Do It Yourself: Making Political Theatre
Common/Wealth have produced our first book, Do It Yourself: Making Political Theatre. It has been written by our Co-Artistic Directors Evie Manning and Rhiannon White, alongside Jenny Hughes, Professor of Drama at the University of Manchester.
Do It Yourself: Making Political Theatre is a retrospective of our work, it shares our methodology, personal experiences and belief in theatre being a tool for social change. We’re most proud that the largest section of the book is a practical toolkit with input from past and present collaborators, sharing approaches to not only making theatre, but to setting up your own theatre company, making it grow and survive.
Do It Yourself is a vital resource for anyone interested in exploring theatre culture grounded in and produced by working-class communities. Designed for artists, activists and community organisers, the book offers a step-by-step guide to creating political theatre that is relevant, impactful and rooted in the lives of everyday people.
Common/Wealth have spent fifteen years working at the cutting edge of political theatre. In Do It Yourself, we share our experimental and activist approach to performance-making, based on DIY principles and the belief that ground-breaking theatre can be made with anyone, anywhere, in ways that truly resonate with the communities it serves.
Do It Yourself introduces Common/Wealth’s artistic and political ethos, provides unique insights into our most significant performances and offers practical exercises for creating your own work. But this is not just a manual. It is a celebration of culture as a collective endeavour, one that can challenge the status quo and inspire change.
Order your copy now:
From Manchester University Press and all good book shops.
The Reviews are in:
“An invaluable resource … a book about why theatre matters and how it can be a conduit for radical social change.”
– Yvette Huddleston – The Yorkshire Post
‘What comes through loud and clear is an equal measure of anger for the continued marginalisation of entire communities, and deep affection for the potential that exists, if only you bother to look. Their mission, and it is a mission, is to reinvent political theatre as amplifying tool to give the silenced a voice.’
–Sophie Buchaillard – Nation Cymru Culture Review (5min Read)
‘Common/Wealth battle the numbness and disassociation that is a consequence of life under late capitalism with straightforward acts of extra ordinary connection. Their work is powerful, joyful, purposeful and full of integrity. They make theatre that cares about people, and that people care about. This book shares how.’
-Kae Tempest
‘Since their very earliest work Common/Wealth have shown a rare ability to marry precise and rigorous political thinking with a joyous sense of artistic experiment. Always listening to the communities they work with, and always abreast of the most thrilling innovations in performance, they bring the joy of discovery to everything they do, and enrich us all in the process.’
-John McGrath, Artistic Director and Chief Executive, Factory International
‘This book is a call to arms. It is an inspiring and galvanising read for anyone who makes theatre, or who is sick of feeling helpless to affect change. Stop stalling, read this book!’
-Gob Squad
‘An idealistic howl of a manifesto brimming with practical tools for making theatre. A companion to Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed. A new generation of theatre makers are about to be created. As the authors say, ‘don’t wait for permission’. So go, create dangerously, we need you more than ever.’
-Patrick Jones, Poet and playwright
‘Do It Yourself is a vital handbook for making political, site-specific theatre when it is desperately needed. Common/Wealth are some of the very best in the business, prioritising conversation, play and invention in an approach that is irreverent, ingenious, generous-spirited and galvanising.’
-Jen Harvie, Queen Mary University of London
‘This is a book about why theatre matters, why it matters who makes theatre, and what can be done to change how theatre is made. It is a force for good, a practical, passionate account of what’s possible, and how to achieve the impossible. Read it, learn, and act. Now.’
-Helen Nicholson, Royal Holloway, University of London
‘It’s bloody excellent. Fuck me.’
-Matt Woodhead. Co-Director, LUNG
‘Accessible, engaging and deeply inspiring. At a time when so much seems so broken and in need of urgent action, this book serves as an important and highly practical resource for those who share Common/Wealth’s conviction that theatre can change things for the better.’
-Bobby Smith, University of Warwick
‘”Culture” is not owned by the privileged. It’s everywhere and made by everyone. Common/Wealth know this – they’ve been proving it for years. This book gives us all permission to stop waiting, stop asking and start doing on our own terms. Common/Wealth have created something essential – a bold, useful, uncompromising toolkit for using creativity to build the world we want to live in and be part of. Politics isn’t a side note. Class isn’t a backdrop. This book makes that clear – and refuses to let you forget it.
Do It Yourself: Making Political Theatre is a call to disrupt, to break away, and to play without apology. It’s practical, political, and rooted in care. Because DIY doesn’t mean alone – it means collective, messy, and on our own terms. It’s a reminder that we can all decide what theatre is, who it’s for, and where it happens.’
-Katy Baird, Artist and Director of Home Live Art
‘Whether you’re an emerging artist, a battle-worn activist, or someone who’s never made theatre, this book will hand you a mic, and a set of tools. Do It Yourself isn’t just a book – it’s a rallying cry!’
-Keith Saha, Artistic Director/Co-CEO/Co-founder, 20 Stories High
‘This book isn’t interested in being palatable. It refuses to sit on the fence, challenges gatekeeping and the idea that culture belongs to institutions rather than people. It’s a call to artists — especially working-class artists — to stop waiting for permission and start building collectively.’
– Richard Dunbar – Community Activist and Campaigner
