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Practitioners and theatre companies
Quick questions on Artaud and the Theatre of Cruelty - OCR A-Level Drama and Theatre practitioners
5short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What are assaulting the senses?Show answer
The Theatre of Cruelty works through intense sensory states: blinding or coloured light and sudden blackout, loud, dissonant or unsettling sound, heightened physicality, smell and texture. These act directly on the audience's nervous system, creating sensation before interpretation.
What is breaking the audience-stage barrier?Show answer
Artaud wanted to abolish the separation between audience and performance, surrounding, immersing or confronting the audience so they cannot watch from a safe distance. The audience is placed inside the experience, not in front of it.
What is q1?Show answer
What does "cruelty" mean in Artaud's Theatre of Cruelty? [2 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
Name three ways Artaud's theatre communicates without relying on dialogue. [3 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
As a director, explain how you would apply Artaud's ideas to create a sensory, overwhelming experience in a devised extract. [10 marks]
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