Avant garde theater is heavily inspired by Wilhelm Richard Wagner’s concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, meaning “total artwork” or “total work of art”. Ideally, it was to join all works of art together through theater. In 1896, Alfred Jarry’s play, Ubu Roí, overturned cultural rules and conventions in a comic and bizarre way. He is looked at to be the forerunner of the theater of the absurd, as he opened the door for modernism of the 20th century and influenced dada, surrealism, and theater of the absurd.

Peter Brook, celebrated director, describes this as “necessary theater”.

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Avant Garde theatre is a reaction/ response to a perceived general cultural crisis. It rejects dominant ways of writing and producing plays. It brings forth a different approach of language and body, to change/alter perception and to create a more active relationship with the audience.

It also aims to change the social face of the theater, with actors being cultural activists. Actors make moral and political statements, while also challenging the beliefs of the audience. It also challenges and rejects the traditional hierarchical method of theater.