Open-Air Theatre

A study of live open-air theatre and performance, focusing on Britain and Ireland and featuring extensive new interview material from contemporary practitioners alongside insights into historical theatre practices and their legacies.

This open access book is the first to provide an account of what it means to make theatre outdoors, with a focus on present day case studies in Britain and Ireland.

Historically, most theatre has taken place in the open. This rich past underpins its vibrant present, ranging from Greek and Roman amphitheatre performances to medieval mystery plays to street theatre and contemporary live art. Drawing on extensive interviews with numerous contemporary practitioners from Britain and Ireland, including Wildworks (I Am Kevin), Brokentalker (RISING) and the Theatre Royal Waterford (Where the Wildflowers Grow), this study explores the concepts of landscape, democracy, health, climate and community commonly associated with outdoor performance.

Centred around these key themes, Open-Air Theatre asks: What are the defining properties of the open-air medium? How do chance events affect the work? How do the places of performance which are open to the sky differ from the enclosed spaces of theatre buildings? How does performance in the open-air gather its audience together and create (or dissipate) a sense of community? Alongside providing an historical overview, it is ultimately revealed that in an age of ever-growing environmental concerns and political pressures, this overlooked theatrical tradition is more vital and urgent than ever.

The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by UKRI.