The Silence within the Noise: Reflections from the UK on “A Vibrant Hybridity”

Abstract

The challenge to write a response from a UK perspective to this stimulating introductory chapter is daunting. Following the twists and turns of socially engaged theater over the last 50 years or so traces a contested history; there is a rich legacy of different perspectives and complementary voices that has contributed to diverse contemporary practices in the UK. Socially engaged theater also travels, and the networks and practices Jan describes so eloquently have extended beyond national boundaries leading to dialogue between practitioners and scholars across the world. This rhizome-like activity means that sharp distinctions between practices in the UK and the US cannot always be made.