https://vimeo.com/130504399
"Gecko is an award-winning and internationally-acclaimed physical theatre company, led by Artistic Director Amit Lahav.
A Gecko show is visual, visceral, ambitious theatre crafted to inspire, move and entertain. Gecko strives to make their work wide open to interpretation and put their audience at the heart of the narrative.
Amit has created an organic devising process that oscillates between intense periods of experimentation, making brave leaps, learning and failing and including choreography, writing, storyboarding and reflection. Every stage includes sonic and technical development alongside the choreography." - http://geckotheatre.com/about/
Gecko are a physical theatre company that experiment with many elements of dance, heavily influencing their performances. They also use sound effects and music in order to help tell stories and emphasise certain gestures. For example, in the video clip above at one moment two characters are in a argument and every time they 'say' something a gun shot sounds. Symbolising the verbal attacks and 'shots fired' between people when they argue. It also emphasises the damage an argument can do in a metaphorical sense by using the gun shots. Gecko also tend to perform on the darker side using surrealist elements and dark lighting and costumes. Creating a tense, uneasy atmosphere. The way in which they produce/create their performances is over two years. They take a very productive approach and develop the show whilst touring. They also use elements of puppetry.
I like their use of sound and music in their performances as I feel it gives another layer to the production, making it aurally engaging. I also like the constant theme of surrealism they seem to have throughout all of their productions, making them stand out from other companies making them unique and interesting.
-They are supported by the Arts Council England and are based in Ipswich-
Complicite - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uba-qzbZsV8
Complicite are an international theatre company situated in London.
"The main body of work has been of devised theatre pieces and adaptations and revivals of classic texts but the Company has also created opera and worked in other media, with radio productions of Mnemonic and John Berger’s To The Wedding, a collaboration with The Pet Shop Boys in Trafalgar Square in central London, and The Vertical Line, a multi-disciplinary installation performed in a disused tube station." - http://www.complicite.org/company.php
"The Company is famous for making its work through extensive periods of research and development which brings together performers, designers, writers, artists and specialists from diverse fields to create the works – a process now known simply as ‘devising’." - http://www.complicite.org/company.php
They use puppetry in order to help tell stories. Their productions often involve the use of technology. For example cameras, projectors/projections, as well as lyrical and philosophical contemplation of topical/serious themes in the world. They tend to focus more on drama and comical elements but use techniques of dance in order to make it interesting.
Their staging and use of set colour/design is a strong element. I feel as though this helps set the scene and encourages enthusiasm by the actors. It also helps the audience with visuals.
Frantic Assembly - Based in London 
"We began with little more than a fierce work ethic and a desire to do something different and to do it differently." - https://www.franticassembly.co.uk/about
"Frantic Assembly has always been about more than the work on the stage. It is about the ethos of collaboration, of empowerment, of that constant desire to improve. It is about telling stories in a voice we don't always hear and about finding talent in places we don't always look. Over the years the Frantic Method of devising theatre has helped people understand and make work throughout the world." - https://www.franticassembly.co.uk/about
Steven Hoggett is their choreographer who has won many awards such as an Olivier award and an Obie award.
Frantic create their pieces in a unique way as they start with the movement first then craft a narrative/performance track from this. They tend to devise their pieces rather than focus on scripts. By doing so they tend to be very multi-medial. For example, they use music, dance and visuals in order to help tell the story other than just dialogue. They also contain elements of breaking the fourth wall and encourage audience participation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNjE53Pt4WQ
DV8's approach to theatre is heavily through dance. Earlier in their work they tended to use aggressive, physically wearing movements. However, as the company progressed they started to use more poetic movement and used dialogue in order to help tell stories and talk about important social/political issues in the world. DV8 do this by using fluid, contemporary movement whilst speaking. Its almost entrancing which makes you pay close attention to the performer and you are hung on every word they are saying. Its gentle movement that tackles the censorship of important issues and topics in the world. Such as: sexuality, terrorism etc. DV8 are an award winning company, that has toured internationally attended many festivals as well as producing films for the BBC and Channel 4. Physical Theatre company based in London.
I personally really like their style of physical theatre and think its very effective and clever in terms of talking about political/social issues. By making it visually engaging to an audience which may in other scenarios not be interested. The use of fluid, gentle movements psychologically make the audience more open and welcoming to ideas which may be presented to them.
Kneehigh are a physical theatre company based in Cornwall. Their performances tend to be very site specific. For example, they used to perform on top of cliff tops, in quarries and up trees. Until fairly recently they have found their home at the 'Asylum' where they also perform shows. Kneehigh get their inspiration for their shows from history, culture, people and landscapes. Kneehigh use a variety of techniques in their physical theatre. They tend to mainly focus on drama but add elements of dance into it to make it more exciting. They also use elements of puppetry as well as live musicians on and off stage. This makes Kneehigh multi-medial. Their stages tend be very elaborate and contain dark elements making it feel surreal.
I like the use of live musicians onstage as well as the darker elements throughout as it gives a different tone and atmosphere to theatre. It makes you feel engaged with the performance itself and you feel as though you are connected to the story as you see every part. Their use of puppetry is interesting as they even though its a surreal element they make it seem so realistic by the way in which they use movement and voice/sound.
"We create vigorous, popular theatre for a broad spectrum of audiences, using a multi-talented group of performers, directors, designers, sculptors, engineers, musicians and writers. We use a wide range of art forms and media as our ‘tool kit' to make new and accessible forms of theatre. A spontaneous sense of risk and adventure produces extraordinary dramatic results. Themes are universal and local, epic and domestic."
Rank order
1. DV8
2. Kneehigh
3.Frantic
4. Gecko
5.Complicite
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