Theatre in the Dark: Shadow, Gloom and Blackout in Contemporary Theatre

Author:   Adam Alston (Goldsmiths University of London, UK) ,  Martin Welton (Queen Mary University of London, UK)
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN:  

9781474251181


Pages:   304
Publication Date:   27 July 2017
Format:   Hardback
Availability:   To order   Availability explained
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Theatre in the Dark: Shadow, Gloom and Blackout in Contemporary Theatre


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Overview

Theatre in the Dark: Shadow, Gloom and Blackout in Contemporary Theatre responds to a rising tide of experimentation in theatre practice that eliminates or obscures light. It brings together leading and emerging practitioners and researchers in a volume dedicated to exploring the phenomenon and showcasing a range of possible critical and theoretical approaches. This book considers the aesthetics and phenomenology of dark, gloomy and shadow-strewn theatre performances, as well as the historical and cultural significances of darkness, shadow and the night in theatre and performance contexts. It is concerned as much with the experiences elicited by darkness and obscured or diminished lighting as it is with the conditions that define, frame and at times re-shape what each might ‘mean’ and ‘do’. Contributors provide surveys of relevant practice, interviews with practitioners, theoretical reflections and close critical analyses of work by key innovators in the aesthetics of light, shadow and darkness. The book has a particular focus on the work of contemporary theatre makers – including Sound&Fury, David Rosenberg and Glen Neath, Lundahl & Seitl, Extant, and Analogue – and seeks to deepen the engagement of theatre and performance studies with what might be called ‘the sensory turn’. Theatre in the Dark explores ground-breaking areas that will appeal to researchers, practitioners and audiences alike.

Full Product Details

Author:   Adam Alston (Goldsmiths University of London, UK) ,  Martin Welton (Queen Mary University of London, UK)
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint:   Methuen Drama
Weight:   0.481kg
ISBN:  

9781474251181


ISBN 10:   1474251188
Pages:   304
Publication Date:   27 July 2017
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order   Availability explained
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

Table of Contents

Introduction: ‘the dark draws in’, by Adam Alston (University of Surrey, UK) and Martin Welton (Queen Mary University of London, UK) Part One: Dark Aesthetics Chapter 1 ‘Harnessing shadows: A historical perspective on the role of darkness in the theatre’, by Scott Palmer (University of Leeds, UK) Chapter 2 ‘Melting into air: Dining in the dark, reification and the aesthetics of darkness’, by Adam Alston (University of Surrey, UK) Chapter 3 ‘Creating in the dark: Conceptualising different darknesses in contemporary practice’, by Liam Jarvis (Analogue/Royal Holloway University of London, UK) Part Two: Dark Phenomena Chapter 4 ‘Aural visions: sonic spectatorship in the dark’, by Lynne Kendrick (Central School of Speech and Drama, UK) Chapter 5 ‘Darkness, perceptual ambiguity and the abyss’, by Tom Espiner and George Home-Cook (Sound & Fury), in interview with Adam Alston and Martin Welton Chapter 6 ‘Missing rooms and unknown clouds: Darkness and illumination in the work of Lundahl & Seitl’, by Josephine Machon (Middlesex University, UK) with Christer Lundahl and Martina Seitl (Lundahl & Seitl) Chapter 7 ‘Staring at blindness: Pitch black theatre and disability-led performance’, by Amelia Cavallo and Maria Oshodi (Extant) Part Three: Dark Culture Chapter 8 ‘Playing with shadows in the dark: Shadow theatre and performance in flux’, by Matthew Cohen (Royal Holloway University of London, UK) Chapter 9 ‘Under the Starry Night: Darkness, community and theatricality in Iannis Xenakis’s Mycenae Polytopon’, by Marina Kotzamani (University of the Peleponnese, Greece) Chapter 10 ‘In praise of gloom: The theatre defaced’, by Martin Welton (Queen Mary University of London, UK) Endnotes Bibliography Notes on Contributors Index

Reviews

Alston and Welton's important book is about theatre's relationship with darkness and its many complex allies ... the essays [are] useful for theatre scholars and practitioners at all levels. * New Theatre Quarterly *


Author Information

Adam Alston is a Lecturer in Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Surrey, UK. His research explores the aesthetics and politics of immersive theatre, and work and labour in contemporary theatre and performance. He is a founding member of Curious Directive and part of a small editorial team for Contemporary Theatre Review’s newly launched online resource. Martin Welton is a Senior Lecturer in Theatre and Performance Studies in the Department of Drama at Queen Mary University of London, UK. His research is concerned with practical and critical approaches to movement and the senses in performance. He is the author of the monograph Feeling Theatre (2011).

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