Reviews

I’ve got a page to do it in, but actually, if you’re in a hurry, these DVD resources

can be reviewed in three words: they are brilliant. Suitable between them for Key Stages 3, 4 and 5, and beyond (some of the performance work on the Artaud DVDs would not be suitable for KS3), these are extremely thorough overviews of the lives, work and ideas of the two practitioners.

In each case, two DVDs are included: the � rst of which comprises a short documentary about the life of the practitioner in question, just the right length to show in an introductory lesson followed by discussion. The documentaries include footage from original performances and more recent work from the Grotowski Institute in Poland, and interviews with experts in the � eld, including teacher-practitioners, academics and biographers. These documentaries are sensibly divided into chapters, in some cases only a few minutes at a time, so that classes can watch and discuss them in sections.

In the case of the Grotowski DVDs, there are then three � lmed workshops: each divided again into chapters for ease of exploration. The practitioners leading the workshops are experts from the Grotowski Institute (elsewhere on the DVD, biographies of their working lives and proximity to the man himself are included), � lmed with students at Colston’s School in Bristol. Grotowski’s ideas are worked through practically, from warm-up through physical movement to voice work. It’s tremendously useful to see students in action with this work, and I can see how one might use it for one’s own inspiration at home, to take in and recreate in class, or to show as a teaching aid in sections before trying the exercises out with students.

Finally, extracts are shown from performances – both professional and student, including one A-level performance by the Colston’s School students which was awarded 100% by examiners. Further resources on the second DVD, if it is played on a computer, include a PowerPoint presentation outlining key moments in Grotowski’s life, and a document listing useful websites for further research. As someone with no experience of teaching Grotowski’s work, and little experience of it in performance, I would now feel con� dent in doing so (if called upon) with only this pair of DVDs to help me.

The pair of DVDs about Artaud follow a similar format: a documentary about his life dominates disc one, and is followed by two full-length performances by students which, again, were awarded 100% in the practical exam. These examples are extremely useful as a benchmark for what students might achieve. Disc two, unlike that in the Grotowski set, runs only on a computer and contains a resource bank of over 100 video clips from Artaud-inspired performances, organised very helpfully under headings by topic, or by performance. One can, therefore, search for examples of particular elements of his ideas and be directed immediately to a clip showing that idea in action. For example, choosing ‘Artaud by topic’ and then ‘Assault on the senses’ takes one to a page with 16 clips to choose from, ranging from over ten minutes to only 19 seconds, while six clips come under the heading ‘Working with set’. Interviews with experts also touch on these particular elements.

Finally, a PowerPoint presentation is included entitled ‘Performance Generator’ and is the equivalent to a set of � ashcards with instructions for Artaud’s ideas: ways of working towards a devised piece which has Artaud at its root. Some of these ideas are linked directly to performance clips on the DVD, so that one might � nd a page on the PowerPoint presentation that says ‘Try the effect of voices passing “like a � ock of birds”’ and then refer to the DVD clip of The Cenci (1935, full script, performed) to see this idea in practice.

I can’t recommend these DVDs enough: while some of the workshop � lming is slightly bumpy, or cuts have the effect of losing a couple of words from the beginning of the leaders’ sentences, this adds to the real, in-the-moment learning experience and detracts not at all from the content. Similarly, though both sets

return repeatedly to the work of the Grusomhetens Teater and the Grotowski Institute for their performance examples and experts, there is also input from UK-based professors, so my initial fear that the range of authorities referred to may not be broad enough, or that only one perspective might be offered on the work of these two drama theorists was unfounded, and the DVDs provide an academic as well as a practical approach to the work.

Pumpkin Interactive – Grotowski: A Practical Guide; Antonin Artaud: Practical Approaches to a Theatre of CrueltySarah Lambie

A comprehensive and expert guide to teaching the work of practitioners.

DVD

Grotowski: A Practical Guide is suitable for KS3–5, with 135 minutes of material; Antonin Artaud: Practical Approaches to a Theatre of Cruelty is suitable for KS4–5, with 120+ minutes of material. Both DVDs are available to purchase for £75 each; www.pumpkin-interactive.co.uk.

Sarah Lambie is the editor of Teaching Drama. Having studied English at Cambridge University and acting at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, she is also a working actress, tutor and drama workshop leader.

Teaching Drama · Autumn term 1 · 2015/16 53www.teaching-drama.co.uk

TDAU1-1516_053 DVDrevs 2.indd 53 17/08/2015 18:07:26