Theatre’s Reaction to Media: Robin Soans’ Life after Scandal

Abstract

Mass media’s influence on public perception, often involving the manipulation of information, raises concerns about its role in shaping public discourse. However, the relationship between media and individuals is complex and not always one of exploitation. By constructing plays from the documented words of individuals, verbatim theatre offers a unique response to this mediated reality. This article analyses Robin Soans’ Life after Scandal (2007) to explore how verbatim theatre engages with and critiques media representations of high-profile scandals. Through an examination of key characters’ experiences and the play’s thematic focus on truth and manipulation, this study applies media effects theories, including agenda-setting, framing and the concept of the ‘global village,’ to demonstrate how verbatim theatre exposes the constructed nature of media narratives and offers alternative perspectives on the complex relationship between media, individuals and public perception. By presenting multiple, often conflicting, accounts of the same events and amplifying marginalised voices, the analysis reveals that verbatim theatre challenges the dominant media narratives, offering a critical lens through which to understand and resist media manipulation.

Highlights

1. Examines theatre's response to media through Robin Soans' verbatim play Life after Scandal.

2. Analyses the play through a broad framework of media effects theories (e.g., agenda-setting, framing, cultivation, spiral of silence).

3. Demonstrates how verbatim theatre exposes the constructed nature of media narratives.

4. Shows how verbatim theatre challenges dominant narratives by amplifying marginalised voices.

5. Concludes that verbatim theatre offers a critical lens to understand and resist media manipulation.