PHYSICAL THEATRE & CIRCUS WORKSHOP
Venue: Double Teaching Classroom, Drama Room, Studio, Theatre, Hall

Body. Balance. Breath. Story. A high-energy, hands-on exploration of physical storytelling and circus-inspired performance. This dynamic and experiential workshop seamlessly blends elements of theatre, clowning, and circus arts, offering students the opportunity to explore the expressive potential of the body across multiple theatrical styles — from Brecht and Shakespeare to Clowning, Physical Theatre, and Contemporary Devising.

Designed for Years 7–12, this workshop deepens understanding of ensemble performance, spatial awareness, and embodied storytelling — all through the joy of circus and the discipline of theatre.

Australian Curriculum Links

Target Years: 7–12
Workshop content supports outcomes in The Arts – Drama, Health & Physical Education, and General Capabilities.

The Arts – Drama

Years 7–10 | Strands:

• Developing Understanding and Practices
  ➤ Students explore and apply expressive skills, movement, and spatial awareness in dramatic performance.
  ➤ They interpret and devise theatre using physical storytelling, ensemble work, and non-verbal communication.
  (ACADRM043, ACADRM049)
• Responding and Interpreting
  ➤ Analyse and reflect on how physical movement conveys meaning, emotions, and relationships in performance.
  ➤ Evaluate the use of stillness, gesture, tempo, and complicité.
  (ACADRR046, ACADRR051)

Senior Secondary – Drama (Years 11–12):

• Application of non-naturalistic performance styles (Physical Theatre, Clowning, Ensemble Movement)
• Development of original devised theatre using physical stimuli, improvisation, and ensemble processes
• Understanding and applying symbolic gesture, contrast, rhythm, and spatial awareness in performance

Health and Physical Education

Years 7–10 | Strand: Personal, Social and Community Health

• Develop skills in teamwork, resilience, adaptability, and collaborative communication
  ➤ Foster emotional intelligence, trust, and mutual support through group physical work and partner balances
  ➤ Practice ethical decision-making and risk assessment in physical tasks
  (ACPPS074, ACPPS091, ACPPS094)

Senior Secondary – Personal Development / HPE:

• Explore the connection between physical expression and emotional wellbeing
• Investigate risk-taking, resilience, and personal boundaries through physical play and improvisation
• Build awareness of how the body can communicate thoughts, identity, and relationships

General Capabilities

Critical and Creative Thinking

• Experiment with physical and emotional stimuli to generate original material
• Reflect on how movement choices impact dramatic meaning
• Apply creative problem-solving in devising and balancing exercises

Ethical Understanding

• Navigate risk, trust, and interpersonal dynamics safely and respectfully
• Explore the emotional impact of physical storytelling and character embodiment

Personal and Social Capability

• Build initiative, empathy, confidence, and adaptability through ensemble exercises
• Strengthen complicité, collaboration, and self-awareness
• Develop resilience and regulation in response to creative challenge

Core Workshop Components & Experiences

• Physical Performance: Strengthen the body as a tool for storytelling through dynamic exercises and expressive movement
• Ensemble Building & Complicité: Trust, timing, and synchronicity in group performance
• Rapid Creation: Fast-paced devising tasks to explore spontaneity and physical improvisation
• Balance & Body Mechanics: Counterbalance, pyramids, group shapes, and spatial awareness
• Text & Movement Integration: Generate movement from language, and explore physical responses to text
• Dynamic Stillness: Learn to hold presence and emotion in the silence between movement
• Stimulus-Based Creation: Use physical and emotional prompts to devise layered character work
• Play & Risk: Safely explore boundaries, comedy, and vulnerability through physical play

 Style and Form

• Physical Theatre – movement-led, expressive storytelling
• Circus Arts – balance, counterweight, spatial awareness
• Clowning & Improvisation – impulse, audience awareness, physical comedy
• Ensemble Work – building group cohesion and creative trust
• Devised Theatre – generating performance from the body outwards

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this workshop, students will have:

• A deeper understanding of the body as an expressive tool in theatre
• Enhanced coordination, focus, and awareness of self and others
• Practical tools to create physical and ensemble-driven performances
• Experience in creative risk-taking, devising, and non-verbal storytelling
• Strengthened confidence, empathy, resilience, and creative discipline

Workshop Adaptability

This workshop is tailored to the group’s experience and goals — from drama extension groups to physical education and wellbeing programs. It is perfect for:

• Theatre students studying performance and devising
• Circus/acrobatics programs looking to integrate narrative and story
• HPE groups exploring teamwork and personal development
• Cross-disciplinary learning blocks (e.g., English/Drama/Wellbeing)

Devised by: Allie Wilde & Nick Cilento
Directed by: Clint Bolster