Augusto Boal (1931–2009) was not only a theatre practitioner but a cultural activist, revolutionary thinker, and political exile from his native Brazil. His influential Forum Theatre is known as a tool of theatrical debate, offering an opportunity for audience members to express their own opinions on, and provide alternative solutions to, the onstage conflict.
Roles in Forum Theatre
- The Spect-actors – A role incorporating both the responsibilities of a spectator and an actor. An unresolved conflict or injustice is presented onstage (the problem ‘as it is’) and the Spect-actors interrupt the action to express their ideas for resolution onstage (the solution to the problem ‘as it could be’).
- The Joker – the neutral facilitator who guides the process and asks the Spect-actors open, probing questions to facilitate the discussion. In a classroom, it would normally be the teacher in the role of the Joker when you first introduce Forum Theatre.
- The Protagonist – the character in the drama who is being oppressed. The person playing the Protagonist may be ‘replaced’ by the Spect-actors, thereby offering the character new ways of overcoming the situation.
- The Antagonist – the character who is the drama's oppressive force. The character may represent a single person, a collective, or even be metaphorical. The role should not be replaced, for this would falsely imply that the problem will magically change of its own accord.
- Bystanders – other characters in the scene who may support or hinder the Protagonist in some way. They too may be played by any of the Spect-actors in order to confront the oppression.
Devising Forum Theatre
You can use any of your favourite devising techniques with the class to create a Forum Theatre scene, though you do need to follow some basic rules:
- When devising a play for Forum Theatre, you are looking to create an ‘anti-model’ (literally the opposite of an ideal situation) that portrays an unresolved and oppressive conflict or injustice – however, remind students that the aim of the technique is to provoke discussion and not to provide moralising advice.
- It doesn't matter what the conflict or injustice is, so long as you can identify oppression of one form or another. Having said that, ensure that there is a certain degree of emotional distance between your students and the story line because, unless Spect-actors are sufficiently prepared for it, it can feel invasive having others intervene in their own life narratives.
- Often students are tempted to prioritise speech above other dramatic forms in Forum Theatre. This is not, however, necessary – visual and/or metaphorical representations are very effective (think of Boal's Image Theatre, for instance).
Joker-ing Forum Theatre
To begin, introduce the context of the play to the assembled Spect-actors (setting, characters, themes and so on). Describe briefly how the Forum works so they are watching the performance critically.
After the play has been performed once through (with the conflict or injustice still unresolved), provoke the Spect-actors into debate by asking questions about the action (for example, ‘how do you feel towards the Protagonist?’).
Explain that when the performance is shown a second time the Spect-actors can shout ‘Stop!’ when they think of a way in which the Protagonist, a Bystander, or a new character could contribute to the resolution of the injustice. When they have an idea, ask them which character they want to become, and at which point they want the play to restart. Joining the stage, they will improvise how the scene may play out given their new idea.
The job of the Antagonist broadly follows the ‘Yes, but…’ principle – they acknowledge each intervention (‘Yes’) but find a way in which it still doesn't solve the problem (‘but’). It's important, however, that the actor playing the Antagonist is reasonable enough to accept defeat when they can't think of any legitimate rebuttal.
Beware also of ‘magical’ interventions – ideas that are overly idealistic in making the conflict disappear. Take some time out if you think these may have arisen, asking the class whether what has been proposed is indeed a realistic solution.
Once a Spect-actor has finished offering their idea, open the floor to group discussion, asking questions like ‘was that an effective solution?’ before asking for further volunteers to show their ideas onstage. Keep inviting contributions until most ideas have been covered before reflecting on the whole process. Here you can introduce discussions about whether students recognised any aspect of their lives in the play or the proposed solutions.
Applied Theatre
Boal's practice offers a perfect starting point for students to explore the application of theatre techniques to various social contexts and problems within society. Think about how it could be used with trainee doctors, in prisons, or with advocacy groups. In this way, Forum Theatre can offer students an enlightening introduction to applied theatre and drama in the community – which may be of particular relevance to older pupils considering a career in the arts.