Memories of the futures of drama education: attempt structures, minor gestures and forced entertainment

This article suggests that Erin Manning’s notion of ‘the minor gesture’ can emerge from what Tim Etchells, artistic director of Forced Entertainment, describes as ‘attempt structures’, where performers engage with a set of performance rules in a range of ways. It does this through discussion of both the work of Forced Entertainment and Impact Theatre Cooperative. It further suggests that drama, theatre and performance pedagogy might draw on these ideas to develop a creative process which generates what Manning calls ‘memories of the future’.