ABSTRACT
Augusto Boal (1931-) is unquestionably one of the most important and influential of contemporary theatre practitioners. Early in his career he achieved critical recognition for his innovative work as playwright and director at the Arena Theatre of São Paulo. His now classic text Theatre of the Oppressed, written when the repressive political climate of Brazil in the late 1960s and early 1970s had forced him into exile, could be considered essential reading for anyone engaged with the question of whether theatre might be able to effect transformations in people’s lives. The flexibility and accessibility of Boal’s methods have encouraged widespread dissemination. Theatre of the Oppressed techniques have been applied, adapted and reinvented by practitioners all over the world. Directly and indirectly, his practice has entered contexts as diverse as political protest, education, therapy, prison, health, management and local government, as well as infiltrating the mainstream theatre establishment – and the list goes on.
