Guide me without touching my hand : reflections on the dramaturgical development of the devised-theatre show ‘One by one'

Abstract

This essay is a reflection on some aspects of dramaturgy observed during the creation and development of One by One, a silent tragicomedy designed by the Auckland company, LAB Theatre, in 2011 and restaged in 2013. The emphasis of the essay is on pedagogical aspects at the core of the company’s work, as they inform the creative process and lead to the blending of the actor’s function into that of the dramaturg. The following discussion makes apparent the fact that this process of hybridisation, made possible by implementing features of devised theatre, emancipates the actor and brings improvisation to a better use. The play was based on the notion that theatrical action must be ‘suggestive’ rather than ‘descriptive.’ This idea originated in the works of Konstantin Stanislavski (1988) and Jacques Copeau (2000) and was developed by more recent theorists of dramaturgy into a practical framework for theatrical performance in general. The success of One by One depended very much on the implementation of these principles. The achievement was duly noted by reviewer Lexie Matheson (2011), who appreciated that One by One “exists on its own, doesn’t need explanation, doesn’t explain itself; it just unravels with delicacy and tenderness, like a good yarn should.”