The Total Text

Hans-Thies Lehmann wites in Postdramatic theatre (2006) that "Theatre is no longer a mass medium. To deny this becomes increasingly ridiculous, to reflect on it increasingly urgent." (P.27) Lehmann is writing about a post 1960's era where the text no longer takes a central role in making theatre, since we are no longer a text-based culture.. He useas a term, total text, that refers to how the entire perfromance is made up through its many elements.

This project, for a more national theatre is about extending the periphery of the existing National Theatre on London's south bank. It's about breaking down the heirarchical structure in which theatre is made, handing control back to the individual in their local situation.

Jerry Grotowski wrote that "The essential concern is finding the proper spectator-actor relationship for each type of performance and embodying the decision in physical arrangements. (Towards a poor theatre 1968. P.20)

These texts have been vital in making up a strong argument for this project and have heavily informed many of the smaller decisions being made. A realisation this week came about an essential element to the final product's roll.

I have been struggling with the project for a few weeks. The hard part was getting my head around how a temporary theatre set up can acknowlege the specific site, whilst not encroaching on the design elements. In other words, the focus of the work needs to be much more about the audience than it does about trying to produce some kind of kit that can assist the performer and the performance, as this would be dealt with by the many artists who chose to participate eventually anyway.

The work throughout January will be a series of small 'tests' to get sharpen up and practically inform a few ideas that are waiting in the pipeline about audience and essentially how the (architectural) features can inform the relationship between actor and spectator, (Intimacy and engagement) whilst also meeting the practical needs of a spectator upon arrival to a performance event. Keep checking back throughout the month for film clips and images.