First published in 1938, The Theatre and Its Double is a collection of essays detailing Antonin Artaud’s radical theories on drama, which he saw as being stifled by conservatism and lack of experimentation. It contains the famous manifestos of the ‘Theatre of Cruelty’, analyses the underlying impulses of performance, provides some suggestions on a physical training method for actors and actresses, and features a long appreciation of the expressive values of eastern dance drama. Also included is ‘Seraphim’s Theatre’, in which Artaud attempts an actor’s application of the Taoist principles of fullness and emptiness.
This groundbreaking text is widely read throughout the world for the beauty of its style and as a source of inspiration for new drama, and will appeal to those in search of the essence of theatre.
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'This smart reissue of Victor Corti’s 1970 translation is welcome, offering a new generation access to Artaud’s vision of theatre as total art form...even after all these years, it still sends shivers down the spine.'
TLS
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Read an excerpt from
The Theatre and its Double
