Mimesis and diegesis in solo performers: the «teatro di narrazione» and the seul en scène of Philippe Caubère

Abstract

The article focuses on the peculiar relationship between mimesis and diegesis that characterizes (with different effects) two kinds of theatrical solo performance. The first example is the Italian “teatro di narrazione”, in which different acting techniques are utilized within the frame of a narrative-based structure. The second example is constituted by the seul en scène shows of Philippe Caubère, a French author and actor who creates a sort of “mimetic storytelling”, where the diegetic aspect underlies the mimetic one.