The Documentary Aesthetic in Irish Theatre, 2010–2020

This book examines the emergence of documentary theatre in Ireland during the 2010s, linking this to a combination of political crises and societal changes in an increasingly experimental and adaptable Irish theatre landscape. The book observes a flourishing of the ‘documentary aesthetic’: a term referring to the appearance of reality, urgency and direct relevance to real-life events in theatrical productions, usually those derived from documentary sources. In this decade, Irish theatre makers have drawn upon the documentary aesthetic to link performances directly with pressing socio-political issues; their mixed application of documentary methods and other theatrical styles is a key focus of this study.

Across its four chapters, the book offers a chronological examination of key productions that exemplify the proliferation of the documentary aesthetic in Irish theatre throughout the 2010s. It analyses productions and performance texts, and features practitioner interviews within its examination of this decade. A key theme in this study is the notion of authorship, particularly within performances that include verbatim accounts of real-life experiences. The book considers the emergence of documentary theatre-making, acknowledging both the persistence of the playwright-author and the widespread embrace of collaborative and devised practice in contemporary Irish theatre. This book speaks to scholars, students and artists with an interest in documentary theatre and Irish drama.