The Theatre of Alain Badiou

This article examines the relation between philosophy and theatre in the work of French philosopher Alain Badiou. First, it focuses onBadiouʹs central categories, such as event and character, that resonate with the theatre. Second, Badiouʹs own engagement with the theatre, the place theatre occupies in his philosophical world, is identified. Finally, the article argues that Badiouʹs thought mustbe understood as a return to Plato. Plato here is understood not as an enemy of theatre, but as a philosopher who invented philosophy through a constant, if often critical, engagement with the theatre. Dramatic Platonism is the name proposed for this tradition ofphilosophy ofwhich Alain Badiou is the most significant current representative