First Adventure to Final Flight

To date, little research has been carried out on the complete theatrical works of Tristan Tzara, co-founder of the Dada movement. This volume provides the first comprehensive account of Tzara’s works for the stage. It addresses his distinct approach to theatre across his career and examines to what extent his dadaist and, latterly, surrealist principles are embodied in his stagecraft, both during and after his relations with these groups. This book uncovers the implications for subsequent theatre and performance practices in light of Tzara’s innovations and shows how he anticipates certain tendencies that would become markers of invention in theatre history. Addressing the linguistic, dramaturgical, and philosophical aspects of his theatre, this study positions Tristan Tzara as a pioneering playwright.

Erica O’Neill is a lecturer in the History of Art at the University of Glasgow, where she specialises in modern and contemporary visual and performing arts with a focus on avant-garde practices. Over time her interests have moved from historical studies of the European avant-garde (Dada and Surrealism) and single-author studies (Tristan Tzara) to investigating the application of avant-garde praxis to contemporary social, cultural, and political issues, with a focus on global art and activism. As part of her ongoing interest in the relationship between the avant-garde and contemporary global challenges, she contributes to the practice of Dada performance to promote the ongoing relevance of avant-garde approaches to twenty-first-century experience. Her recent publications include 'Approximate Humanism: Tristan Tzara', with Stephen Forcer (Dada/Surrealism 25, 2025), which includes her English translation of Tzara’s La Fuite; and ‘Attention! Paris Dada’, with Kathryn Brown (Nottingham French Studies 62, no. 2, 2023). Her chapter ‘Manifestos, Dolls, and The Royal Family: First Nations Australian Reverse Avant-Garde’ is forthcoming in the book A Cultural History of the Avant-Garde in Oceania, edited by Andrew McNamara and Ann Stephen.