Not Even a Game Anymore. The Theater of Forced Entertainment

Eds. Judith Helmer & Florian Malzacher. Berlin: Alexander Verlag, 2004.


Forced Entertainment stands at the forefront of experimental theatre and performance, with an almost unrivalled reputation through Europe and far beyond. The group’s unmistakable aesthetic is both playful and highly reflective, at times flamboyant and extravagant, at others puritan and reductive. The British ensemble has captivated theatre lovers and specialists alike for twenty years. Best known for their performances lasting from two to twenty-four hours, the group has also created fascinating and idiosyncratic projects in installation, interactive CD-ROM, video and text.

This bilingual publication is the first in-depth attempt to address the group’s haunting and original work from the outside; combining essays with academic and artistic reflections on their multi-faceted output in a single volume.

With contributions by Patricia Benecke, Tim Etchells, Matthew Goulish, Adrian Heathfield, Judith Helmer, Hans-Thies Lehmann, Florian Malzacher, Annemarie Matzke, Andrew Quick, Anke Schleper, Gerald Siegmund, Astrid Sommer. PhotOs by Hugo Glendinning.

Definitely the most charming and clever birthday present for the 20th anniversary of the cult group from Sheffield. APA

Very nicely presented, versatile and comprehensive. Neue Zürcher Zeitung

Required reading! tip Berlin

Behind the heartbreakingly beautiful cover, which shows an exhausted actor wearing an oversized, sad plush horse mask in front of glowing orange show-biz glitter, there are 12 word contributions, numerous production photographs, a bibliography and a complete catalogue raisonné. … For all those who see the existence of Forced Entertainment as a great fortune, this book is at least a small one. Theater Heute

320 pages, 300 photos
Softcover. German/English
ISBN 978-3-89581-115-9
28,– €