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The Difference

Genre is the "category" of your story—it’s the emotional vibe and content you give the audience (e.g. Comedy, Tragedy).

Style & Form is the "how"—the specific methods, rules, and theatrical languages you use to bring that story to life (e.g. Physical Theatre, Naturalism).

Genre

Tragedy

Serious plays dealing with "weighty" issues, often showing a character's fall from power.

  • Serious tone and subject matter
  • Events follow a clear "cause and effect" path
  • Makes the audience feel pity or fear
Genre

Comedy

Designed to make people laugh, usually using clever wit, irony, or silly situations.

  • Often "Satirical" (poking fun at real behavior)
  • Fast-paced and energetic
  • Almost always ends with a happy resolution
Genre

Tragi-comedy

A mixture of the two above. It captures the complexity of real life—laughing through the tears.

  • Contains elements of both tragedy and comedy
  • Can be funny one moment and devastating the next
  • Keeps the audience emotionally off-balance
Genre

Farce

Highly exaggerated comedy that focuses on a chaotic plot rather than deep characters.

  • Uses "Slapstick" physical comedy
  • Outrageous, unlikely situations
  • Builds to a chaotic comic climax
Genre

Documentary Theatre

Drama based on real people and facts. It cares more about information than a made-up plot.

  • Uses real documents or news reports
  • Focuses on an issue or political topic
  • Aims to educate or provoke the audience
Style

Naturalism

Performance that is a "slice of life," showing reality exactly as it is.

  • Focus on how humans actually behave
  • Everyday speech and believable movement
  • Characters are affected by their setting
Style

Physical Theatre

Using the body and movement as the primary way to tell the story.

  • High-energy, athletic performance
  • Uses movement to compliment realistic scenes
  • Can replace dialogue with movement sequences
Style

Symbolism

Focuses on creating a mood rather than a logical, "real" story.

  • Often feels fantastical or mythological
  • Objects represent deeper ideas
  • Meaning is clear but not precise
Style

Grand Guignol / Artaud

A style of extreme theatre designed to terrify or shock the audience into feeling.

  • Assaults the senses with harsh lights/sounds
  • Shocking and visceral
  • High tension and fear
Style

Verbatim Theatre

A form of documentary drama where the script is made ONLY from the words of real people.

  • Based on real-life interviews
  • Actors capture the exact speech patterns
  • Highly authentic telling of real stories

🤖 The Style Mash-Up Generator

Top marks in devising often come from unexpected contrasts. Take a normal scene, smash two completely different styles together, and see what the AI Director suggests!

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