Postdramatic Theatre

Newly adapted for the Anglophone reader, this is an excellent translation of Hans-Thies Lehmann’s groundbreaking study of the new theatre forms that have developed since the late 1960s, which has become a key reference point in international discussions of contemporary theatre.

In looking at the developments since the late 1960s, Lehmann considers them in relation to dramatic theory and theatre history, as an inventive response to the emergence of new technologies, and as an historical shift from a text-based culture to a new media age of image and sound.

Engaging with theoreticians of 'drama' from Aristotle and Brecht, to Barthes and Schechner, the book analyzes the work of recent experimental theatre practitioners such as Robert Wilson, Tadeusz Kantor, Heiner Müller, the Wooster Group, Needcompany and Societas Raffaello Sanzio.

Illustrated by a wealth of practical examples, and with an introduction by Karen Jürs-Munby providing useful theoretical and artistic contexts for the book, Postdramatic Theatre is an historical survey expertly combined with a unique theoretical approach which guides the reader through this new theatre landscape.

Customer Reviews:

How we got to a postdramatic world

By john farragher - January 25, 2013

It's a great introduction, which covers quite a lot of ground. Lehmann is thorough, concise, occasionally complex and difficult to follow. However the more you become a part of postdramatic theatrical practices the easier it is to understand or makes sense of what he has to say. Granted, it's not easy to follow him when he's talking about performances and groups I've not had the opportunity to experience myself but it opens one's eyes to the wealth of criticism that's available, which he has read and summarized for the benefit of novices like me.

A guide to the future

By John C. Green "John c Green" - January 3, 2007

Hans-Thies Lehmann's thesis provides a thought-provoking, bold and provocative guide to the current and emerging theatrical landscape. Essential reading for every theatrical practitioner, student and scholar in the country.