Devised Theater Notes

Devised theatre also called collaborative creation (particularly in the United States) is a form of theatre where the script originates not from a writer or writers, but from collaborative, usually improvisatory, work by a group of people. Similar to commedia dell'arte and street theatre such as busking. It is sometimes similar to improvisational theatre but by the time a devised piece presents itself to the public, it usually has a fixed form: the improvisation is confined to the creation process, and either a writer, a director, or the performers themselves, will have decided exactly what is to be included and the running sequence.


Method: 1. begin by focusing on form, and then extract thematic ideas and work with them retrospectively. 
2. A group of a more choreographic nature would be more likely to start with improvisation using space and/or contact improvisation.

Eric Grode on the TDF Theatre Dictionary website states that a devised process “typically begins with little more than a rehearsal space and a group of eager, committed theatre practitioners. 

John Walton--- “Devised theatre: ten tips for a truly creative collaboration.” He states that devised theatre is “a process in which the whole creative team develops a show collaboratively. From actors to technicians, everyone is involved in the creative process.”