The radical in performance: between Brecht and Baudrillard

TLDR

The book examines the crisis of contemporary theatre and celebrates subversive performance, offering a timely, rigorous critique that serves as a catalyst for new cultural politics. The study aims to link the outdated Western theatre tradition with the rise of postmodern, radical performance. By focusing on the Brecht–Baudrillard era, the author identifies resources to revitalize radical performance across diverse cultural practices.

Abstract

The Radical in Performance investigates the crisis in contemporary theatre, and celebrates the subversive in performance. It is the first full-length study to explore the link between a western theatre which, says Kershaw, is largely outdated and the blossoming of postmodern performance, much of which has a genuinely radical edge. In staying focused on the period between Brecht and Baudrillard, modernity and postmodernism, Baz Kershaw identifies crucial resources for the revitalisation of the radical across a wide spectrum of cultural practices. This is a timely, necessary and rigorous book. It will be a compelling read for anyone searching for a critical catalyst for new ways of viewing and practising cultural politics.