Beyond Opera - sound production as theatrical action

Despite the radical developments in musical style, structure, language and syntax in the 20th-21st C , many contemporary operas still have the trappings of 19th C operatic conventions – scenic illusion, proto-naturalism, characters singing dialogue, lavish sets, and the separation of theatrical action and (hidden) musical accompaniment. By way of contrast there's a small area of music theatre which is more akin to experimental theatre and performance in its treatment of music, sound, image, action and text as equal elements towards a whole spectacle. This talk discusses some significant exponents of this approach as well as examples from my own work and my collaboration with experimental theatre practitioners and sound artists.