Putting Across the Message: The Folk Theatre and its Methods of Presentation

Both the folk actor and his counterpart in the literary theatre try to present their material, their 'plot' and 'characters' in the most meaningful way. But their respective use of costume, gesture, declamation, the scenic arena, etc., are often quite different. Similarly, the criteria of these actors and the ways in which audiences react to their performances may differ widely. This paper, using examples from the Russian and English folk theatre, looks at some of these differences and the reasons behind them.