Breaking the mould

: Using madness as methodology in theatre practice to deconstruct victimising female narratives and find new ways of staging them

Abstract

In The History of Sexuality, philosopher Michel Foucault observes the power institutions hold on society. He argues that subjects are disciplined to conform to gender ideals. Henrik Ibsen’s play, Hedda Gabler, distills in a couple of hours the constraining, normative nature of society’s rules which shape the title character’s behaviour, moulding her into a product of a patriarchal society. Using Hedda Gabler as a point of departure, this practice-based research project explores the possibility of using madness as methodology to challenge norms of representation in realist theatre by changing the way Hedda’s story is told. My approach is to examine a number of creative processes such as the use of the Indian martial art kalarippayattu and physical theatre work, which contribute to breaking familiar habits of representation. My aim is to free my performance practice from the influence of the victimising constructs which are prevalent in the staging of women’s narratives in realist theatre. This re-imagining of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, involves experimenting with ways of making visible Hedda’s psychological inner journey towards the crafting of her identity. The resulting performance is a 33-minute piece in eight scenes.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Canterbury Christ Church University