Rancière’s theatrocracy within and beyond the theatre

Jacques Rancière’s writing over the last fifty years offers a range of ways of reflecting on both the art form of theatre and of performance more broadly. The relationship between spectator and artwork, so central to much performance and theatre theory, has been core to his writing on aesthetics. And although Rancière has engaged directly with theatre less frequently than with other art forms, an interest in theatricality and performativity runs throughout his work to the extent that Peter Hallward (2006) has described his work as proposing a “theatrocracy”. This collection was inspired by the implications of his interest in theatre, but also by the high level of interest many theatre and performance scholars have taken in his work. In this collection, we have sought to incorporate writings covering his work from a range of perspectives. We have sought to consider how the notion of theatrocracy in his work might enhance understanding of the potential and limitations of his wider philosophical project. We have also sought to consider how his ideas might be applied to and illuminate understanding of theatre, both generally as an art form and in relation to specific theatrical examples. Finally, we have sought to consider how specific examples of theatre and performance both within and beyond the theatre might in turn enrich understandings of his writing.

This is the author accepted manuscript of a chapter published in final form as: Fryer, Nic (2021) Rancière’s theatrocracy within and beyond the theatre. pages. 1-14, In: Rancière and Performance edited by Fryer, Nic and Conroy, Colette, 2021, reproduced by permission of Rowman & Littlefield. The final published version is available at: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538146576
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