Abstract
The volume addresses the return of the dramatist to the European theatre since the mid-1990s. Beginning with the British avant-garde of instantly written, aggressive “in-yer-face” dramatic texts by Sarah Kane and Mark Ravenhill text became again a theatrical force to count on as many young directors like Rene Pollesch also write their own plays. Global crises are discussed and address the pressing political issues of our time, although these texts lack direct political engagement. The act of instantaneous playwriting thus appears as an effort to decidedly construct reality as to affirm theatre’s social relevance in times of crisis. The volume presents articles by renowned theatre and drama scholars on the topic from a cross-cultural perspective.