The theatre actor’s post-performance needs and the role of the cool-down.

Theatre actors learn and generally practice warm-up processes meant to physically and mentally prepare them for the challenges of performance. However, they neither learn nor gradually develop cool-down practices, to be utilised following theatre performances. As a result, they are often unable to recognise, verbalise or meet their post-performance needs, related to physical/emotional, mental and social exertion. Why would the immediate post-performance phase be considered important? During and following performances, theatre actors experience adrenaline rush, emotions and visceral drives (such as hunger, thirst, pain or exhaustion), regularly and up to 8 times a week, for weeks or months at a time. In addition, established cultural norms require the actors’ engagement with immediate post-performance socialisation, within personal or professional contexts, which further exacerbates their considerable exertion, especially when combined with alcohol. The lack of cool-down strategies and protocols taught at training environments, renders actors unable to recognise the significance of post-performance transitions, leaving them exposed to disturbed sleep, alcohol dependency, fatigue and burn-out. In addition to the collection and analysis of pertinent secondary sources related to the post-performance cool-down, this study engaged with contemporary professional actors in two ways. First, actors were invited to provide their conceptual understanding and practice of their warm-up and cool-down routines, in interview settings (Chapter 4). Second, actors conducted cool-down processes following theatre performances and provided their feedback in interviews (Chapter 5). Throughout this thesis, I argue that the conscious negotiation of transitions matters to actors, not only prior to the performance (warm-up) but also during their immediate post-performance phase (cool-down). Moreover, the actors’ feedback indicates that training environments could play a central role in the introducing of post-performance discourse and cool-down practice within their curriculum, in order to address this gap in training. Educating actors on the cool-down during the early stages of their training, will provide them with the confidence and agency required to develop, refine, personalise (as well as occasionally knowingly ignore) their post-performance phase as professionals, for a more sustainable and rewarding career.