Augusto Boal with students: introducing Forum Theatre safely
Forum Theatre can offer students a space to rehearse responses to difficult situations and to examine power in relationships through practical exploration. In school settings, time, curriculum constraints and safeguarding responsibilities tend to shape what is possible. A pragmatic structure and careful facilitation can help make the work ethically sound and educationally useful without turning lessons into therapy sessions.
Forum Theatre, in practical terms, starts with a short scripted scene that shows an unresolved problem. The group watches the scene, identifies moments of tension, and is invited to suggest or enact changes. That intervention point is where the pedagogy sits: the classroom becomes a laboratory for alternatives rather than a forum for confession. Clarifying this upfront may reduce the risk of students feeling exposed or pressured.
For a fuller discussion of thinking-through practice and practical classroom priorities, you may find the hub article helpful: Drama Practitioners in the Classroom.
Structuring a short workshop sequence
Begin with a brief but active warm-up that builds ensemble and trust. Use games that require mutual attention and simple turn-taking. Keep exercises light and non-personal so that students can be curious without immediate vulnerability.
Follow the warm-up with a framing conversation. Introduce the concept of Forum Theatre in plain language and set clear boundaries. Say what kinds of issues will be explored and what will not be worked on in this session. Agree collective guidelines about respect, confidentiality within the classroom, and the right to pass.
Create the initial scene from relatable, age-appropriate material. The scene can be teacher-written, co-created with a small student group, or adapted from a short prompt. Keep the scene focused on one problem and short enough to be watched twice without fatigue. The core idea should be visible: who wants what, who resists, and where the stuck point lies.
Stage the first showing as performance. Invite students to watch with specific questions in mind, such as “Where does the action stop changing?” After the scene, take a quick reflective question from the audience: what moment felt most stuck or unfair? Identify one focal moment to work on.
Open the scene for intervention. Ask for a volunteer to step into the role of a character and try a different response. Allow brief replay and further interventions until students have tried several alternatives. Finish with a structured debrief that attends to the drama and to the personal impact of taking part.
Facilitator prompts and in-scene techniques
Use clear, short prompts to guide interventions. Examples that tend to work are: “Try saying one thing differently,” “Change your intention in this moment,” or “Show me a physical choice that shifts the balance.” These prompts keep focus on action and intention rather than on disclosure.
When a student takes a role, name the technique you are using so participants can learn the terms. For example, “You are practising a reversal” or “You are testing an assertive interruption.” Naming helps the class externalise judgement and to see tasks as skill development rather than personality critique.
Plan a few scaffolded techniques for when interventions stall. You might offer role support where another student plays a neutral bystander, or use a “freeze and coach” pause where the actor freezes and the audience suggests one line or one gesture. Use the facilitator’s voice sparingly and as a scaffold, not as a direction centre.
Keep language problem-focused rather than person-focused. Encourage prompts like “What could be done to change the power here?” rather than “Why did you do that?” This helps students focus on actions and consequences, which tends to feel safer and more constructive.
Safeguarding and ethical boundaries
Before doing Forum Theatre with young people, clarify safeguarding limits with the school leadership. Decide which topics are unsuitable for the group’s developmental stage and what procedures will follow if a disclosure occurs. Make these arrangements explicit to students in an accessible way.
Offer multiple ways to participate. Some students may prefer to be audience members, scriptwriters, or rehearsers rather than take an on-stage role. Normalising non-performance participation can reduce pressure and still provide learning opportunities through observation and reflection.
Use the “right to pass” as a routine part of the process. Phrase it as a practice rather than a concession: everyone may choose not to act in a moment without explanation. Combine that with a low-cost alternative: a student can suggest a line, coach, or nod from the wings instead of taking the role.
Monitor emotional intensity through slow check-ins. After an energetic scene, pause and watch for signs of distress: silence, sudden disengagement, or angry humour. Offer a brief settling activity such as simple breathing or a physical reset before moving to discussion. If a student becomes upset, follow the agreed safeguarding steps and, where possible, provide a quiet space and an adult point of contact.
Over time, small adjustments to the conditions around this can make the skill feel more accessible.
Debrief methods that respect learning and wellbeing
A useful debrief separates drama analysis from personal processing. Start with descriptive questions about the scene: “What happened?” Then move to analytical questions: “Where did power shift?” Finish with reflective, action-oriented prompts: “What did you notice about the strategies that worked?”
Use structured turns to give everyone a voice. For example, ask students to name one observed action, one thing they learnt about the dynamic, and one question they still have. That pattern keeps responses focussed and limits open-ended emotional labour.
Close with practical consolidation. Invite the group to create a short list of strategies that emerged in the session. Capture these in writing or on a board so students can refer back to them in later lessons. This keeps the work pedagogical and portable rather than solely experiential.
Finally, reflect on teacher positioning. Your role may shift between director, safety monitor and reflective partner. Naming that shift to students can demystify authority and model professional boundaries. Keep records of sensitive incidents and follow school policy for any disclosures.
Final notes for classroom practice
Forum Theatre can sharpen students’ ability to try alternatives in a contained way. It tends to work best when structure, consent and debrief are woven into every stage. Expect the pace to vary with different groups and allow space for small adjustments as the work unfolds.