The importance of space in the avant-garde theatre of Castellucci and Cunningham

Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash

Avant-garde in its noun form refers to “an intelligentsia that develops new or experimental concepts especially in the arts.”¹ And translated from the French the phrase literally means “fore-guard.” The avant-garde is at the forefront of theatrical experimentation, as well as experimentation in the wider arts. Avant-garde practitioners explore the possibilities in their art forms, with theatrical practitioners pushing the boundaries of traditional theatre. This ranges from the stage space to the scenography, to the movement, and to the location of performance. An important feature of avant-garde theatre is the way in which space is utilised; through the use of space, whether on stage or in a location, a practitioner can communicate meaning and purposeful purposelessness. Though the avant-garde moves away from text-based works there can still be a sense of meaning in the way a scene is presented to the spectator. For this essay, the author shall examine the works of two avant-garde practitioners in relation to their use of space.

A review of Romeo Castellucci’s production of Salome contains the following statement: “What secrets would these [visuals] impart? Any help would be welcome because Castellucci only offers riddles.”² The author believes that this encapsulates the oeuvre of this theatre creator. Though…