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A unique guide to creating political theatre, produced by one of the UK’s most exciting companies.
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, they share their 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 their 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.
‘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
'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
‘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
‘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
‘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
Foreword
Why we wrote this book
Common/Wealth Manifesto
In Common
Making
Works
Afterword
Index