ABSTRACT
This chapter considers theatre both as a form of literary urbanity and its specific practice/canon in the city of Johannesburg. Drawing together the material turn in literary studies and the material, embodied nature of theatre when performed, the chapter argues for theatre as a valuable mediatory tool between literary texts written about the city and the material, embodied practices of daily city life. This is both a conceptual argument as well as a proposition for an effective literary urban studies methodology. In grounding the discussion in Johannesburg, the chapter also unpacks the need for troubling the notion of centre and periphery in literary urban studies.
