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Amateur Theatre
(aka: Spex)

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Amateur theatre refers to theatrical productions performed by non-professional actors; i.e., theatre enthusiasts who don't typically aim toward financial gain or theatre kids on a School Play.

Its roots trace back to ancient times, with early forms found in religious rituals and community celebrations where storytelling, performance, and role-playing took place. In medieval Europe, mystery plays and folk performances allowed common people to engage in theatrical expression outside of professional guilds. By the 19th century, with the rise of public education and a growing middle class, amateur theatre became more formalized, particularly in Western societies. Community-based theatre groups began to flourish, often associated with schools, local organizations, and clubs.

One of the key characteristics of amateur theatre is its emphasis on participation and accessibility rather than profit or professional success. The performers, directors, and production crew typically volunteer their time and resources. While amateur productions vary in quality, they are often driven by passion, personal expression, and a desire for creative collaboration. These performances can range from small, informal shows in community halls to more elaborate productions in theatres with advanced lighting and stage design. Because of this diversity, amateur theatre encompasses a broad spectrum of theatrical styles, including experimental and improvisation performances.

The distinction between amateur and professional theatre lies primarily in the level of expertise, funding, and purpose. Professional theatre is driven by financial necessity, often with high expectations for production value, technical precision, and acting proficiency. Professionals receive formal training and typically earn a living through their performances. In contrast, amateur theatre prioritizes inclusivity and community engagement. The audience may be more forgiving of mistakes or less-polished performances, focusing instead on the enjoyment of shared creativity. However, many successful actors and theatre professionals began their careers in amateur theatre, making it a crucial stepping stone in the world of performing arts.

Amateur theatre plays a significant role in many countries, sometimes reflecting cultural and social values unique to that region. In countries like the United Kingdom, amateur theatre is a well-regarded tradition, with many towns boasting long-standing theatre societies. In Asian countries, amateur theatre traditions, while varied, maintain a strong connection to cultural identity and often serve as a medium for preserving heritage, fostering community, and addressing contemporary societal concerns.

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    China 
Chinese non-professional theatre intersects with traditional forms like Peking Opera and Kunqu, though there has been a rise in non-traditional performances in community centers and universities that focus on contemporary issues.

    Europe 
Spex (shortened form of "spectacle") is a popular form of Swedish and Finnish student theatre, with many higher education institutions having at least one official Spex troupe since it's often performed at universities. The plays reflect a mix of historical satire and student humor, forming an integral part of university culture. The songs tend to be parodies of classics or current popular music with texts written specifically for the play. Spexes are more often than not rhymed musicals characterized by comedic improvisation, Spontaneous Choreography and Audience Participation.

For example, spectators are encouraged to shout "One more time!" or "Restart!" if they find a particularly funny or bad joke. The actors are then expected to do another variation of the joke or sing a new variation of the song. This makes it common for the performers to have a truly mind-boggling number of encores prepared beforehand. The audience can also demand for the joke to be repeated in a specific way (such as backwards, once more with feeling, in German, or in slow-motion).

Some spexes have "Buskföreställningar" in the last show. This means that people who usually aren't on stage come up on stage for jokes and skits, the Fourth Wall is broken a lot more than regularly (if there is a fourth wall, that is), and sillier props are put in. (Such as a closet being replaced by a bouncy castle, a cane being replaced with a battleaxe, and a smoke grenade being replaced with a Poké Ball.) Another peculiarity of Spexes is their Short Title: Long, Elaborate Subtitle naming tradition. The Uppsala Pharmacists spex is called Frank Einstein or The Modern Prosthesis or In Search of Lost Life, for one.

The earliest forms of the tradition date back as far as the 16th century in university cities such as Uppsala and are still regularly performed in numerous other places. In earlier days, Spexes were commonly written in Latin and since women weren't allowed in Swedish universities before 1873, they were exclusively performed by males, even in female roles. Even today, some Spexes are performed exclusively by men or by women casts, but much more common is mixed performances where some male roles are played by women and vice versa.

Examples with their own pages:

  • Chalmersspexet is an all-female spex made in 2012 by students of Chalmers University of Technology. It's about a rich businessman's daughter seeking to invest in either the cinematoscope or the kinetoscope. She switches decisions depending on whether she's getting along with her sister at the moment.

    India 
Indian amateur theatre has a long history with roots in folk and classical forms such as Jatra and Kathakali, often blending music, dance, and drama. Modern amateur groups, particularly in urban areas, frequently explore social and political themes, reflecting the country’s complex societal landscape.

    Japan 
Shingeki developed as an alternative to the traditional and professional Kabuki and Noh forms, focusing on more naturalistic and Western-style drama. Both community-based groups and university troupes stage modern plays.

    South America 
In Peru and Bolivia, amateur theatre is inextricably paired with traditional dances. Some dances have a prelude or interlude of sorts in which the dancers perform a little act such as a battle (the Diablada), a worship ritual (the Inti Raymi), or a staged agricultural practice. They hail from pre-colonization Andean religions but also feature Christianized elements. While these dances can be performed by professional dancers/actors, most performances are done in schools/colleges by students, parents, and other kinds of volunteers for a holiday or celebration.

Examples:

Music
  • El cóndor pasa is a 1913 Peruvian zarzuela, a type of musical play composed entirely of narrated speech and (Andean, in this case) instrumental scores. It's performed by non-professional dancers (who dress up as Andean condors) in many a folk festival.

    Southeast Asia 
Forms like Wayang Kulit (shadow puppetry) in Indonesia and Malaysia, or Likay in Thailand, allow non-professional performers to keep traditional storytelling alive, often incorporating moral lessons and folklore.

    The United Kingdom 
Pantomime and Mummers plays represent longstanding traditions of folk theatre, particularly around the Christmas season (pretty much the period from Halloween to "Plough Monday"—the first Monday after January 6, when ploughmen traditionally had to go back to work following the Christmas holiday). Mummers plays, dating back to medieval England, feature masked performers wandering from farmhouse to farmhouse, who enact short, humorous plays about themes like death and resurrection. Mummers became widespread over England and parts of Scotland, Wales, and Ireland by the late 18th century.

Nowadays, the actors (called mummers) are barely rehearsed and prone to go off on improvised tangents, often with the audience heckling, cheering, and booing. They perform in public spaces like village squares and pubs. If the session was impromptu enough, the mummers might have to ask their audience to "make room" so they can perform the play.

The actual script and story vary from area to area, but they almost always involve a Sword Fight (typically between Saint George and either the Turkish Knight or an enemy called "Bold Slasher") ending in a death, and a Quack Doctor bringing the dead man back to life. The other characters tend to be an odd mix of traditional figures such as Father Christmas, Robin Hood, and Beelzebub.

Traditionally, the whole cast, including female characters, was composed of men. These days, the tradition of having female parts played by men has been retained, with the result that female mummers have to play male roles. So it now possible to see Mummers plays where every character is played by an actor of the opposite sex!

Fictional examples:

Literature
  • RCN: In The Far Side of the Stars, a troupe of mummers performs a Bawdy Song during the funeral procession for Daniel Leary's uncle, a noted RCN navigator whom Daniel looked up to.
  • A Song of Ice and Fire: Mummers' shows are a frequently-mentioned form of entertainment in the form of traveling troupes of actors ranging from practiced performers to barely rehearsed amateurs. They mostly perform in tourneys, faires, and other temporary events but are also a common sight in the streets of King's Landing, and their performances are a mixture of popular folktales and occasional retellings of historical stories in ways calculated to appeal to the audience (or not offend the powers that be). Arya spends some time with a troupe in Braavos who are performing a bawdy, sensationalised version of the War of Five Kings.
  • Discworld: According to A Tourist's Guide to Lancre, the Slice Mummers Play is an annual event featuring Old Hogfather, Death, Merry Hood and the White Knight and symbolising the death and rebirth of really bad acting.

Music

  • XTC: Their album Mummer was inspired by these plays, and its booklet had photographs of the band wearing traditional Mummers' costumes, complete with instructions on how to make your own. Loreena McKennitt's 1998 hit "The Mummers' Dance" further immortalized these plays.

    The United States 
Community theatre groups form the backbone of amateur theatre, ranging from civic plays to small-town reenactments of historical events.


Alternative Title(s): Amateur Theater, Spex, Mummers

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