Therapeutic Theatre

Overview

Therapeutic theatre encompasses a set of practices that use theatrical forms — staging, improvisation, forum theatre, performance — for psychological healing and social transformation. Unlike dramatherapy, which sits within a classical psychotherapeutic framework, therapeutic theatre draws more from community, participatory, and political theatre traditions to create spaces of collective liberation.

This approach rests on the idea that individual suffering is often rooted in oppressive social structures and that transformation requires collective action as much as personal introspection. The passive spectator becomes a "spect-actor" — Augusto Boal's term — capable of intervening in dramatic action to explore alternatives and reclaim power over their life.

Augusto Boal's Forum Theatre

Forum Theatre is the best-known form of the Theatre of the Oppressed, created by Brazilian playwright Augusto Boal (1931-2009). A troupe performs a short scene depicting an oppression situation — workplace harassment, discrimination, domestic violence, social exclusion — ending in failure. The scene is then replayed and spectators are invited to shout "Stop!", take the stage, and replace the oppressed character to try a different strategy. The "Joker" — a trained facilitator — guides the process and animates collective debate.

Boal developed complementary forms: Image Theatre (body sculptures representing oppression), Invisible Theatre (public space interventions), Legislative Theatre (using forum theatre to draft laws), and Rainbow of Desire techniques transposing the method toward internalised oppressions and intrapsychic conflicts.

Therapeutic Improvisation

Theatrical improvisation possesses considerable therapeutic potential. It demands total presence in the moment, active listening, and unconditional acceptance of proposals — the fundamental "Yes, and..." rule. Therapeutically, improvisation develops spontaneity, tolerance for uncertainty, and letting go — counterpoints to perfectionist demands that fuel many psychological disorders.

Group improvisation also builds relational skills: truly listening, welcoming others' proposals, building together, trusting, and taking risks in a safe framework. Playback Theatre, created by Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas in the 1970s, represents an intermediate form where a spectator tells a personal experience and actors immediately improvise it on stage.

Clinical and Social Applications

Therapeutic theatre is applied across varied contexts: communication disorders (working directly on voice, gaze, posture, and presence), social phobia and performance anxiety (progressive exposure through play), collective violence and trauma (giving voice to survivors, rebuilding social bonds), prevention and health education (forum theatre for bullying, domestic violence, discrimination prevention), and rehabilitation and reintegration (prison theatre programmes, addiction rehabilitation centres, homeless shelters).

Typical Session

A therapeutic theatre session typically includes three phases: gathering and warm-up (20-30 minutes) with collective physical exercises, trust games, and vocal work; creation and exploration (40-60 minutes) with improvisation, forum scenes, image theatre, or collective performance work; and reflection and integration (15-20 minutes) for structured sharing of experiences, insights, and connections to daily life.

Contraindications

Therapeutic theatre requires specific precautions: premature public exposure can be traumatising; forum theatre may cause revictimisation if not properly facilitated; destructive group dynamics can be amplified rather than transformed; and persons in acute decompensation need stabilisation before engagement. Facilitators must be trained in specific methods and possess solid group dynamics and psychological support competencies with regular supervision.