Workshop on Mistakes in Theatre

Ziad Adwan is a theatre maker, trainer, and academic with a PhD in theatre studies from Royal Holloway, University of London. His thesis is titled “Mistakes and Making Mistakes in Cultural Performances.” Ziad’s work comprises playwriting, directing, teaching, and writing for academic journals. He is currently based in Germany and was affiliated with the German Research Foundation-funded project “Global theatre histories” and the European Research Council-funded project “Developing theatre” at the University of Munich. Ziad co-founded the Tanween Theatre Company and has produced theatre and other performance projects. He is also a consultant at Mamdouh Adwan Publishing House.

This workshop is based on a personal journey exploring the concept of mistakes in theatre, which started as a PhD thesis in London (2008) and developed through various writings, plays and performances.

Why do actors pretend to break character and why do clowns on tightropes pretend to fall? What makes the audience laugh when mistakes are feigned in live programmed shows? How does the audience’s knowledge and expectations influence its reactions? Thinking about mistakes underlines correctness in theatre. But theatre has always rebelled against conventions and correctness. In this context, how can we approach mistakes in theatre, and what potential do they hold?

In this workshop, mistakes in theatre will be approached as accidental actions (such as when actors forget their lines, a clown really falls, or an audience member interrupts the play). It is also approached as an error of judgment when actors and/or audience perceive, or misperceive, the actions and the characters on stage as real. The workshop will present examples of these incidents, conceptualize definitions, and explore potential developments of ideas and emotions resulting from making mistakes in theatre.