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Th Cmic AgThigs Hi Sic th Foutio oPomc Stuis
a l a n r e a d
It is with th tm theatre , v the stage , i Ag. I hop tht’s c s tim i. Wh I ws
mi tht I wt to sk som qustios bout th itviw o my st possoship c
cut ch o pomc stuis. This shot go, I ws sk by mit tht histoi,
ssy is my st ttmpt t puttig togth with is ybow, whth my ppoch to
som mtis I hv b wokig o ov th histoic stuy i my moogph Theatre and st h-y sic comptig muscipt Everyday Life ws ot mo o th si o picy
with sub-tit tht us: The Last Human th custom i ou ms sposib
Venue . I tht ws, s it impis, xpotio o bhviou. I m i tht, s Johy Dpp sys
st thigs, possib igs, xtictios i Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest ,
pobms o ppc, th this mti is I s th cssy cutio i puig
mo to o with st thigs, wht th Romi pigig tim-ms ss s u mo s
wit E. M. Cio oc c The Trouble With guideline to iom citic pctic ow.
Being Born. Pomtics is th miwi to this So wh was I ysty? Bck t th Istitut
gtiv istict i fmtiv momt o Cotmpoy Ats o th st tim sic
wh it is ss qustio o skig th toub ictig th tks pogmm th i th
subjcts o quiy th o -ssocitig th 1990s. Hmio, my youg ught, ow 8
tios o thi itsity. ys o, ws book ito wht ws scib sO thig tht both pojcts sh is th ‘wig wokshop’. I took this to b sv to
ctity o my chi to my witssig o th oc Wstmist Couci tht th ICA i
pomcs oth tht cts, th sious outch wok took th chc to
ctity o ttmpt to thik kiship, sig up, og with oth mi-css pts, to
byo miy, s wy o guig tht usiv som chp cyos pp subsiiz by th
mov om itimcy to ggmt, om th ct-Loo ispossss. I so kw th
poximity o ssocitios, which ethics scibs wou b copy o Nicos Bouiu’s cbt
quit w, to th uty o sposibiity to oths wok Relational Aesthetics i th bookshop
uth , byo o’s ow, whos ymics (th w sv) , hvig h it
politics oc cim to pst. c ov th st y t most vy
So I wi stt cos to hom, ysty, i th pomc visu ts vt I hv
cotmpoy Sto Ag, popos 40,000-y pticipt i, ci it ws my chc to jump to th st Sto Ag, th com bck it quot it to su th systmtic topicity
tows toy vi th Cmic Ag o my tit o this cotibutio to itio o
mk som simp obsvtios bout stg pomtics.
tht, spit pomc cims to th Wh w iv, w w bi by th
coty, hs somhow mi i th Sto ICA st, it bcm ppt tht this
47Performa nce Res ear ch 13 ( 2 ) , pp . 47- 58 © Tay l or & Franc i s Ltd 200 8
DO I : 1 0 . 1 0 8 0 / 1 3 5 2 8 1 6 0 8 0 2 6 3 9 2 8 4
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commuity wokshop ws ot quit wht it
pp. Hmio ws with h is Io
Isb, ogsi twty oth chi
g btw 7 9, thy w sk by st
mmb covig th wokshop pptystightow qustio: ‘Wht is this pc?’ A
bight spk si, ‘A musum,’ to which th st
mmb pi, ‘Ys, t gy.’ I most
itjct tht this might b somthig o moot
istictio, but sw Hmio givig m th
wig y, so I i’t. ‘A o you mk t?’
st mmb sk. ‘Ys,’ si th chi
uimousy. ‘A you tists?’ ‘No,’ si
most o th chi, ogttig th pmissio
gt thm som ys bo by Josph Buys.
‘Wou you ik to b tists?’ si th gow-up.
‘Ys!’ th chi ci ( ou i ptig-tist-svs cocu om th siis).
‘Right,’ th gow-up si. ‘Bo you c gt
o with you wig wokshop, w wou ik
you to spit ito two goups. O goup wi b
sk to go owstis to th gy spc,
th, without objcts o y ki, you wi b
sk to py. Who wou ik to sy somthig?’
So Hmio put up h h. ‘Wh’s th
toit?’ Hmio sk. ‘No,’ si th st
mmb, ‘I m sy somthig i th gy?’
‘W, i I c go to th toit st, I m hppy to
sy somthig t,’ si Hmio. ‘Right,’ sith gow-up, ‘you wi stp out o whtv gm
you pyig t th tim go up to sy
th oowig i to yo who coms ito th
gy uig toy: “Ho, my m is,
whtv you m is, I wou ik to c
th wok, This Success.’ O you cou sy, i you
othwis: “Ho, my m is, whtv you
m is, I wou ik to c th wok, This
Failure .’’ ‘My m’s Hmio,’ si Hmio,
with coomy o gug tht I mty
jott ow s big ihit om h moth’s
si.Dspit th ct tht this wig wokshop
h v b m, it quicky bcm
ppt to m, om this istuctio, s
isi ow msquig s outsi to th
wokigs o this istitutio, tht my ught
ws big bi to bcom pt, spkig
pt o ss, o Tio Shg wok, Tino Sehgal
2007 , th thi i his tiogy o th ICA ov
th ys scib i this wy th
igmticy i th ICA pogmm: ‘Whthcig musum gus, two pop ock i
kiss, somo witig o th oo o mpty
gy o covstio with chi, Tio
Shg’s situtio-bs pics c b s
chtig s thy isoittig.’
As pts, who ccoig to th st wou
ihibit vythig tht ws bout to hpp, w
w show th bck oo oto Cto Hous
Tc whi th shiks cis o ou
ipts cho though th buiig. W
wou b ow bck i btw 6:00 7:00
tht vig, , six hous t, to s how thigs up. This, t v wks’ cotiuous
succss iu, ws th o th wok i its
ICA om, w cou pticipt i tht ig
s w wish.
I wi v it to oths mo xpt i th
ticc o Tio Shg’s mvous wok to
mi th pomtics h, but I ws stuck by
somthig pcisy mti bout th succss
iu o this wok. A it is tht
mtiism tht I hop I hit t i my tit, Th
Cmic Ag, though h i th ICA, th
soi-stt physics I m itst i mo too with th Sto Ag.
Th vt ws big couct i bsouty
ut oom, bit obviousy chitctuy
om xhibitio spc, with whit oo
covig th omy chish scp out vi
th ot sk. Th ws its ispy o
py t wok wh w pts tu, with
vious gs o ux thticity
ppty ioct goowi-bushig o gi’s
hi (sti o objcts) cppig gms. But
mist this to-ig o-ig, wht ws
iscpb ws th oo, which ws wy tooh o its ow goo, o i o th chi
pyig o it. At o poit boy hit his
h quit h i tht sighty sickig
thu-ik wy tht uts just o’t o. It ws
pu sto, i by th gt moist chitct
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T
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J Dw i 1967, shiy ctiv o th
ctio but uogivig, th most utty tpoo-
ss oo tht you cou imgi. It ws
qui out, sc suc but o so s s
ot to pp to hv y ight o its ow o too y ms o hop to boch its
impmbiity.
A this stuck m s itstig i th
cotxt o jou issu ict to th
pomisig tm ‘pomtics’, with its ig o
coss btw pumtics pgmtics, i
which th htoics o stgig might psum
tht cti hollowness is wht suppots th
stg ctio. This is th ki o voum tht th
pomc smb Bktupp hs us to
gt ct bth th uic bchs i
thi wok coss Euop i th st two cso th twtith ctuy. But h, i th
hoow out, vs gu to tht ICA oo,
th is mit titio o xpotio tht
iks th i-stg to th potti o
voutioy cts. Th Situtioists si i
1968, ‘Bth th cobbstos th bch,’
I sy ow, ‘Bth th stg th cocoi.’ I
Lisy Aso’s ‘tomy o pubic schoo
m’ om th 1960s, If , this hoow substg
voum is th vy st o sistc o th
schoo-boy tihos. Bth th schoo stg is
hi wo withi which this ki o covyo imgitio histoy, ot to mtio th
ics o th omhy thopoogic
mchi, c b bought to ight xmi.
A it is om h tht th voutio gist
th schoo uthoitis is stg i th pt
o th m Crusaders. Th ib hmst,
whos schoo chpi Mcom McDow hs
just shot o combt xciss, is mtig out his
ow i o iscipi to McDow his
coms. Th sttig, mmob sub-stg
sc tht oows highights wht pomtiv
bou c giv is to by wy o sistc.O-stg is o thig, sub-stg is oth,
phps wothy o mo wok wh th is
voum to b xpo. I th cs o th ICA it
ws th pcis qui sity tht thw up
th sistcs o o tht y.
W, thy ouc th o th Tio
Shg pic, I ws g tht I h tk th
chc to Relational Aesthetics i th cé
uig th too, bov th ctio o my ow
chi whom I ws ot b to witss i cs Iihibit h ppsi py. Fo i tht wok
by Nicos Bouiu I ws b to stbish tht
wht Tio Shg is up to, ogsi his
cotmpois Phiipp Po, Vss
Bcot, Muizio Ctt Cst Ho,
is to o with wht Boui cs ‘itctiv,
us-iy tio cocpts’. H sks,
though xpoig this wok, ‘is it sti possib to
gt tioships with th wo’. His is
o coviviity cout sou vy much
ik th ki o sot pomtiv iht i
commuity ggmts t th igs otht pctic sic Eissti occupi
ctoy o vt i th 1920s Roussu
sk som ys bo wht th pubic might
b oig wh thy goup t th vig
mypo.
So my st mtiist mo mis m to
tk mo otic o th gou o which ctio
occus, ot cssiy to ig ito it i
hmutic tpis, th ki o
choogic mo so biity couct by
Mik Pso i th woks Theatre/Archaeology
In Comes I , but to ccout o it i my stuyo pomcs. I I m ot iitiy itst
i thigs hi i th gou, I m phps
mo itst i th wy i which cti
cocig is y uwy i th toos tht I
us to cout pomc. So I wi shit th
ocus to mtho o ‘gouig cocpts’ ow o
th pomis tht I wi tu to th mtiity
o oth tht oo by wy o cocusio.
To suggst tht th hv b thigs hi
sic th outio o pomc stuis is to
suggst tht pomc stuis hv b
‘ou’ i th st pc, tht pomcstuis somhow b to coc thigs. This
might b too cos to thopomophism o
pomc stuis o you comot, but
cts hv soci i, th ct o i is tht
iscipis hv pcuiy ctiv os. Wh
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Ry Nwm sg i his sog ‘Th Bhiv
Stt’, ‘Wht is Kss Thikig? / Wht is
Kss o?’, h ws ot skig whth Kss
h y use . I’m su B. B. Kig, Doothy om
th Wiz o Oz tht wou sog i thmusic Oklahoma bout buiigs ‘sv stois
high’ big bout s s buiig ought to go,
t us wht Kss is for : it is pc to b
stiv o. Rth wht might it stand o, wht
wou it wish to put its m to? My qustio is
ot issimi: ‘Wht is tht thikig? Wht
is pomc o?’ To wht thigs might
pomc stuis wish to put its m, i ou
m? It wou b this spitio task tht I
wou cosi th tm pomtics to scib
quit w.
Th histoy o pigm, iscipiy okowg omtio, is, s y Archaeology of
Knowledge shows, o s much o cocmts
s o vtios. A choogy its is
pocss o isitig thos thigs bout
pistmoogy tht hv bcom hi i tim.
But it hs b th commo cucy o such
sttgis to coc things, o objcts hv
wys h ccitc bout thm, om th
chmisty botoy to th physics chmb,
tht sist ou humist xpcttios. Thigs
object to ou subjctig thm to xpimt. Th
oots o th wo botoy, wo st us iEgish i 1608 ou th tim tht
Shksp ws comptig The Tempest , th
‘bou o otoy’, ocig thigs to spk, is
mi o th vioc iht to
mosttios o iscovis. So i its
cocig o thigs, pomc stuis is i
goo compy. It is o sight to iscipi to
mit its popsity to hi thigs, i oy i
o to v thm mticy with th
mgici’s xcmtio ‘o bho’. Look
bho. I this ss Rich Schch’s
Performance Studies: An Introduction is ‘book o vtios’.
But ookig is ot th h o it I .
Wh was pomc stuis ou?
Th o cos o th ist pomcs
tht wou hv b stui, thy ity
p-histoic. But it is ogic to ssum tht oc
th two-imsio igs o ‘mi stuis’
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h vop, th three dimensions o ‘iv
pomc’ wou hv b cogiz,
commt o citicy ss o thi
cotstig pth psc. To ciuy
xt Phiip Aus’s ogic, i his book Liveness, tht it ws oy t th icptio o
co tvisio tht th ‘iv’ bcm
itib s isct istict ctivity, it
ws i my viw oy t th icptio o th st
mi-sc tht pomc cou b
spt out xmi o its ic.
Th sc I m tkig bout h, coty to
Aus Bouiu, who both psum th
sc to hv somthig to o with ith
tvisios o comput tmis, ws ot th
tivy ct ivtio o th tvisio. But
o ws it s o s th Upp-Poithic cvitio t Lscux, which Gogs Bti
scib s ‘th c o humity’. Tht
chk-o w povi y i u-
iumit pototyp o th biity o hum
ims to pictu thi im quy th
to gu thmsvs s ughig t thm. Th
shm o th hut, th oy hum big
pictu i Lscux, ws thus th st pictoi
tioship btw im m. But this
ws bspok tisty, uiqu o ch
xtoiy occsio om Atmi to Pch
M. Th tctiity o this pigmt wok, thitimt tioship btw h suc,
sh mo with th pomc o ch
hutig soti th ws b to thow tht
pomtiv ctio, sto bhviou, om
o ki to th xt, ito y i. W hv o
witig o tht tioship c oy
spcut with Bti tht this phistoy is ou
histoy bcus it oucs th subjct, th I, it
announces us. Bti gus this tc o
th hum i ssuigy thtic tms:
Wht w ow cociv cy is tht th comig ohumity ito th wo ws m i two cts.
Btt sti: tht th sco ct, i which th
ssti mtts w ci, ws pc by
much vgu much og ct, which is
compb i its sowss icisiv
ppc to pio o icubtio. (2005: pp)
Rth th sc I m itst i h, o
tht ws ocumt c tho b
iscuss ssiby with cous to th
vic o histoy, tht ts us somthig bout
th outio o pomc stuis, ws thmo mo ivtio o susp tivs
i mi coou gz pouc i th
t-thous-y-o w tchoogy o th
cmic ti. It ws this ivtio, mss-
pouc mi tchoogy with th imit o
pototyp gss sc, tht ow
commttos to istiguish btw th
ptitious, th mimtic th bspok o th
st tim.
Th outio o pomc stuis, th, i
you oow my vs ogic timi,
occu i Egypt i th outh miium BC.Th N Est, with its titio o bk o
su-i bick, ws th gogphic c o
chitctu cmics. Fom th y 4000 BC
ows, Egyptis w poucig tis o
siicous, sy compositio whos suc gz
ws sti tuquois-bu with copp. Ths
tis w us to cot th jmbs o i
oowys i th Stp Pymi t Sqq, south
o Cio. This bu, o cous, ws ot bity
o moty bstct. Fo vyo who sw it,
th mi wou hv b istty
cogizb s coc with cotmpoycocptios o ivi pow t i. It
ws b. It sigi. Ths tis w
witt bout commt upo by
cotmpois, o th st tim mkig thm
out s th st ‘mi’ to b stui. Th i
gz tis us by th Assyis
Bbyois i Msopotmi btw th
thitth th th ctuis BC sm to
hv pss without co o otic.
Withi 2000 ys, by 1180 BC i th Ni Dt
t th Tmp o Medinet Habu, th tis
pictuig cptu svs o it cs,buous bsts, ims symboic sigs
omts. Th g o tiv ism
bgis h. Th vcity o th cmic suc
its pictoi tuth-to-i om ow o st o
gist thos thigs tht hpp i ot o it,
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R
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i tu sc, i poximity to th spctto ot
bbvit i siz s m by th
muctu uctio o th mss-pouc
cmic om.
Th cmic ti h th imsio,
citic o my gumt h y siouspojct tht might gow om this i toy, o
poous suc to its -si tht pomis
som sot o pmbiity with th outsi wo.
At st it ws poosity tht ow th ti to
bth with th suc to which it ws ttch,
which i tu wou commoy b w with
xtio spct tho py to th
vicissitus o chgig vs o mp
ought. So i th cmic ti w hv th
cssic boig o suc o impmb
sthtics ou o pomis o itctivity
with th viomt withi which th wok
tks its pc.
I my viw w sti optig withi th
Cmic Ag, ot just i th optig
thts om Wg i Amstm, Pu
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Upps o whom tomy thts hv bcom
ti icos o oth o spcttoi
mici.
Th Youg Vic Tht i Loo cty-op, sti u th ictio o th
cbt thopoogist Dvi L.
It cou ot hv scp Dvi’s
thopoogic y tht th oy pt o his
tht’s whoy buit itio t utouch by
th chitcts Hwoth Tompkis w th
cmic tis tht om th w o Ewi
butch’s shop itgt ito th buiig wh
oigiy buit i th 1970s.
Th tis o th butch’s shop, ik thosi i th ctuy i mo omious
suouigs coss Est Euop, w o
cous w-suit to th histoic usio tht
th booy tsitio om th i o th iv to
th th o th cou b wip c,
tabula rasa o sught ims t th o
ch busy y i th pty m stt i
Wtoo c The Cut .
Th is itt umt ic btw
th Nito DS Coso my ughts gm
with th cmic ti. Thy wigh bout thsm thi imsios opqu, miky
hu mii. Th ight ow mts om
within th sc, but th tivs
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simiy susp cos to th -si o tht
sc. A o cous thi sy viocs c b
wip c with sig most gstu coss
th suc. Th is th ts o itctivity, but
this ik most gmig is tsticyimit. It’s mi ctivity th ik
bskt-wvig wou hv b i itth-
ctuy hom o th is. A th poosity to
th wo o th ti hs b t o
spcious WiFi ik to oth gmig sbs but
itt outsi ggmt.
All pictures by Alan Read
Th tchoogy t wok h i th Nito,
th techne o mchics o vig, hs by
vc o Wiim Mog’s Victoi tis
i my oc pub. Th Tb i wst Loo,
wh tivs cotiu coss tis i
ui tmpo ymics. A it s w shot oth hights o soig Moocc mosqus.
It wou b th hoy gi o itctivity to b
i positio to ouc this momt s th end
o th Cmic Ag. Itctivity wou povi
us with th much-si gu to cosig th
cmic mo to histoy. But th is itt bout
tht its stuy, om th Gk sit o, tht
istubs this sstiy two-imsio mo
with ustous yt imptb suc
poous bck. Th tht voum cou b gus ky to th wo but oy om o si t
tim, th poscium ch ioc th
sc w i its c-o with ot-st
uic, sucs t wok th th voums
to b t.
A ctuy o thtic xpimt om thos
Eissti-ict, immsiv, ctoy pics i
th y twtith ctuy, though Gotowski’s
ow p-thtics to th cut pcht o
sit-spcic pomc hs o itt to t
th ssti c-to-c cout o th
thtic. A this spit th hoic otso J- Fcois Lyot i his Libidinal
Economy to gu pomc s cicutig
Mobi b o gtics. ‘Lookig o’
woig is th commo thtic mo o
spcttio ispctiv o cutu oigi.
It is my cottio tht it is this
impermeability , ik th gz ti, tht hs
cssitt wht Ré Gi wou hv
scib i Things Hidden Since the Foundation
of the World s cti scpgotig o th
thtic by pomc stuis s it chss
th si o sis, ivovmt i wotht it sks to cov whi hiig th sistcs
it couts to occuptio.
I wou gu this s th recalcitrance o th
tht th iscipi wishs to t,
ccitc tht o y ss quti i
th xpsioist phs o iscipis. Th
ccitc o psychoogy to phoogy, th
sistc o stoomy to stoogy th
scpticism o poitic mtiists to
phomoogy wig sigs o us h i
og-stbish tht wou pp to hv
wcomig subjcts wh it is i ct igsomtims summiy with pcious objcts.
Phps i spos to this sistc to this
coomy o pouctio uic cts,
pomc stuis wys, om its ist
ys i 4000 BC, gu vts s pivig t
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th poit t which thy coou this ppt
istcig. Mo cty, i th t g o
Pomc Stuis, th ttctio o
thopoogy (i wht hs b scib s th
‘Schch momt’) psychoytic thoy(i its ‘Ph momt’), two mos o
ustig tht vu mbss,
pticiptio th goic itpttio
o th hi o pss, is iictiv o this
ug o poximity. At st ths hmutics
ouc ggmt with th ‘ss k’ i
ot th .
Pomc stuis’ itst i pocsss s
cotstig s g pctics itu
cmoi, i my ow itst i th
thopoogic mchi, th chitctu
costuctio o spch sits thpomtivity o th Fui ‘tkig cu’,
sh ivstmt i thi voumtic quity,
th ou quity tht c pp to b t
ito, th pomis o itctivity u. Th
is ss i which pomc stuis hv
wys wt to join in, ot to ook o. Hc
th ccitt, booy-h i ot -mi
obucy o Tio Shg’s ICA oo pic to
pomc thought. Pomtics hv us
th tmioogy o pticipt obsvtio
thputic iogu to impy th itctiv
quity o this pctic.This mphsis is s og s it is ot
mistk o poitics. It is simpy th
pticiptoy htoic mbic o iscipi
tht vop ov sv thous ys i
tsio with th omit mo o istc
sthtic sig ig tht pc it t
th outst o th Cmic Ag. A whi it hs
wcom fmtiv spct, cobotiv soci
, it quis sythtic coict thoy to ct
upo to o its wok. To giv its wok ss o
mtic tsio byo th obvious obsvtio
tht, with oo tht s, th is oughsistc to go ou.
Th mchoy mbic o psycho
yticy iom sti o pomc
stuis with its scitio with th,
isppc phmity cot st i
o th osss, suig supuous vis
tht Ai Ophi hs chctiz s ou cut
coitio o cisis i wo poitics. A mti
ivtoy o oss wi v b w up s og
s th iscipi o pomc quiy gusits s iity mutb, uwiig to positio
its t th isk o big poiticy itib
othoox. Whi pomc stuis is
uusu i its sistc to its ow coiztio,
its wiigss to susti th tsy o its ow
coictu tu with tht ti o w hos
‘th stg’ msks mo impott coicts
swh.
My cottio though this ssy, is tht
Pomc Stuis, i it wishs to tk th
chc to cogu its though s c
pomtics, might coc its mo ctivywith th og histoic mti coitios o
st o ‘ib coitios’ tht tmi th
‘istibutio o th ssib’, s th Fch
phiosoph Jcqus Rcié scibs th
poicig o thos who c s, spk o ist i
y pticu soci gim. Asthtics
poitics wh this istibutio mks th imits
o pticiptio. I my st ig-tst t
schoo, t 11 ys o g, I ch th bottom
i but mispoouc th wo mtmor phosis
s mtmo-phosis. I ws soy tht I ws st
bck to my sk bo I h th chc to sy myvouit wo: iiosyccy. My poitic
ittio is to xpo th tioship btw
th ib o pomc withi th soi-
stt mti o its stgig s sigi by th
sity o th oo with o tp-oo, whi
sistig th ug to mk psumptious iks
btw pomc poitics tht simpy
cot ho up to y sious scutiy.
I this pojct, which I couct i som
ti i Theatre, Intimacy and Engagement: The
Last Human Venue , I tk my sttig poit om
th st i o Augusto Bo’s smi wok Theatre of the Oppressed : ‘Thos who ty to
spt tht om poitics ty to us ito
o – this is poitic ttitu.’ My
cottio is tht it is oy by sptig tht
om poitics tht thi potti tios c b
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iz. Th o hs pcisy b to v
ths two tms bo i tsy o
xpcttio hop whi ptoisig thm
both with th commistio o iu. I
pomc stuis sts out om ywh, it isom th p-coitio o coogic quity, tht
is, om th possibiity tht pviousy
iscout objcts, thigs, mtis, ims,
mts, wi civ tttio icusio i
xp coctiv tht tks sious otic
o oucmt m som ys go om
withi ou , gig th ‘ o
humism’.
It is i this spct tht th sity o th ICA
oo, th img-stut cvous Lscux
cv th Youg Vic uitoium might b
bought ito cuious igmt by wy o pgmtic cocusio. Ech ws bought to mi
th oth vig wtchig th p-mit UK
chitctu piz big w t th
Rouhous i Loo. Th spctc o th
buiig goo-sig guu Kvi McCou
tottig out tht ti o ti-thtic
pjuic i his itouctio to th Youg Vic
Tht sgmt o Ch 4’s tvisio
covg ws b ough. His ws tht this
tht wou somhow com his suspicio
bout vythig tht is wog with tht
its pop. But to s tht pjuic compouby th tistic icto o th Youg Vic, Dvi
L, ws cuious i. Th oy thig h cou
sy to cm bout this tismic sit o
cotmpoy tht ws tht h cosi th
bui succss wh h witss two pop
i ‘sious smooch’ o so i th b.
This Dioysi vtio ws git o
McCou who with smik commt o th
tht s gt pc to sog. But w h ot
s th tht t this poit o th pogmm,
w w ot mt to. W w stuck i th
b, s though th bst thig to sy bout thispojct ws it ct s soci ubict –
without th psig ioy tht Tio Shg
bigs to thos kissig i th gy spc
to i. W, th my xct
bs i Loo, th pomc cooptiv
Shut us o u Loo Big, tht
much btt pcs to sog. With 30-sco,
tioy bocst soubit to , this ws
ot th to py o. It ws s though th
mockig, ughig gu o th st cvpitigs h oc gi ss thmsvs i
th c o siousy chgig it, it tht
Dvi L s ccompish thopoogist
hs o so much to scu, ot to scic o
th sk o sy soci ssocitio.
Fo th Youg Vic to iv t th top tb o
ittio chitctu i th guis o th
Stiig Piz is ot to succumb to this
comptitio’s ow tic tms o c. But
to b bt out so otssy, s it ivitby
ws, by musum o mo ittu i
Gmy ws ioic i o thtthusists whoy comig o thos
pomc spciists who c th
istitutio o th stg bkupt mo th
ctuy go. Th Mbch musum is ig i
its quottio o totiti chitctu om,
but it cou b ythig. It os ot hv to b s
it is, housig s it os chiv objcts
muscipts tht c b witss i vity o
wys.
But th sious bsc o th uitoium om
th Youg Vic sgmt o th Stiig piz show
t voi t th ht o th pogmm pvt oooks om jugig i y ssib
wy th cims o this tht to chg its
comptitio. Th uitoium is ot vythig,
but th pomic o th b th butch’s
shop tc i th psttio o th Youg
Vic ws tig. As tig s my ow ti
ivsios h i this t Cmic Ag.
Th ws othig to show. Tht might wys
b th cs with thts, without th show h
is o show, tht uitoiums i this ss
wys isppoit th TV cm ookig o its
ow m. But i th cs o th Youg Vic, thisbsc his mbssig ity. Th
vu, so citic to th ct histoy o Bitish
tht, hs b cov i its ct bui
wh it shou hv b comphsivy
-imgi. Th sity o th oo, hgig s
R
e
a
d
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T
h
e
C
e
r
a
m
i
c
A
g
e
it os bov mshy, upictb p
gou, tis its outio oc whi
scicig y ibty withi its stiig
iss.
I th cs o th Roy Cout i So Squ,th stotio pojct o th sm ptship,
Hwoth Tompkis, ws ustb
ppopit. A poscium ch tht
iocs its pow i wys tht mig wi
ot impov. This ovtio ticc ws th
gt succss o th pojct mis
sious psu o who visit i ics
umbs comot sic its hbiittio.
I th cs o th Youg Vic, th mt
hightig o th uitoium is ixpicb i
its mosty cosvtism. Wh th suk,
coct-w uitoium o th Youg Vic wsoigiy buit i Th Cut, it ct th
zitgist o its momt. It ws s soi-stt s
th ICA oo tht pc it by w ys. But
to hv mimick tht momt, s th Youg Vic
hs b oc to o, is to hv siousy ost
v t momt o potti icism
iovtio, which cou hv stoo s sious
momt o chg to thos who hv too
ighty, om pomc stuis quts,
ouc th th o th utho thi
txts. Whi Puchuk, Shut oth youg
compis i Loo siousy ivtigth scop o ou thtic soci
imgitios whi ogttig tht compx
systms tht sigiy hv th quity o txts, th
Youg Vic might , with ss tishism o th ct
pst, hv gsp this oppotuity to ook
ows ot bck. Dow os ot cssiy
hv to m out.
A ow ( bck) it suy is: th mi
uitoium is ppty much ov, but it
mimicks tht pst with its stoi, si
ixibiity. Th Youg Vic ow is th 1970s
Youg Vic th, with bs whists, whichmks it cos to mi g ot tht youg.
Tht is ost oppotuity o tht th
bsc o imgs om th itio o th
uitoium t th Stiig Piz psttio
cctut too buty. Th tht sts
t cossos tht th mgc o th
tgoistic ms o c xmpi by
pomc stuy mk. A cossos tht wi
b cogiz s quivt to th momt, mo
th ctuy go, wh th gt Fk Mtchm took coto voutioiz Bitish
tht chitctu om th Pc Tht t
th s-si i Wstci to th Lyic Tht
Hmmsmith.
Th chitctu ofc o Hwoth Tompkis
hs b ighty cbt by jouists
sympthtic to tht’s chgig cus, but
with th w Livpoo Evym to com om
this pctic th is sti mo to py o.
Rcogitio gtitu is timy, giv th
pous stt o tht chitctu i th ys
bo this otty-c momt. But thisspct shou ot tu to hgiogphy t th
vy momt wh th is so much to gi.
Th Youg Vic, tht pch o th g o
vy ccommotig so, ccoig to its
tistic icto, shou ot hv b so siy
ismiss s so- i this ittio
gthig o chitcts. W h othig iv to
cm om Kvi McCou bout y o th
cits xcpt o th cuiousy ivt
ct tht th Hwoth Tompkis tb t th
Rouhous cmoy h got though w
botts o wi. Pyig to th pjuics o thpst tht th tht h tu up o
ivoousy goo tim, whi th sious
hvywight mbitios o chitcts such s
Dvi Chipp took th £20,000 goois o
th psvtio o th pst, ws too obvious to
b uy. O Littu 1, Nw Tht 0. Th o
stoy i oth wos. A, bo it cows its
ot-pt si wig bout tht big
th xtict stig qutt o oth ctuy,
pomc shou c tht it is ot v
ivit to th vt. Its ck o chitctu might
b wo s bg o pipttic pi, but itsimpy mks th utt mbivc th
cotmpoy city hs h o th pt to
tgic tht’s ub sigicc.
Ay pomc stuis woth its st wou,
i my viw, hv to ccout ot oy o its
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commo subjcts (iti histoicy
with y to victim-sttus by c, css
itity) but i th spiit o th moctic
mtiism vop i this ssy bgi to
thik though pctic th coitioiggous o ths iquitis. Subjcts cot i
o thmsvs t us vy much bout th
tios o pouctio tht gv is to thm.
Tht th tht hs ct s th st hum
vu o ths xpotios shou ot pivig
it i th o o pomtics’ oth oth,
cctic xt-thtic itsts. But ith
shou it y th coct stg its u wight,
giv tht this voum is simpy th s 1970s
vsio o wht hs titioy b gu s
hoow somhow icpcitt by th
ms o pomc’s s. Th physicityo pomc h os ot to th o
biy o boy mi, pcticig tist
thikig obsv, but th to th pcis
mti coitios withi which
pomc os its wok. Th Cmic Ag
withi which th htoics o pomc sti
opts, ppty obsvb suc with
th pomis o itctivity somwh
bhi, is ot mtpho but physic
coitio tht pomtics sti hs to gt to
gips with, i oy to th sippiss o its
uig, ppty pmt pmbiity.
r e f e r e n c e s
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Mediatized Culture , Loo Nw Yok: Routg.
Bti, Gogs (2005) The Cradle of Humanity,
ts. Mich K Stut K, Nw Yok:Zo Books.
Bo, Augusto (1979) The Theatre of the Oppressed ,
ts. Chsw A. Mi-Oii L McBi,
Loo: Puto Pss.
Bouiu, Nicos (2002) Relational Aesthetics, ts.
Simo Psc Foz Woos, Pis: Ls Psss
u Ré.
Cio, E.M. (1998) The Trouble With Being Born,
ts. Rich How, Nw Yok: Ac.
Gi, Ré (2003) Things Hidden Since the
Foundation of the World , ts. Stph B
Mich Mc, Loo: Cotiuum.Lyot, J-Fcois (1993) Libidinal Economy,
ts. Ii Hmito Gt, Loo: Atho Pss.
Ophi, Ai (2005) The Order of Evils: Toward an
Ontology of Morals, ts. R Mzi Hvi C,
Nw Yok: Zo Books.
Rciè, Jcqus (2005) The Politics of Aesthetics,
ts. Gbi Rockhi, Loo: Cotiuum.
R, A (2007) Theatre, Intimacy & Engagement:
The Last Human Venue , Bsigstok: Pgv
McMi.
Schch, Rich (2006) Performance Studies: An
Introduction, Loo Nw Yok: Routg.
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