The play Asinamali (Ngema, 1987) was a great point of departure for the victims of Apartheid, a play that gave them voice in a world where they were silenced, and faith when their will power began to lessen. This essay will discuss the elements of physical theatre and the links between physical theatre and Grotowski's idea of poor theatre. (1968) I will also explain how the situation of the current time of Asinamali (Ngema, 1987), which was Apartheid, contributed to 'the politics of the body' in general and also in physical theatre as a whole. Intriguing is a type of theatre that allows for one to convey a story primarily through his body. A type of theatre that encourages actors to move away from the mainstream characteristics, not to depend on narratives and texts, but rather to exploit sounds, posture and movement. "It is eminently a syncretism form, forging its meanings from immediate, visible and audible signs, interacting directly in the here and now." (Banning, 1989) The perks of storytelling through physicality is that audiences are given opportunity to relate to actors on a more personal and spiritual level. This is done by awaking the hidden emotions in audiences, allowing them to become part of the act without them even knowing.
One might ask why physical theatre is known to be more wholesome that the traditional type of theatre. The reason that I have come to make sense of is that, physical theatre is the most realistic, most pure and original type of theatre. This is a theatre type that not only challenges the actors, but challenges the audience as well. Actors are challenged in presenting an entire idea physically without the use of dialogue or unnecessary extras. The audience is challenged by having to make sense of the physical act presented to them on their own. This leads to the engaging of the audience with actors, and extending the stage to the audience.
