Reactions
Fawlty Towers had a central thread of the master-servant relationship between Basil Fawlty, the hotel owner and the Spanish waiter-cum-porter, Manuel. Their comedy depended on the plot, which always involved things going disastrously wrong, but their interactions were usually physical and violent.
Think about reactions. In stage fighting, the audience is persuaded to believe that the victim is really hurt, by his reaction to the supposed injury. In a similar way, if something comic has happened on stage, remember that the physical reactions of others can define the moment for the audience. Sometimes, of course, subtle reactions are needed but if you鈥檙e playing big and bold comedy, use big and bold reactions!
Moving in relation to others
When you鈥檙e onstage, you鈥檒l mostly move in response to the movement or at least the presence of others. Therefore, it鈥檚 vital that you鈥檙e able to communicate well and have a rapport with other performers.
In Physical theatre in particular, you're likely to be working with others in a very deliberate, possibly synchronised way. You might be working in a group to represent a barrier that has to be overcome. You could be joining with others to represent the furniture in a room that another character enters.
One of the most extreme examples of moving in relation to others is stage fighting, where it's the 鈥榲ictim鈥 who makes the punch or kick look real, by their reaction, even though the attacker won鈥檛 have actually touched them.