MC's role

You have created a play in the Forum Theatre model.

You can perform it in front of a local community audience. But somebody has to bring that audience into our Forum, to make them part of the debate, to let them know that they are important and that their views matter, to tell them how they can do that.

We shall call this person the MC. We don’t mean a super stylish, distant, pompous tv star MC but a friendly person who is just “one of us” who has come to get us to join in the game.

The role of the Forum Theatre facilitator is rich and challenging. A facilitator in Forum Theatre needs to have all the skills of a good leader and group member. Here are some recommendations on how to facilitate a Forum Theatre event and some ideas towards practising the skill.

The facilitator is friendly, clear, neutral, non-judgmental. He/she must remember that the job is to give power to the audience, not to keep it for yourself.

He/She is not an autocrat but holds the space for others to debate the issues. The attitude should be “We see there is a problem. We can change this together”.

And, VERY IMPORTANT, this role can be shared by two people who work together to perform the MC’s tasks.

The tasks of the MC 

...are quite a lot and the workshop leader should introduce these by demonstrating them as he/she explains:

Before the play, the facilitator observes the audience as they are entering the space. This will give you an idea of who is present. This is crucial as a Forum Theatre play is aimed at people who are experiencing, or who may experience, the situation that the central character is dealing with. If a different kind of audience arrives, you may need to adjust what you do. 

First dialogue with audience

at beginning of event – before the first run of forum play

• Welcomes the audience warmly to make them feel they have a friend.
• Warms up the audience to be active participants with physical and vocal games (choose a 2-minute game to get them “awake” – call and response, copying large gestures etc, anything to get them out of “just sitting there”.)
• Prepares them for a different kind of theatre where they will be active and important.
• Introduces the play as something which we all care about and then introduces the central character. (brings them onto stage, so s/he is recognisable)
• Asks audience to watch the show extra carefully. 
• Warns them that it will end badly.
• Asks them to think what they would do if they were the central character or one of the “less powerful” people in the play. 
• Tells them they will have a chance later to change things.
• Asks if the audience is ready to watch.
• Asks if the actors are ready to perform.
• Then let’s begin………….. (starts the play)

Second dialogue with audience

After the first run of the forum play

• Stops the action & reminds audience “I told you it would end badly”. 
• “Are you happy with that ending?” “Does it have to be like that?”
• “So what was the real problem in that story? – talk to the person next to you – discuss what happened”.
• “Tell me – shout it out!”
• What did the central character want?
• What was stopping him/her?
• What could have been done differently?
• “Great, so let’s see if we can change that ending”.
• “We are going to perform the play for you again – exactly the same ending will happen unless you suggest some changes”.
• “Here’s how we can do it. When you think that you have an idea of how one of the less powerful people could act differently and change the story, you shout “STOP”.
• We will then stop the play, and you can come up here on the stage and take that person’s place and try out your idea. It’s easy, you just shout “STOP”. Do you understand?
• Whatever you think that character can do to change the story you can try out, in actions, in words, or even by changing the scene (going to the police, to the press, to a lawyer). We will make it happen here on stage so you can try your idea. 

There are only 3 rules you must stick to when you come up here:

• No magic – you cannot suggest something which is highly unlikely to happen (winning the lottery, a bus running over the oppressor etc).
• No violence – because violence only leads to more violence (and you might hurt the actors!).
• You cannot replace the Oppressors.

• Is that clear?
• Are you all ready to watch, engage and try to change the story?
• Are the actors ready?
• Then let’s start………. (starts the play).

Then the facilitator stands at the side of the stage and watches the audience very carefully as if encouraging them to shout "STOP!".

Third dialogue with audience

When an audience member shouts “STOP” for an intervention.

• The facilitator freezes the action and prompts applause to bring them on stage.
• Welcomes them – asks their name and who they want to replace..
• Facilitates the replacement of the actor by the newcomer.
• “Where do you want to start from?”
• Gets everyone in position and starts the action.

OR

• “OK, you want to go to the………… (new place)”/ you want to phone someone???? Who?
• Organises actors into the new scene
• Starts the action and watches.
• Watches the intervention, ready to help if necessary, for example if the newcomer is not facing the audience or cannot be heard. 

Fourth dialogue with audience

At end of intervention (or when the facilitator thinks the scene has gone long enough). 

• Stops the action and prompts applause from the audience.
• Congratulates the audience member.
• “Thank you. Did you achieve what you set out to do?”
• Asks the audience if the intervention could have changed the story and avoided the “bad” ending.
• Sends the audience member back to the audience. 
• Asks if there is anyone else who wants to try an intervention in that scene. If so, repeats the above points.
• Restarts the action with the actors to continue the play until the next intervention.

Fifth (possible) dialogue with audience

If there is no intervention in a very “oppressive” scene.

• Facilitator can stop the action at the end of such a scene and ask: “Do you think that behaviour is OK? Are you happy with that? If you don’t intervene then the same thing will happen”.
• If not can challenge them to intervene and change it (eg. “who could they go to?”, “who could they phone?” “Where could they go for help?”).

Sixth dialogue with audience 

• Either when the second forum play has run to the end, or when facilitator decides it is time to finish.
• Thanks the audience for their willingness to enter into the challenge of finding an alternative outcome to the play.
• (If there is time he can ask the audience to suggest an IDEAL IMAGE – of what they would want to see).
• Asks them to continue thinking about these problems so they can deal with them better in real life.
• Gives them any information they may need about sources of information or help (or tells them where they can get such information or asks actors to come on and give such information).This is a great place for reminding audiences of the vital messages you want to communicate.
• Introduces any final element e.g. a closing song/a legal expert. 

Now we have to find an MC in each group or a “double act” of two MCs who can support each other in doing all the above in a “tag” format (one begins, the next one takes over, hands back to number 1 etc.). This way they can prompt each other, demonstrate together, remind each other if anything is forgotten.

So the best way is for those who think they might like to be an MC to take the first dialogue (above) and try it out in front of others. There is not only one way to be an MC. each person will find their own way of doing it. Relax and enjoy the experience.

When someone has tried being an MC give feedback, let people try a few times – they might be quite stiff at first but with advice and time they can relax and find the right style. Help them get there.

If two people want to try together give them a little time to prepare and then they can attempt the “double act”.

This is such an important role that we are dedicating a whole day to it but the others can continue to rehearse the plays during this time.

For those who are rehearsing their plays think about what kind of interventions you might expect, and how you might react to new ideas, e.g. how might you react as a trafficker if confronted and called a liar, what would you do if an audience member tried to convince you not to go sign up for working abroad? Etc.

Please note: 

• For the purpose of the workshop each of the groups should choose their own MC, or two MCs. This means they should not be cast as characters in the plays.
• To prepare for the performance - think about what interventions are likely to come from the audience. Think how you, the performers, might react to different interventions.