INSTANT THEATRE
“Imagine an audience fresh-gathered for a performance, seated in the round. It may assume it has come to witness a play put on by three actors. But the actors have no more idea what the outcome will be than the audience has. The audience is to be the playwright.”
from The World of Instant Theatre by R G Gregory
This provocative form of participatory theatre is ideal for the classroom. Instant Theatre offers teachers and students a challenging and engaging platform to explore social issues.
Beginning with nothing more than an idea and using an open ended questioning technique, our facilitators work with an audience to create their own story, without interference. Everything is accepted and no idea is rejected as our facilitators work to create a unique story particular to your group. The story then comes to life! We do not use props, costumes or lighting. Our facilitators along side volunteers from the audience create the characters, set and sound effects.
In a safe and entertaining environment Instant Theatre allows a group total creative freedom while handing them the responsibility for presenting their own story. This method has proved an extremely useful tool for discussing issues such as bullying, drugs, sexuality and prejudice. Instant Theatre is also an excellent tool for developing a story that is unique to your school, into a rehearsed dramatic play.
Leading the Voice Arts Instant Theatre Team is Peter Graham. Peter trained with the creator of Instant Theatre, R.G Gregory, and his company “Word and Action.” Instant Theatre is practiced throughout the U.K. and Europe. In New Zealand it is unique to Voice Arts.
Our Requirements:
- Instant Theatre requires a minimum group size of 12 with a maximum of 100.
- Instant Theatre works with ages 7 years plus.
- We can work within an averaged sized classroom, as long as the chairs and tables can be moved to create a “theatre in the round.”
Our Costs:
- Our base fee is $200 per 1 hour session, with a $2 cost per participant.