Practitioner focus: Complicité

Highly regarded British theatrical company, Complicité was founded in 1983 by artistic director, Simon McBurney, Annabel Arden, Fiona Gordon and Marcello Magni. The Independent newspaper has described them as ‘the most imaginative theatre to be found anywhere.’

Director Peter Brook said, ‘The English theatre has a fine and honourable tradition. Simon McBurney and Complicité are not part of this; they have created their own tradition, and this is why they are so special, so valuable.’

Influences

The ideas of legendary mime and physical theatre guru Jacques Lecoq, with his 7 levels of tension theory, are still integral to Complicité's creative make up. They have always found his idea that ‘everything moves, develops and progresses, rebounds and resonates’ particularly inspiring.

Key Features of Complicité's theatre:

• story telling
• intertwining stories
• multi-media
• physical theatre
• puppets, masks
• a text, play, poem, song, character, historical moment, a truth, a painting
• collaboration with other artists
• mime, slow motion
• montage
• direct address
• voiceovers
• visually rich stage language
• tightly choreographed work
• experimental lighting, sound, video
• the stage isn't the only place – site specific, art installations and radio have all been used.

Themes

Since changing their name from Theatre de Complicité, the company's range and depth has grown considerably, becoming increasingly eclectic. As a company, they are all about ‘collective enquiry and collaborative curiosity’: this is what drives their work ethic.

Original, imaginative, innovative, ground-breaking and challenging theatre – often with a message; always packing a punch – is their principle hallmark which is why they're a popular exam study practitioner for both directorial and devising purposes.

Exercise 1: Think/question everything

In pairs, create a rapid-fire discussion where you question the purpose, uses, motivation, agenda, success, aims and problems of these everyday things: a bath, war and peace, cabbage, the National Anthem, loud music, an architect's assistant, the off-side rule and Google. Complicité might undertake this type of exercise to inspire ideas and support research.

Exercise 2a: No straight lines

In pairs, link the following random things into a three-minute scene playing either an old couple or a human with AI: a funeral, a garden in bloom, Los Angeles, a broken window, a Ford Capri, a sinkhole in the high street, another funeral.

Exercise 2b: Clowning around

All the class are individual clowns in some bizarre show, against a soundtrack of ticking/chiming clocks. Choose five random objects from a room full of artefacts, props, garments, crockery, medals, glasses, wigs, books, notes, music and a wheelbarrow. Devise a scene using the chosen objects that explore good and bad childhood memories in a foreign country. This can be used as a warm up before a production.

Exercise 2c: Just you

Repeat this exercise but in a bare, empty space, with no props, furniture or stimulus, to create the opening of the same story. If furniture is needed, students can use their bodies. In Complicité's work, movement is the lifeblood, never an add-on. Nothing is off-limits while devising, except company members ‘not turning up.’

Exercise 3a: Adapt a Complicité show

Visit the Complicité website and look at any one of their previous productions. Using the still images on the page or plot summaries, devise an imaginary three-minute moment.

Exercise 3b: Collaborative directing

Allow opportunities for collaboration in the directorial process, for example allow different performers the opportunity to direct and self-direct. This will allow the piece to go in an interesting direction from the very beginning.

Exercise 4: In the style of Complicité

In small groups, approach a short extract from a play and experiment with bringing it alive in any space for an audience. Perhaps a scene from Macbeth, One Man Two Guvnors, The Importance of Being Earnest or a short moment from a play by Pinter, David Hare, Arthur Miller, Chekhov or Lorca.

www.complicite.org