Abstract: Feltham, R. (2013) "A Critical Stage for Learning? Efficiency and Efficacy in Workplace Th

The use of actors and Applied Theatre methods for management and leadership workplace training has become increasingly common. Organisations have sought to obtain competitive advantage by drawing on theatre methods to enable staff to perform their work roles in a context of rapid and fundamental change to work practices and structures. In this article, the impact of the use of a specific form of theatre-based learning is explored through a case study with the insurance provider Friends Provident. This case study presents a nuanced picture of the impact of theatre in this context. Whilst the use by business of this form of theatre may be driven by imperatives for efficiency, in practice it was found that a unique space can be generated in which participants can express and address the tensions of organisational life. I suggest this article will be of interest to researchers concerned with approaches to training in leadership and management, as well as scholars from the fields of applied theatre and acting.

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