The Theatre and Its Double - (Theatre Makers) by Antonin Artaud (Hardcover)

About the Book

"This new translation of Artaud's canonical text from 1938 retains the idiosyncratic nature of some of the author's writing while communicating the fervour and ambition that it contained. Translated into a contemporary English that accurately conveys the detail and impact of the original, this is the first English-language version of The Theatre and its Double to be at once faithful to the original and more easy for today's readers to understand. It brings together all of the key texts that formed the 1938 Le thâeãatre et son double, including 2 texts not included in Victor Corti's established translation - 'Le thâeãatre et la culture' and 'Le thâeãatre alchimique' - as well as a translation of 'Le thâeãatre de Sâeraphin', which was intended for, but omitted from, the original 1938 publication. By including, too, a newly translated selection of Artaud's letters about the book's original publication and the author's concept of a 'theatre of cruelty', we are able to form a fuller appreciation of Artaud's objectives. The commentary further contextualizes this material within Artaud's broader oeuvre, from his collaboration with the Surrealist group through to his plans to stage his own adaptation Les Cenci in 1935. The contributions of key works of Artaud scholarship from the last two decades are summarised and contextualised, including work in the area by Adrian Morfee, Kimberly Jannarone and Stephen Barber. Additionally, a selection of Artaud's correspondence with his publisher and friends on the subject of 'cruelty' and on his ambitions for his book has been newly translated here to complement the correspondence that already exists as part of the volume. These include letters to Roger Blin, Jean-Louis Barrault, Anaèis Nin, Andrâe Rolland and Jean Paulhan. Each chapter features endnotes clarifying Artaud's numerous, often obscure allusions and references to help today's student. Ultimately, we come to understand how these writings manifest and mobilise a particular Artaudian concern for art and life to operate inseparably, and Artaud's articulation of his own ambition, placing these in the context of his practice and European mid-century practice more widely. A welcome addition any theatre-lover's or student's bookshelf, this is a much-needed opportunity to gain clear and faithful insights into Artaud's theatre"--

Book Synopsis

In The Theatre and Its Double, first published in 1938, Antonin Artaud puts forward his radical theories on drama and theatre, which he saw as being stifled by conservatism and a lack of experimentation.

Containing the famous manifestos of the 'Theatre of Cruelty', this collection of essays analyses the underlying impulses of performance, provides suggestions on a physical-training method for actors, and features a long appreciation of the expressive values of Eastern dance drama.

This new English translation of Artaud's canonical text by Mark Taylor-Batty retains the idiosyncratic nature of the author's writing, communicating its fervour and ambition, while achieving a much-needed clarity.

Through doing so, it facilitates a fuller appreciation of Artaud's artistic objectives and the original context in which they grew, aided by a newly translated set of his notes and drafts, and a selection of letters to his publisher, friends and associates concerning the book's genesis and the evolution of the concept of a 'Theatre of Cruelty'.

The commentary further contextualizes this material within Artaud's broader oeuvre, from his collaboration with the Surrealist group through to his plans to stage his own adaptation of Percy Shelley's Les Cenci in 1935.

A welcome addition to any theatre-lover's or student's bookshelf, this translation of Artaud's classic text offers clear and faithful insights into Artaud's theatre.

About the Author

Antonin Artaud (1896-1948) (author) was a French dramatist, poet, essayist, actor and theatre director, widely recognized as one of the major figures of twentieth-century theatre and the European avant-garde.

Mark Taylor-Batty (translator) is Professor of Theatre and Performance at the University of Leeds, UK. His previous publications include The Theatre of Harold Pinter (Bloomsbury, 2014), About Pinter: The Playwright and the Work (2005), Roger Blin: Collaborations and Methodologies (2007) and, co-authored with his wife Juliette Taylor-Batty, Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot (2009).