Mirror, signal, manoeuvre: reflections on the role of the dramaturg in contemporary performance

Using metaphors to capture the subtle interplay of strategies involved, this presentation seeks to explore different definitions of the role of the dramaturg in circulation. I attempt an analysis of analogies, approaching the role from different perspectives, and explore the role through the metaphor of Mirror Signal Manoeuvre. I ask how the role of the contemporary outside eye is evolving through practice as research and interviews with practitioners. I intersperse critical analysis with creative reflections on my own work as a dramaturg and outside eye. I attempt to determine the value of the role to a context that has only recently embraced its catalysing potential