Introduction: 'the dark draws in', by Adam Alston (University of Surrey, UK) and Martin Welton (Queen Mary University of London, UK) Part One: Dark Aesthetics Chapter 1 'Harnessing shadows: A historical perspective on the role of darkness in the theatre', by Scott Palmer (University of Leeds, UK) Chapter 2 'Melting into air: Dining in the dark, reification and the aesthetics of darkness', by Adam Alston (University of Surrey, UK) Chapter 3 'Creating in the dark: Conceptualising different darknesses in contemporary practice', by Liam Jarvis (Analogue/Royal Holloway University of London, UK) Part Two: Dark Phenomena Chapter 4 'Aural visions: sonic spectatorship in the dark', by Lynne Kendrick (Central School of Speech and Drama, UK) Chapter 5 'Darkness, perceptual ambiguity and the abyss', by Tom Espiner and George Home-Cook (Sound & Fury), in interview with Adam Alston and Martin Welton Chapter 6 'Missing rooms and unknown clouds: Darkness and illumination in the work of Lundahl & Seitl', by Josephine Machon (Middlesex University, UK) with Christer Lundahl and Martina Seitl (Lundahl & Seitl) Chapter 7 'Staring at blindness: Pitch black theatre and disability-led performance', by Amelia Cavallo and Maria Oshodi (Extant) Part Three: Dark Culture Chapter 8 'Playing with shadows in the dark: Shadow theatre and performance in flux', by Matthew Cohen (Royal Holloway University of London, UK) Chapter 9 'Under the Starry Night: Darkness, community and theatricality in Iannis Xenakis's Mycenae Polytopon ', by Marina Kotzamani (University of the Peleponnese, Greece) Chapter 10 'In praise of gloom: The theatre defaced', by Martin Welton (Queen Mary University of London, UK) Endnotes Bibliography Notes on Contributors Index.