This thesis seeks to make a contribution to the emerging field of Rehearsal Studies. It is an
analytical account of the rehearsal process of playwright and director Anthony Neilson,
whose ‘noted process’ has been attracting critical attention. He begins his rehearsals with no
script, and the actors are involved in a complex devising process. The thesis pays particular
attention to the perspective of the actor within this collaborative environment. The thesis will
focus on the rehearsals of one specific production at the Royal Court Theatre in London,
Neilson’s 2013 play Narrative. This thesis utilises an unusual methodological approach, in
that its findings have been reached via close analysis of filmed footage of the Narrative
rehearsals, as well as interviews with the practitioners involved in the production, in addition
to other actors who have collaborated with Neilson in the past.
This thesis follows a tripartite structure which aims to uncover the particular
properties of Neilson’s rehearsal methodology and the manner in which his approach
critically engages with the issue of authorship, improvisation and the director-actor
relationship. It also seeks to address issues such as how the investigation of rehearsals can
contribute to our understanding of theatre practice. The thesis also demonstrates how research
based on the analysis of filmed footage can facilitate a more in-depth enquiry of the
subtextual components that are often of fundamental importance to rehearsals. In addition,
the thesis will show how the often marginalised perspective of the actor has a productive and
illuminating contribution to make to the understanding of Neilson’s process specifically, and
the field of Rehearsal Studies more broadly
