Theatre Journeys. Migration and Tourism in Contemporary Performance

Abstract

The article examines various theatrical experiences dealing with the theme of travel, in relation to its double meaning of migration and tourism. The connection between theatre and travel concern several dimensions. From the metaphorical one, to the wandering attitude of theatre companies and to the ethnographic vocation of the 20th-century avant-garde. By combining reflections coming from the mobility turn (Sheller e Urry 2006; Cresswell 2010; Elliott e Urry 2010; Sheller 2018; Musarò e Moralli, 2019) and the ethnographic turn (Clifford 1988; Foster 1996; Rutten et al. 2013; Grimshaw e Ravetz 2015), we will observe how theatre artists can expand the understanding of the social practices of contemporary mobility through their theatrical research as well as through their lived experiences. The article will then trace several cases in which migration and/or tourism act as a dramaturgical trigger for reflective practices on theatre and politics, expressed through the participatory character of some of the works examined. More specifically, the theme of migration will be observed through the works of Ateliersi, Teatro delle Albe, Motus, Davide Enia, while the touristic dimension will be explored by looking at the performances Menoventi and Kepler 452.