The dramaturgy of testimony

The purpose of the project ‘The dramaturgy of testimony’ was to generate knowledge of and experience with research and interviews as a method for the development of new types of dramatic texts. The project consisted of three brief development courses designed to explore how research and interviews can be translated into dramatic texts. The objective of these projects is to conduct artistic research into the relationship between representation and authenticity in drama based on testimony.

The project focused on research-based and interview-based drama, in which dramatic texts are created on the basis of real stories told by real people and where testimony is used as the main artistic subject matter.

Taking the documentary style of drama known as verbatim theatre as its starting point, the seminar explored, through practical experience and knowledge sharing, the distinctive approach and methodology used by the testimonial playwright when transferring statements taken from real life into an artistic framework.

Project participants

The project was spearheaded by the principal of the playwriting programme (Mads Thygesen), and the three playwrights were Sandra Theresa Buch, Henrik Szklany and Christian Lollike.