Vernacular Theatre

Reimagining theatre as a living, breathing collaboration between professional artists and the communities they serve.

Jonathan Petherbridge reflects on three decades as Artistic Director of London Bubble, where he brought together volunteer and professional artists to create a form he calls Vernacular Theatre. Emerging from a collaborative methodology known as the Foraging Process, Vernacular Theatre transforms communal stories into striking performances infused with an aesthetic of care.

Interspersed with case studies from London and Hiroshima, Vernacular Theatre examines how theatre can honour local history, address contemporary issues, and create spaces for collective expression. By drawing connections to the ancient Greek chorus, Petherbridge proposes a new genre of socially engaged performance; one that invites people of all ages to gather, create, and share. This work is a blueprint for theatre-makers and readers invested in participatory arts and community storytelling.