The work of Augusto Boal has had a tremendous impact on contemporary theatre. This volume looks at the scope of Boal's career - from his early work as a playwright and director in Sao Paulo in the 1950s, to the development of his groundbreaking manifesto in the 1970s for a "Theatre of the Oppressed". Augusto Boal will be fascinating reading for anyone interested in the role that theatre can play in stimulating social and personal change.

Routledge Performance Practitioners is a series of introductory guides to the key theatre-makers of the last century. Each volume explains the background to and the work of one of the major influences on twentieth- and twenty-first century performance.

These compact, well-illustrated and clearly written books will unravel the contribution of modern theatre's most charismatic innovators. This useful study combines:

· A biographical and historical overview of Boal's career as playwright and director

· In-depth analysis of Boal'sclassic text on radical theatre, The Theatre of the Oppressed

· Exploration of training and production techniques

· Practical guidance to the Theatre of the Oppressed workshop methods

As a first step towards critical understanding, and as an initial exploration before going on to further, primary research, Routledge Performance Practitioners are unbeatable value for today's student.</P>