The Study Of The Development Of “Playback Theatre” In Guangzhou And Shenzhen

Playback Theatre was created by Jonathan Fox from the United States in 1974.It is an improvisational creation form dedicated to transforming personal stories into performances.Its core concept and ultimate goal is “to serve each other with stories”.The development of Playback Theatre in China relies on Hong Kong-born British theatre worker Veronica Needa.She graduated from New York School of Playback Theatre in 1995 and obtained a tutor certification.In 1996,she introduced Playback Theatre to Hong Kong.Under the impetus of theatre pioneers such as Veronica Needa and Mr.Mok Chiu Yu,the Playback Theatre was gradually introduced into Macau and Taiwan.In 2005,the first Playback Theatre troupe in the mainland of China —— Guangzhou Kapok Theatre troupe,was founded.According to the author’s research,till 2020,there are more than 50 Playback Theatre troupes in the mainland of China,which were mainly distributed in Guangzhou,Shenzhen,Beijing,Shanghai,Hangzhou,Wuhan,and the like.Guangzhou and Shenzhen have geographical advantages because of their location in Guangdong,Hong Kong and Macau area.Therefore,Playback Theatre has developed rapidly and is in a leading position in the mainland of China because of the good economic development and culture construction in Guangzhou and Shenzhen area.I obtained first-hand information through field investigation.The paper takes phenomenon-problem-analysis-countermeasure as logical.The first Playback Theatre troupe in the mainland of China was founded in Guangzhou,which affected the development of Playback Theatre in Shenzhen.No matter in numbers or activity level,Playback Theatre troupes in Guangzhou and Shenzhen area are ranked the best in the mainland of China,which plays an important role in promoting the development of Playback Theatre in other cities in the China’s mainland.Therefore,by interviewing the founders and some members of the troupe,the author studies the development history,development status,development bottlenecks and dilemmas of the Playback Theatre troupes in Guangzhou and Shenzhen area,and proposes corresponding solutions.It is hoped that the Playback Theatre troupes in other cities can gain experience from it,helping to develop the Playback Theatre faster and better in China.At the same time,this research can help build a harmonious community and innovate community service method.In the introduction part of this article,it describes the origin and significance of the research,the research’s current status and existing problems,research ideas and approaches.In the first chapter,it analyzes the origin,foundation,and rise of the Playback Theatre from the life track of the founder Jonathan Fox.Then,starting from the basic performance form,service function,and cause of healing of Playback Theatre,it analyzes the core concept of Playback Theatre and the similarities and differences between the Playback Theatre and drama therapy and psychodrama therapy.In the second chapter,it mainly summarizes the development and characteristics of Playback Theatre in Hong Kong,Taiwan,Macau and the mainland of China.In the third chapter,it discusses the development bottleneck and dilemmas of the Playback Theatre in Guangzhou and Shenzhen area through 3 aspects: theatre members,theatre funds,and promotion approaches.The fourth chapter puts forward the development strategy and vision of Playback Theatre in Guangzhou and Shenzhen area from 3 aspects: taking advantage of the development advantages of Guangzhou and Shenzhen area,using government resources to expand the scope of use,and adopting multi-channel promotion approaches.