Applied Theatre: A Journey

Jennifer Hartley takes her readers on a journey that is as gripping as it is instructive, opening up the world of applied theatre to a larger audience through her remarkable stories. She immerses us in the projects that have shaped her unique approach to applied theatre, be they in ganglands in the USA, with refugees in Africa, torture victims and their torturers in South America, youth projects in the UK or working on the worldwide problem of domestic abuse in prisons and elsewhere. Her stories open up the world of applied theatre to researchers, educators and students in the field, but this compelling book is also for those new to applied theatre.

For applied theatre to work it must, believes Hartley, defy any single definition or practice and be in constant flux so it develops with every project and the people who are involved. The work may be carefully planned but it is never predictable. This book illustrates how lives can be changed through the use of applied theatre.

Dr Hartley works nationally and internationally as an educator and director, adapting established practices and developing new approaches in applied theatre. She is the founder and director of the UK registered charity Theatre versus Oppression, which uses applied theatre to bring about positive change and development.