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SingaporeTheatre StudiesQuick questions
Elements of Performance
Quick questions on Lecoq and physical theatre explained: H2 Theatre Studies and Drama
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 is the body first?Show answer
Lecoq, a French teacher whose Paris school shaped much of modern physical and devised theatre, started from the conviction that theatre is made with the body. Before text and psychology, there is movement, gesture, rhythm and the actor's physical engagement with space and others. His pedagogy is not a fixed method to be reproduced but a training that equips actors and creators to generate theatre physically, which is why so many devising companies trace their work to him.
What is the neutral mask?Show answer
A foundational tool is the neutral mask: a balanced, expressionless full-face mask used in training (not performance). Because it removes facial expression and any fixed character, the wearer must express everything through the whole body, and its calm neutrality strips away personal habits and tension. It teaches economy, balance, presence and readiness, a clean physical starting state from which character, emotion and style can later be built. From neutrality, training moves on to expressive and character masks and to larger styles.
What is q1?Show answer
Explain the purpose of the neutral mask in Lecoq's training. [3 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
What do "play" and "complicite" mean in Lecoq's approach? [4 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
Why is Lecoq's theatre described as "body-led", and how does this affect the audience? [3 marks]
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