Direct address as action and effect in Bare Witness and Beyond the Neck

In contemporary theatre studies, direct address is typically seen, for better or worse, as indicative of drama's demise. This article argues that, on the contrary, direct address as a mode of performance can help reimagine dramatic form, language and performance in new and exciting ways. Case studies of two very different contemporary theatre productions in Melbourne, Bare Witness at Forty Five Downstairs and Beyond the Neck at Red Stitch, are used to support this argument. In using direct address to explore the relationship between telling and trauma, both productions integrate narrating as a subject and a strategy.