From the Greek chorus to commedia dell’arte to Japanese Noh, movement has been a key element of storytelling since the earliest days of theater. Often incorporating elements of music, dance, and fine art, physical theater is a diverse genre that blends traditional and experimental techniques. Here are 11 companies from around the world that produce innovative physical theater.
Double Edge Theatre (Ashfield, MA)
Established in Boston by Stacy Klein and Carroll Durand, the Double Edge Theatre’s mission is to “pursue authenticity, interaction, [and] identity with whomever is seeking creative, emotional, spiritual, and political clarity” by creating art that is “grounded in a rigorous ensemble aesthetic unfolded in dream, imagery, metaphor, mystery, and symbolism.” Now based out of a dairy farm in Ashfield, Double Edge puts on theatrical performances and multimedia experiences, as well as offering training and workshops.
Frantic Assembly (London)
Movement, music, design, and language come together in the work of this vibrant London-based theater company. The company places equal emphasis on text and physicality, shedding light on new works and classics alike, from “Othello” to Sally Abbott’s “I Think We Are Alone,” opening up traditional narratives by using innovative visuals. The troupe was also responsible for the movement direction of Mark Haddon’s Tony- and Olivier-winning “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.”
Motionhouse (Leamington Spa, Warwick, U.K.)
This dance-circus collective was founded in 1988 by Louise Richards and Kevin Finnan with an aim to “create powerful visual performances that marry the expressive potential of the human body with the transformative power of audio-visual digital technologies.” Motionhouse’s performance history includes “Nobody,” a seven-character show that combines “raw physical strength, gravity-defying choreography, and daring action”; and “Charge,” a daring spectacle that melds dance and electricity.
Not Man Apart (Los Angeles)
Founded in 2004, this physical theater ensemble aims to “move, innovate, and inspire.” Not Man Apart blends dance and spoken word to create compelling theatrical events. Its production of Ellen McLaughlin’s “Ajax in Iraq” filtered an ancient Greek myth through a modern lens, telling the story of the first female military combatants in U.S. history through haunting physicality.
Out of Balanz (Copenhagen)
This Danish troupe emphasizes collaboration above all else, creating ensemble-based multidisciplinary works with community integration in mind. Previous productions include 2007’s “Georgette Va au Supermarche,” which tracks a woman’s absurd journey through a supermarket; and 2013’s “Next Door,” a profound exploration of connection in the aftermath of an unexpected death.
PUSH Physical Theatre (Rochester, NY)
This award-winning company draws from real-life events and actors’ personal experiences to create devised pieces that blend several forms of expression. The company has over a dozen works in its incredible repertoire, including “Red Ball” (2013), a collaboration with the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and the Rochester Institute of Technology; and “Parenthood” (1996), an autobiographical reflection on the chaos and hilarity of family life.
Spymonkey (Brighton, U.K.)
Founded in 1998 by Toby Park, Petra Massey, Aitor Basauri, and Stephan Kreiss, Spymonkey is renowned for its physical comedy. The company describes its 2023 production “Hairy” as “comedy-meets-rock-band-meets-punk-clown-mayhem” and a “playful and frankly laughable exploration of that most versatile and significant feature of human anatomy.”
Synetic Theater (Arlington, VA)
Paata and Irina Tsikurishvili left their home country of Georgia in the 1990s and landed in Virginia, where they founded Synetic, a company that fuses American and Georgian storytelling styles. The company uses stunning physicality to perform classical texts with and without words. Synetic has won dozens of Helen Hayes Awards over the course of its existence.
Theater Grottesco (Santa Fe)
Founded in Paris in 1983, this company produces highly physical pieces in the tradition of legendary movement coach Jaques Lecoq; the troupe relocated to Santa Fe in 1996. Grottesco employs classical and contemporary techniques—including buffoon, mask, and ensemble work—to create visually stunning, surprising performances. Workshops in neutral mask, commedia, and clowning train actors in the company’s imaginative style.
Theatre de l’Ange Fou (London, U.K., and Spring Green, WI)
In 1984, Steven Wasson and Corinne Soum established this company in Paris in conjunction with the School of Corporeal Mime. The two trained under Étienne Decroux, often called the father of modern mime. The company blends mime, music, and spoken text to explore “impressions of the mind, the absurdity of life, and the resulting questions,” and has been touring the world since its inception. L’Ange Fou relocated to London in 1995 and recently established a satellite program at the former Wyoming Valley Church in Spring Green, Wisconsin.
Zen Zen Zo (Brisbane)
This Australian troupe creates compelling work that combines ancient Asian dance-theater with pop-culture influences and the avant-garde movement styles. Its productions range from “radical reinterpretations of the classics to innovative self-devised works, many of which have been showcased at national and international festivals,” according to the company’s website.
