Nobody Knows Anything, But These Things I Guess: Great Theatre and the New Golden Age

Abstract

This article explores ideas of “Great Theatre”, linking these to notions of cultural specificity rather than universality and drawing on distinctions between objective and subjective spectatorship. Connections are suggested between recent approaches to artistic research and the ways in which live performance is viewed. Whilst not amounting to an all-out defense of relativism, the paper champions the individual's right to hold his or her views on performance in spite of a dearth of supporting critical commentary. That the individuals holding these views have an obligation to make their case in the light of resistant opinion is axiomatic, and some of the ways in which this is achieved are discussed here.