Tim Crouch’s My Arm

Abstract

This review is based on a textual evaluation of Tim Crouch’s play entitled My Arm (2003) which was first premiered in 2003 at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh and performed by Tim Crouch himself and co-directed by Tim Crouch and Karl James. The play presents the story of an unnamed boy who tries to find ways to attract the attention of people around. Although there is a plot story which can be easily followed, the play completely problematizes dramatic conventions and carries post dramatic qualities because of the techniques employed in terms of representation. My Arm falls into the category of post dramatic theatre when its form is concerned while deep down it still carries dramatic theatre’s habit of plot structure although, in the play, form is visibly more dominant and effective than content. Therefore, because of the representation techniques employed by Crouch, there occurs a discrepancy between what is said and how it is said. In other words, the discrepancy between the plot structure and the way this plot structure is presented creates tension in the play, making the audiences question the validity and fictionality of the work on the stage.