A vigorous reaction against the mainstream of theatre erupted in the late 1960s, stimulated by a wave of political protest around the world, visits by French and American avant-garde companies, an upsurge of “alternative culture,” and an abolition of the lord chamberlain’s powers of censorship (1968). Following the example of the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, a profusion of “fringe” theatres sprang up in converted cellars, warehouses, and the back rooms of pubs. Rock music, Dada, and Antonin Artaud were inspiration for groups such as the People Show, Pip Simmons Theatre Group, and Ken Campbell’s Road Show. Other companies—Foco Novo, Portable ...(100 of 31765 words)