3 - Development and Improvisation

Summary

Rehearsal as Play: The Context of the Rehearsal Room

It cannot be denied that Albert Boadella and the rest of Els Joglars have developed a theory of theatre that is based on years of honing their craft in the rehearsal room. It is also evident that Boadella exerts control over the current Els Joglars process by establishing detailed written notes before presenting the ideas to the company. However, part of the mystery of the theatrical rehearsal process is how to create appropriate working relations so that a theoretical approach can then be practically applied. It is not a question of simply aiming for a series of predefined goals; Els Joglars have chosen to collaborate in the creation of work whose form is not fully defined at the outset, in spite of Boadella's copious notes. It is worth considering how the company generated the adequate working relations to make such a process viable.

Coming up to their fortieth birthday in 2000, Els Joglars prepared a retrospective of their work in the form of La guerra de los 40 años. This book stands apart from other celebratory anniversary editions in its desire to communicate the ideas of Els Joglars' work rather than presenting the façade that most coffee table books offer in the form of photographs. The book was written by Arcadi Espada from transcripts of round-table discussions with the entire company present – tellingly, the book feels collaboratively written, with Espada merely shaping the material for the reader, who thus feels present at the discussion table. The narrative provides a suitable vehicle for defining the company because it utilises the same collaborative approach that they apply to rehearsal, with all their voices intertwined and inextricably linked as a unit.