ABSTRACT

Often associated with the innovative and experimental, devised performances have frequently marked both the restrictions and possibilities of theatre as a mode of cultural production. The practice of devising has been instrumental in enabling theatre-makers to develop artistically satisfying ways of working by stretching the limits of established practices and reshaping their creative processes. By questioning orthodoxies, devised performance has set new challenges for both audiences and performers and has thereby made a significant and enduring contribution to the contemporary theatrical landscape. This book offers an investigation into the practices, processes and principles of devising performance that have shaped and continue to inform this energetic aspect of theatre.