Hot Topic: Artaud Part 2 // Theatre of Cruelty techniques, strategies and examples

In this Theatre Beard video we further examine Artaud and techniques used in the Theatre of Cruelty genre. There are video examples, and some tips on how to use similar approaches in your own work if you were creating a performance in this style.
Feel free to watch the whole thing, or use the time stamps to jump to different sections of the video
1:13 - Let’s begin
1:25 - Artaud’s goal
1:57 - Visual performance language
3:17 - Dream World: scenery, props, costume
3:42 - Tableaux
4:17 - Masks and puppets
5:03 - Example of oversized props
7:15 - Ritual and ceremony
7:30 - Example of ritualistic music and its effect
11:00 - Theatre and The Plague
11:42 - Narrative (or lack of)
12:10 - Little Red Riding Hood exercise
13:58 - A word of warning
14:57 - Juxtaposition
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I do not own the copyright to the clips shown in this video, I'm of the understanding that they fall under fair use for educational purposes.
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[@jelenakalashnikova]

Artaud was my favourite during performance studies. Its nice what ur doing. Tnx.

[@wwarioman]

Thanks a lot! I'm reminded of the movie The Square where there is an actor who does his best to become an ape, useing prostethics to move like an ape, grunting, jumping around, bothering and challangeing the audience, who try their best to apprieciate the performance while having dinner. Eventually they get dragged in emotionally on almost a primitive level and sort of embrace their animal nature. I tought it was brilliant and it really works as a sort of theatre of cruelty type thing. Anyway, thanks, enjoyed the video!

[@shadowbody]

As a butoh artist, I feel butoh was Artaud's theatre made to ferment and develop more.

[@TheJoker137]

I took a choreo class as a directing student in college and I was the only non dancer there. We had a project to research a dance form from around the world and I watched hours of Butoh performance. I feel like it's so primordial that it can tell stories that are unfettered by cultural norms. Never made the Theatre of Cruelty connection but you are totally right!

[@shadowbody]

Tatsumi Hijikata heavily admired Artaud. He even did his own version of Artaud's crazy sound performance To Have Done With The Judgment of God. He did somehow get ahold of it and played it in his class often. @@TheJoker137

[@alexishallaert9424]

Thank you, very informative, inspiring, useful

[@bluebellbeatnik4945]

never seen The Science of Sleep so thank you.

[@mormie]

Amazing :) thank you !

[@TheatreBeard]

You’re so welcome! Apologies that this is a bit of a long one! 😂

[@bobbysofa1]

Well done 👍🏻

[@honorpatterson5390]

This is so great!!! thank you so much!! :)))

[@jbenton4412]

Working on tactics to tackle the comedy in Phaedra's Love by Sarah Kane for school, these videos helped point out some directions for me to go in! Thank you

[@bluebellbeatnik4945]

and Portrait of a Lady on Fire. I make music so I appreciate this.