Festivals, 'Funerals and Circuses': The impact of space and design in the construction of meaning and audience experience

Abstract

This article examines an archived Theatre for Young People (TYP) performance, Funerals and Circuses, by Magpie Theatre from South Australia. Details of this performance were included as part of a research project that considered elements of venue and design across the work of two prominent, but now vanished, TYP companies. From the data analysed within this project, Funerals and Circuses was selected as a key example of how venue, space and design were used to affect the experiences of the audience, and how the creative team utilised these to further develop the political dimensions in their work. This article will discuss these aspects of Funerals and Circuses by considering how the theatre piece constructed the physical and emotional landscape of the Australian outback, and how techniques such as promenade and 'invisible theatre' generated political meaning throughout the performance.