Theatre in the Dark

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.

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).

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