Overview

This timely work addresses the reshaping of theatre and performance after postmodernism. It provocatively argues that subsequent to (and in some instances renouncing) the 'classic' postmodern tropes of detachment, irony and contingency, theatre and performance events in the 21st Century engage more overtly with meaning, politics and society û and entail certain sorts of commitment. And they involve a pronounced form of personal experience, often implicating the body and/or one's sense of self. The book features analysis of many performance events, drawn from a range of international outputs. These include work by internationally significant and emergent companies and directors such as Guy Cassiers, Rimini Protokoll, C de la B and Richard Maxwell, Elevator Repair Service, Kris Verdonck, Anthony Neilson and Punchdrunk. It also examines a wider range of cultural phenomena û including online social networking, reality TV programmes, sports events and charity galas û where principles of performance are in play. It represents a compelling and provocative resource for anybody interested in discovering how performance theory can be applied to cutting-edge culture, and indeed the world around them.