ABSTRACT
Over the last fifteen years there has been a major change in attitudes towards outdoor theatre. Even as late as the end of the 1970s, street performers were being arrested and charged with begging or obstruction. Although local authorities still try to keep a tight control on the place, timing and quality of casual buskers, many cities, particularly tourist centres, have allowed them space to perform. When the Pompidou Centre in Paris was designed to include a space specifically suitable for street entertainers a milestone was reached and other cities gradually followed suit. It became recognised that busking can improve the atmosphere of uninspiring modern shopping centres by providing something colourful, lively and out of the ordinary. Prearranged outdoor performances are actively encouraged and may well be paid for by local authorities. Many festivals, all over Europe, are organised exclusively for street theatre and most international cultural events have their street theatre contingent. There is an ever-increasing demand for outdoor theatre and gradually its contribution to the arts is becoming recognised. Newspapers have even begun to review outdoor theatre in the same way as they do indoor theatre, although some prejudice still remains.
