Structuring and Refining a Devised Piece

Generating material is only half of devising; the other half is turning that abundance into a coherent, effective piece of theatre. This lesson focuses on the shaping phase: giving a devised work structure, refining it through rehearsal and feedback, and bringing it to a finished, communicable form.

From material to structure

After generation, a group faces a wealth of scenes, images, fragments, and ideas, and must decide what the piece is and how it hangs together. Selection comes first: identifying the strongest, most resonant material and letting go of the rest, however hard. Then comes structure, the order and logic of the piece. Devised work can be organized in many ways: a narrative or story arc; an episodic or scene-based structure; a thematic structure where sections explore facets