ABSTRACT
The post-show Q&A is a fixture in most theatres’ offer to audiences. But a different conversation about theatre is possible, one that rethinks the hierarchies of such dialogues. Discussions happen all the time in the bar, among friends: but what kinds of social shifts become possible when they take place between strangers? How might a performance allow people to speak across difference, to cultivate social awareness, empathy for others and an expanded political imagination? This Short focuses on one such format, Theatre Club, hosted by the author since 2012. It uses memorable statements made by participants to reflect on the social practice of criticism.
