Examining the development of avant garde theatre from its inception in the 1980s to the present day, Christopher Innes discusses primitivism, the motivating force in modern theatre and theatrical experimentation. What links the work of Strindberg, Artaud, Brook and Mnouchkine is an idealization of the elemental and a desire to locate ritual in archaic traditions. This widespread primitivism, Innes argues, is the key to understanding both the political and aesthetic aspects of modern theatre and provides fresh insights into contemporary social trends.