Traces of Dialogue

Language, Identity and Form in European Postdramatic Theatre

Mads Thygesen

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Year: 2025
• eBook ISBN: 9781350518186
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Theatre Direction & Production

This book offers a captivating exploration of the evolving dynamics of language, dialogue and identity in modern theatre, highlighting the pioneering contributions of European playwrights Martin Crimp, Jon Fosse, Sarah Kane, Elfriede Jelinek and Roland Schimmelpfennig. The study reveals the complex interplay between written text and theatrical performance, upending traditional perceptions of language and personal identity. It demonstrates how the work of these writers serves as a catalyst for actors, directors and designers, and encourages a deep-dive into their creative processes by interrogating their boundary-pushing works. Covering the pivotal era of the 1990s and 2000s, the book considers the emergence of postdramatic theatre - in particular, the transition from conventional storylines and characters to avant-garde forms and narratives. It considers the role of language in crafting character identities and examines how contemporary textual approaches mirror and scrutinise the philosophical and aesthetic discussions of the late modern era. Ultimately, this book navigates the intricacies of modern dramaturgy and lauds the transformative potential of theatre to captivate and innovate, challenging a wide readership to re-evaluate the significance of dialogue and identity in contemporary theatre.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Halftitle Page
• Title Page
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• 1 Traces of Dialogue – Language, Subjectivity and Form in the Plays of Crimp, Jelinek, Fosse and Schimmelpfennig
• 2 Redefining Dramatic Writing with Martin Crimp’s Advice to Iraqi Women
• 3 Tracing the Genealogy of European Postdramatic Theatre
• 4 Jon Fosse and Luk Perceval – Exploring Temporal Fluidity in the Structure of a Dream Play
• 5 Redefining Epic Theatre – The Interplay of Reality and Fantasy in Schimmelpfennig’s Auf der Greifswalder Straße
• 6 An Absence of Character – On Jacob Schokking’s Staging of Subjectivity and Emotions in Martin Crimp’s Fewer Emergencies
• 7 An Examination of Language, Image and Subjectivity in Elfriede Jelinek’s Shadow. Eurydice Says through the Lens of Katie Mitchell’s Live Cinema
• Conclusion
• Bibliography
• Index
• Imprint