Customer Reviews
Messy, rambling pile of good ideas - By: Andrew, 03 Dec 2007 
Although true you will probably find this book largely incomprehensible to begin with, as a piece of philosophy of theatre it is actually really quite good. This is a book for enthusiasts, able readers & people who don't mind having to really think about what they are comingin contact with. Artuad's ideas are really quite 'lofty', if you know what i mean, & some have claimed they are impossible to put into practice (although I am not so sure). To really crack Artaud you need someone else to discuss it with & both of you need to have a sound point of reference; you need to know drama. If you do however, you'll find the discussions that revolve around this book throughly enjoyable & the ideas that it will bring about you should find actually pertinent to practical drama work.
Some sections are better than others, but i strongly recommend chapter 2 ('Metaphysics & the Mise En Scene") because its fantastic. I say this because during my A-level Drama course I found this section immensely importantin my understanding of the subject & our group utilised several elements of the theoryin our own production. As I understand it,in this chapter Artuad makes the argument that modern theatre is tyrannised by dialogue & the written word, at the expense of all the theatrics of the stage, which actually limits the potential emotional impact of the piece. For Artaud the stage is a concrete physical place which needs to be filled with its own concrete physical language, not simply that of words. Artaud seems to feel the purpose of theatre is to induce a massive emotional impact on the audience member which is their source of meaning, not prepared meaningin dialogue. This should give you an idea of the complexity, but at the same time quality, of Artauds ideas.
I give the book 4 stars because, although some might give it 5 for its great ideas, it is really quite unaccessible & some parts are arguably much less useful than others.
You need a reader - By: Steve W, 06 Aug 2007 
When I first read Artuad, I was completely confused. This book is writtenin metaphore & I strongly recommend that you buy a reader to guide you through. In particular, I recommend Lee Jamieson's book entitled:
Antonin Artaud: From Theory to Practice.
It really opens up new avenuesin The theatre & its Double & is an indespensible companion. Alongside Lee Jamieson's book, Artaud will change your whole view of theatre!!!
Good if you are interested in Artaud - By: K. Wallis, 06 Aug 2007 As when I bought this book I was studying Artaud, I found it incredibly useful. It is an insight into Artaud's mind as he tends to write down exactly what he is thinking, although he often contradicts himself. It is also often amusing. I feel if you are studying Artaud, or putting on a productionin Artaudian style this book is incredibly useful.
However I do not believe it would be as helpful if you are searching for tips about theatrein general as Artaud has a very unique style.
It is fascinating to see Artaud come up with ideas like street theatre without giving it a name that we now see as commonplacein main cities.
