It’s All Allowed: The Performances of Adrian Howells, Glasgow Book Launch

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Adrian Howells (1964-2014) was one of the leading, international figures in the field of one-to-one, intimate performance practice. Developed over more than a decade, Howells’ award-winning work initiated new challenges and innovations in performance art, “intimate theatre,” and socially engaged art. Howells left behind a significant corpus of work that extends from his early Adrienne shows — including Adrienne’s Dirty Laundry Experience (2003), Adrienne: The Great Depression (2005) and Salon Adrienne (2006) — and other autobiographical works such as May I Have the Pleasure? (2011 – Total Theatre Award), to his one-to-one performances, including Held (2007), Foot Washing for the Sole (2008 – Total Theatre Award), The Garden of Adrian (2009) and The Pleasure of Being: Washing/ Feeding/Holding (2011). Howells’ rich portfolio of practice also includes his work with Citizens Theatre and collaboration with Leigh Bowery, Ivan Cartwright and Stewart Laing in the early 1990s; works with the late Nigel Charnock; and devising with Tim Crouch (The Author, 2009).

This event will mark the publication of It’s All Allowed: The Performances of Adrian Howells edited by Deirdre Heddon and Dominic Johnson and will be an evening of memories, anecdotes, reflections, photos and films. 

Speakers will include; Dee Heddon and Dominic Johnson, Rosana Cade, Stephen Greer, Ian Johnston, Gary Gardiner and Lucy Gaizely.

About the Publication

It’s All Allowed is the first book devoted to Howells’ remarkable achievements and legacy. Contributors here testify to the methodological, thematic and historiographical challenges posed by Howells’ performances. Citing his permissive mantra as its title, It’s All Allowed includes new writing from leading scholars and artists, as well as writing by Howells himself, an extensive interview, scores, and visual materials, which together offer new insight into Howells’ ground-breaking process.

The book includes essays on Howells’ work by Deirdre Heddon and Dominic Johnson, Stewart Laing, Jon Cairns, Caridad Svich, Helen Iball, Rachel Zerihan, Marcia Farquhar, Kathleen Gough, Robert Walton, Rosana Cade, Fintan Walsh, Lucy Gaizely, Gary Gardiner, Ian Johnston, Shelley Hastings and Jackie Wylie, Stephen Greer, Tim Crouch, Laura Bissell, Jess Thorpe and others, Nic Green, and Jennifer Doyle.

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More Information

Deirdre Heddon is professor of contemporary performance practice at the University of Glasgow and the author of numerous books, including Autobiography and Performance. Dominic Johnson is a senior lecturer in the Department of Drama at Queen Mary University of London and the editor of Pleading in the Blood: The Art and Performances of Ron Athey.

Co-published by the Live Art Development Agency and Intellect Books, as part of the Intellect Live book series.

The publication is supported by Creative Scotland, Live Art Development Agency, Arts Council England, University of Glasgow, Society for Theatre Research, Battersea Arts Centre, National Theatre of Scotland, and Queen Mary University of London.