Theatre in the Dark: Shadow, Gloom and Blackout in Contemporary Theatre responds to a rising tide of experimentation in theatre practice that eliminates or obscures light. It brings together leading and emerging practitioners and researchers in a volume dedicated to exploring the phenomenon and showcasing a range of possible critical and theoretical approaches.

This book considers the aesthetics and phenomenology of dark, gloomy and shadow-strewn theatre performances, as well as the historical and cultural significances of darkness, shadow and the night in theatre and performance contexts. It is concerned as much with the experiences elicited by darkness and obscured or diminished lighting as it is with the conditions that define, frame and at times re-shape what each might ‘mean’ and ‘do’.

Contributors provide surveys of relevant practice, interviews with practitioners, theoretical reflections and close critical analyses of work by key innovators in the aesthetics of light, shadow and darkness. The book has a particular focus on the work of contemporary theatre makers – including Sound&Fury, David Rosenberg and Glen Neath, Lundahl & Seitl, Extant, and Analogue – and seeks to deepen the engagement of theatre and performance studies with what might be called ‘the sensory turn’. Theatre in the Dark explores ground-breaking areas that will appeal to researchers, practitioners and audiences alike.

Alston and Welton's important book is about theatre's relationship with darkness and its many complex allies ... the essays [are] useful for theatre scholars and practitioners at all levels. * New Theatre Quarterly *
Argues persuasively for the material, historical, cultural, and interpersonal significance of darkness in performance. * Theatre and Performance Design *

Adam Alston is a Lecturer in Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Surrey, UK. His research explores the aesthetics and politics of immersive theatre, and work and labour in contemporary theatre and performance. He is a founding member of Curious Directive and part of a small editorial team for Contemporary Theatre Review’s newly launched online resource.

Martin Welton is a Senior Lecturer in Theatre and Performance Studies in the Department of Drama at Queen Mary University of London, UK. His research is concerned with practical and critical approaches to movement and the senses in performance. He is the author of the monograph Feeling Theatre (2011).