Dissociations in Acting: An investigation of how existing and emergent acting methodologies may be used to create new knowledge and practice, informed by and in response to dissociative identity disorder
This thesis aims firstly to develop a new methodology entitled Re-centre for enhancing actor safety through de-roleing, in conjunction with the second aim of creating original authentic portrayals of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) in theatre. This is a practice-based MPhil that uses an interdisciplinary approach and has been organised around two key concepts, the notion of de-roleing and that of dissociative identity disorder. It examines the contrasts and parallels between the two using a variety of techniques including an analysis of the concepts in the literature, autoethnographic observations, as well as the creation and audience reception of bespoke performances created for two projects. The theoretical principles of this study centre upon key practitioners such as Mark Seton, Bryony Kimmings and Bobby Baker. The research is influenced by the work started in Australia surrounding the welfare of actors by Mark Seton and in America by Kate Busselle as well as British stereotypes and attitudes towards wellness by Sally Cook. Throughout the thesis, I draw on practitioners Bryony Kimmings and Bobby Baker that have been active in representations of trauma in theatre as well as drawing on my own experiences of mental health challenges and using them in theatre performances. I have built and reformed the past and current representations of DID as well as creating a method for actors embodying traumatic characters with an aim to get this implemented into mainstream teaching. This thesis is ethically complex, dealing with my own wellbeing and self-care as well as those of vulnerable adults and industry professionals. This is central to the research as I have spent time exploring my current and past self. I have a strong personal link to this research having felt ‘stuck’ in several different characters when training. This has resulted in an intimate ethical insight as a theatre-maker and the impact that this could have on the wider community.
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