Devising Theatre: The Process

Making a play from nothing

Devising is the art of making a brand new piece of theatre without a pre-written script. A group starts from a stimulus, a spark such as a photograph, a piece of music, a poem or an idea, and builds a performance of its own from there. Nobody hands them the words or the plot; they generate everything themselves by exploring ideas together, trying them out, keeping what works and dropping what does not. Along the way they record how the piece grew in a portfolio, which is assessed as part of Component 1. This module walks through the whole devising process, the techniques a group uses to find and shape material, and why the portfolio matters as much as the performance.

Devising words

Learn these five terms before you work through the process.

Match each devising technique to what it does

A script against a devised piece

Devised theatre is built differently from a scripted play. Know how they differ.

What do you do next?

Halfway through devising, your group realises that one scene is confusing an audience. What is the best response?

• Reshape and rehearse the scene until it is clear
• Keep it exactly as it is
• Abandon the whole piece
• Blame one member of the group

Write it all down as you go

In devising, the performance is only half of what is assessed. The other half is the portfolio, your ongoing record of how the piece was made. As you work you note where the ideas came from, the techniques you tried, the choices you made and why, and how the piece changed as you rehearsed. Do this as you go rather than from memory at the end, because the best evidence is the honest detail of decisions made in the moment. A strong portfolio shows your thinking, not just the finished result, and it is where you explain your intentions for the audience. Treat every rehearsal as something worth recording.

Pick the true facts about devising

Select every statement about devising that is true.

• Devised theatre is created by the group rather than from a pre-written script
• A stimulus is a starting point that sparks ideas
• The process should be recorded in a portfolio
• Devising means copying an existing play word for word
• Only one person is allowed to contribute ideas

Order the devising process

Put the stages of devising a piece of theatre in a sensible order.

• Respond to a stimulus
• Explore and research ideas
• Improvise and generate material
• Structure and rehearse the piece
• Perform and then evaluate

Complete the devising facts

Creating original theatre from a starting point rather than a script is called _____. The starting point that sparks the ideas is the _____. Making up action on the spot to find ideas is _____. The written record of how the piece was made is the _____.

A band writing a new song

Think of a band shut in a room to write a brand new song. Nobody hands them any sheet music. Someone hums a line, another adds a beat, they try it out, most of it is thrown away, and slowly a shape emerges that none of them could have written alone. They keep a rough recording of every session so they can remember the good moments later. Making a piece of theatre from scratch works in the very same way: a group starts from a spark, plays with ideas together, keeps what works, drops what does not, and notes down the journey so it can be shown later. The finished piece belongs to everyone who helped build it, and the record of how it grew is worth as much as the song itself.

Tap the devising techniques

Tap every item below that is a drama technique used in devising.

• improvisation
• hot-seating
• a still image
• buying the tickets

The devising run

Answer each one correctly to keep your lives. Choose the best answer.

Make the devising decision

Read each situation and choose the best move for the group.

• Your group has lots of ideas but no clear shape. What should you do next?
• One member is doing all the talking while the others stay silent. What is the best move?
• A scene works well but does not fit your intended message. What should you do?

Build a devising point

Choose the word for each gap to complete one accurate point about devising.

Explain how theatre is devised

A friend has to devise a piece of theatre with a group and does not know how it works. Explain the devising process to them clearly.

• Explain what devising is and how it differs from scripted theatre
• Explain what a stimulus is and give an example
• Explain how a group generates ideas, using techniques such as improvisation
• Explain how the piece is structured and rehearsed
• Explain what goes in the portfolio and why it matters