Performing change ? [Ressource électronique] : contemporary performance practices in Morocco / Cleo Jay

Doctor of philosophy : University of London : 2017

Bibliogr. 257-268

The present thesis explores dynamics between the contemporary theatre scene in Morocco and thesocial and political fieldsthrough a close analysis of selected plays and performances. Over the last two decades, Moroccan theatre has emerged as a powerful tool of contestation in the hands of a generation of young artists that had lost faith in the political process. Theatre-makers and playwrights are offering spaces for critical thought and free expression and leading debates on issues as varied as domestic violence, sexual freedom or suicide.In the context of the post-Years of Lead and of the morerecent Arab Spring uprisings,theatre is contributing to a renewed senseof political engagement in Morocco, challenging officialhistory and offering alternative visions of society. Inspired by international theatre directors such as Augusto Boal and BertoltBrecht, Moroccan theatrepractitionersare successfully creating or adapting plays that question political discourses and break social taboos, re-invigorating a theatre scene that had been deserted by audience. 4Abstract The present thesis explores dynamics between the contemporary theatre scene in Morocco and thesocial and political fieldsthrough a close analysis of selected plays and performances. Over the last two decades, Moroccan theatre has emerged as a powerful tool of contestation in the hands of a generation of young artists that had lost faith in the political process. Theatre-makers and playwrights are offering spaces for critical thought and free expression and leading debates on issues as varied as domestic violence, sexual freedom or suicide.In the context of the post-Years of Lead and of the morerecent Arab Spring uprisings,theatre is contributing to a renewed senseof political engagement in Morocco, challenging officialhistory and offering alternative visions of society. Inspired by international theatre directors such as Augusto Boal and BertoltBrecht, Moroccan theatrepractitionersare successfully creating or adapting plays that question political discourses and break social taboos, re-invigorating a theatre scene that had been deserted by audiences.I will organise my research around fiveaxes:performativity in Moroccan culture,multilingualism and the redefinition of national identity, the performance of gender and women's rights, theatre as activism, and finally the complex issues of patronage and cultural policy. I aim to investigate the relationships of co-optation and dependence that are createdbetween artists and their sponsors, whether public or private, and look at how artists negotiate these connections in order to deliver their own messages.Ultimately, I examine the power of theatre as a medium for change