NODE THEATRE - RHINO !
A physical Theatre piece inspired by Ionesco’s Rhinoceros.
Synopsis
This project seeks to merge classical Theatre and Tanztheater, allowing the emotional precision of spoken drama and the essential expressiveness of movement to form a new style of physical theatre. In this hybrid form, movement articulates what text leaves unsaid, while dialogue deepens the context of states and sensations that movement alone cannot fully convey.
Our ambition is to expand the versatility of theatre-making and enrich character portrayal, creating a meaningful and dynamic fusion of these two artistic languages.
Showcase scene
This is the final scene from our latest research workshop. It combines the physical solo work and weaves it together with extracts from the original Rhinocéros script and a modern adaptation. Our aim was to explore a piece‑within‑a‑piece structure and examine how spoken word and movement can intersect, complement, and expand one another.
Movement language
We first developed a short solo phrase using physical prompts drawn from a Tanztheater perspective (full practice shown here). We then connected all solo phrases into a free‑flowing group sequence:
Scenography
The final part of our initial research focuses on the style of scenography. We looked for subtle metaphors for threat and oppression and also wanted to reflect the difference between the forms of fascism—and their methods of indoctrination—at the time Ionesco wrote Rhinocéros and now. Here are some simple examples of what we explored:
One modern element we examined was how digital devices influence the physical environment and how their use can shape perceptions of control and patterns of social behaviour.
