cast of Jane Eyre. This bold and dynamic production was devised from the original novel by the company.

On February 24th, the Malden High School Play Production put on "All The King's Actors", an original play, in the Jenkins Auditorium. Filmed and edited by Ryan Huynh and Stacey Wong.

Toby Park of theatre company Spymonkey leads this improvisation masterclass, exploring ways to uncover comedy through the process of devising.

From the University of Regina Devised Theatre program

Heymien Production

Group members: Stanley Kwan Zhi Fung, Danim Huang Chyi Wei, Cruise Tan Yi Yong, Isabelle Wong Wei Yan, Soh Li Jin, James Tsen Teng Lit and Cheah King Tjun

A devised drama performance written by Florence Noon, Rose Kimbell, Felix Fuller Kerley, Ianna Gordon, Lauren Glasby, Elizabeth Hughes, about five woman facing time in Locksmith Prison each being accused of a murder that has taken place in the prison. The play goes on to show their interrogation by the mean, sexist prison officer and stories of why they were in prison in the first place. Who killed Lola Brown?

The Broke Thespians’ latest production is an example of Devised Theatre - find out what that means, as we discuss how the experience of rehearsing this type of show differs from traditional narrative.

Temi sits down with Ben Buratta, Emily Joh Miller & Yasmin Zadeh from Outbox Theatre. Making theatre queerly, Outbox collaborate with LGBT+ performers, artists and communities to tell stories in bold and exciting ways.
In this episode, Outbox reveal their journey in the rehearsal room and where they get their inspiration when devising. This is an candid and insightful conversation that that goes from personal experiences to refining structure.
Founded in 2010, past productions have included ‘And The Rest of Me Floats’ at the Bush Theatre, to their upcoming production, ‘GOOVE’.

Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure has long had a reputation as a “problem play.” Structurally, it’s a comedy, but because its plot goes to some dark places, some of its characters’ actions are utterly repugnant, and its thematic concerns are so serious, its ostensibly happy ending doesn’t leave audiences feeling satisfied.

Rather than shy away from Measure for Measure and its uncomfortable elements, Dr. Nora Williams is using them to further discussions about sexual consent, rape culture, and power. Her devised theatre project, Measure (Still) for Measure, invites participants to revise the original play in order to focus on these themes. She joined us to talk about the play and how she’s using the devising process to find ways to make it speak to our present-day concerns.