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THEATRICAL CONVENTIONS AND PERFORMANCE STYLES
Performance Styles
The way in which the plot is conveyed in a performance, sometimes to a particular philosophy of
performance, or to an historic period.
Theatrical Conventions
Things done on stage by the actors, that contribute to an overall performance style
Theatrical
Definition
Related performance style
convention
Burle
Comic banter or verbal game playing; ‘spin’
Commedia dell’ Arte, standup comedy, clowning
Burlesque
Any ludicrous take-off or debasing caricature,
Greek &, Roman Comedy,
To burlesque …(a person) to create a mocking cabaret, farce, satire,
Caricature
representation
Absurd Theatre
Exaggeration of character that is often
Melodrama, Roman Comedy,
ludicrous or grotesque, using voice, gesture
Commedia dell’Arte, Story-
and movement
telling, cartoons, Asian
styles,
Character
The actor plays more than one role, shifting Story-telling, Documentary
transformation
from one to another without going off stage. Theatre, Realism.
Transformation is made using expressive skills,
characterisation, use of props and costume.
Psycho/social
Actor portrays an in-depth psychologically
Naturalism & Realism
characterisation rounded character
Chorus
Use of a group in performance, to comment
Greek Drama, Medieval
on the plot or action of a play, usually using
Drama, Epic Theatre,
heightened use of language, direct address,
stylized and choreographed movement and
tableau.
Continuous
Dramatic structure follows a continuous time
time sequence
pattern, possibly using real time
Disjointed time
Dramatic structure that does not unfold
Naturalism, Realism
Story-telling, Epic Theatre,
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sequence
chronologically. Past, present and future
modern Realism
events are performed in a non-sequential
order.
Direct address
The actor speaks directly to the audience,
Stand-up comedy,
either as their character or as the actor
Epic Theatre (Brecht),
stepping out of character.
circus, Realism, Greek
Theatre
Dramatic
metaphor
Heightened symbolic use of word, object or
gesture beyond the literal meaning.
Greek theatre, physical
theatre, Symbolist Theatre,
Total Theatre, Epic.
Audience
The audience is constructed by the actor as a
Elizabethan Theatre, Greek
Endowment
particular group of people, usually through
Theatre, Epic Theatre,
direct address. E.g. audience as citizens of
story-telling, Stand-up
Vienna in Measure for Measure
comedy, cabaret, clowning,
realism
Documentary
Use of reported or researched fact to convey
Cabaret, Epic Theatre,
a particular set of views or ideas.
Realism.
Exaggerated
Action that is deliberately overstated for a
Clowning, Commedia Dell’
Movement
dramatic purpose, often for purposes of
Arte, Greek Theatre
ridicule.
Fourth Wall
Often called ‘slice of life’, a style dependent
Naturalism and Realism
on the life-like representation of every day
life. No manipulation of time or space.
Audience not recognized.
Heightened use
Poetic or exaggerated use of language.
Greek theatre, Epic Theatre
of language
Includes choice of words whose syntax,
various non-naturalistic
alliteration and rhyming patterns lead to
heightened delivery.
Heightened use
Ritualized, dance-like movement sequences
Physical Theatre, Greek
of movement
either individually or in a group, often using
Theatre, Medieval Theatre
repitition, symbolic gesture,
,Opera, Kabuki , Noh
Drama, Asian performance
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styles, realism.
Implied
Actor creates a sense of another person being
Monologues, realism,
character
present or addressed
Implied space
Actor creates a sense of a particular
Monologues, Realism,
environment through voice and action
Elizabethan Theatre, Storytelling, Epic theatre, NonNaturalistic styles
Lazzo/ Lazzi
A short comic routine based in a single
Commedia Dell’ Arte, other
(pl.)
ludicrous idea, often using sight gags, or
comedy.
slapstick.
Lyrical
Use of verse, heightened song or movement,
Greek Drama, Musicals.
including the use of poetic imagery
Opera. Asian performance
styles, Elizabethan Theatre
Mask
Mime
Use of false noses, half masks, or full masks,
Clowning, Greek drama,
for purposes of caricature, stereo-type,
Commedia dell’ Arte, Noh
abstraction, or ready identification with
Drama, Kabuki, Other Asian
known characters.
performance styles
Unvoiced physical performance implying object
Realism and non-naturalistic
and space
Montage
Juxtaposition of dramatic images or vignettes
Story-telling, visual theatre,
often presented in rapid succession uses:
epic theatre, other non-
introduction of ideas summary of
naturalistic styles.
characters/events/actions.
Narration
Puppetry
Direct address where plot elements are
Story-telling, Epic Theatre,
conveyed
Stand-up, Realism
Use of objects or puppets as characters
Black Theatre, Visual
Theatre, Shadow Puppetry,
Bunraku, Object Theatre
Asian styles
Satire
Use of sarcasm, irony and ridicule in
Cabaret, stand-up comedy,
denouncing , exposing or deriding vice , folly
Farce, Clowning, Sit. Coms,
and abuse.
Slapstick
Comedy technique using physical humour,
often stage violence
Clowning, Cabaret
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Stillness and
Absence of sound or movement to enhance All styles
Silence
dramatic effect
Soliloquy
Monologue addressed to self to argue an Elizabethan Theatre,
issue. Usually has a thesis/antithesis
or especially Shakespeare
argument structure
Song
Use of song to break up or comment upon a Opera, Musicals, Epic
narrative or plot
Theatre, Music Hall,
Cabaret
Stereo-type
Characterisation that uses highly recognisable
Melodrama, Commedia Dell’
simplistic or cliched character elements for
Arte, Agit Prop., Sketch
dramatic purpose.
comedy. Cartoons, Cabaret
Transformation
The actor creates more than one place or
Story-telling
of Place
setting without the use of scenery. This may
be achieved using transformation of props or
through use of expressive skills.
Transformation
A prop is used to represent more than one
Story-telling and design
of object
object
styles which require
minimal set.
Use of symbol
Minimalist focus on objects to represent
ideas
Realism, & Non-naturalistic
styles, Ritual Theatre,