Surreal illustration of sound waves becoming hieroglyphs on a stage.

Beyond Words: How Avant-Garde Theatre Pioneers the Semiotics of Sound

Jordan Keane in Culture & Society October 2026 • 4 min read.

"Explore the revolutionary legacy of Artaud and Böhme, where sound transcends traditional signs, creating immersive and affective theatrical experiences."

For centuries, theatre has predominantly relied on the spoken word, with sound playing a supporting role. However, a revolution has been brewing in the world of avant-garde theatre, challenging this established hierarchy. This movement recognizes sound not merely as an accompaniment, but as a primary element capable of conveying meaning, emotion, and atmosphere in ways that words simply cannot.

This shift places sound at the forefront of theatrical experiences, inviting audiences to engage with performances on a deeper, more visceral level. It encourages a semiotic understanding of sound, where its materiality and inherent qualities become the carriers of meaning, moving beyond traditional notions of signifiers and signifieds. The legacy of Antonin Artaud and the theories of Gernot Böhme serve as cornerstones for this exploration, providing frameworks for understanding how sound can create immersive and transformative theatrical moments.

This article delves into how avant-garde theatre pioneers the semiotics of sound, exploring the concepts of Artaud's 'hieroglyphic language' and Böhme's 'aesthetics of atmosphere.' We will examine how these revolutionary ideas transform the theatrical landscape, creating performances that resonate with audiences on a profoundly emotional and sensory level.

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Standard Approach

Multidisciplinary Sound Dramaturgy

The study of avant-garde theatre sound requires a multidisciplinary approach that draws on theatre studies as well as the aural principles and methods of poetry, performance, painting, and music. Research on Adrian Curtin’s Avant-Garde Theatre Sound: Staging Sonic Modernity likewise examines relationships among sound technologies, aural and oral traditions, and the performance dynamics of modernist or historical avant-gardes. This approach places sound at the forefront of theatre scholarship rather than treating it as a secondary component of staging.

History

From Prague Semiotics to Sonic Materiality

A key historical strand connects theatrical semiotics with theories developed in Czechoslovakia over roughly twenty years by Otakar Zich and members of the Prague Linguistic Circle. Another account identifies Antonin Artaud and Gernot Böhme as foundational for understanding sound, voice, and noise as material elements of performance. Together, these sources frame avant-garde theatre as a development in which sonic elements gain importance alongside visual and verbal components.

Artaud's Hieroglyphic Language: Sound as Raw Expression

Surreal illustration of sound waves becoming hieroglyphs on a stage.

Antonin Artaud, a towering figure in 20th-century theatre, vehemently rejected the dominance of text, seeking to liberate sound from its subservient role. He envisioned a 'theatre of cruelty' where sound, in its rawest form, becomes a primary means of expression. Artaud sought to create a visceral experience, bypassing intellectual understanding and directly impacting the audience's senses.

Artaud’s concept of 'hieroglyphic language' is central to his approach. He described it as 'language in space, language of sounds, of cries, of lights, of onomatopoeia,' arguing that theatre should 'organize veritable hieroglyphs with characters and objects.' This means using sound, gesture, and visual elements not to represent something else, but to be expressive in themselves. For Artaud, a cry, a gesture, or a sound could carry as much weight as a line of dialogue, resonating directly with the audience's subconscious.

Breaking the Chains of Text: Artaud challenged the idea that theatre must be dictated by a script, advocating for improvisation and spontaneity.
Sound as Sensation: He prioritized the physical impact of sound, aiming to create a sensory overload that would shatter conventional theatrical experiences.
The Body as Instrument: Artaud emphasized the performer's physical and vocal presence, transforming the body into an instrument of raw expression.

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Latest Research

Recent Scholarship on Sound Semiotics

M. Ovadija’s 2018 article, “Artaud’s Hyeroglyphic Sign and Böhme’s Aesthetics of Atmosphere,” was published in Recherches Sémiotiques, volume 35, numbers 2–3, pages 97–113. The article examines the semiotic legacy of avant-garde theatre through its recognition of the materiality of sound. Its focus places sound’s physical and performative qualities at the center of current research on theatre semiotics.

Artaud's influence can be seen in contemporary performances that prioritize sound and physicality over narrative. The Living Theatre's production of 'The Brig,' for instance, used repetitive sounds and movements to create a visceral and unsettling experience, reflecting Artaud's vision of a theatre that shocks and transforms.

Aural Semiosis and the Future of Theatre

The exploration of sound in avant-garde theatre opens exciting possibilities for the future of performance. By moving beyond traditional semiotics and embracing the materiality of sound, theatre can create deeply immersive and affective experiences. The legacies of Artaud and Böhme provide a rich foundation for exploring these new sonic landscapes, inviting audiences to engage with theatre on a more profound and sensory level. As theatre continues to evolve, the semiotics of sound will undoubtedly play an increasingly important role in shaping its future, transforming how stories are told and experienced.

What the sound-centered account explains-and leaves open

Artaud’s idiom and Böhme’s aesthetics offer distinct ways to understand how performance makes meaning: objects, silences, shouts and rhythms can speak together, while the set can shape an atmosphere through orality and aurality.^[1]

This account treats voice and stage noise as forces linking sensory, visual, kinetic and architectural parts of a performance, rather than as isolated audio elements.^[1]

The emphasis is on signs changing across the senses; meaning is not confined to a single verbal or visual channel.^[1]

Atmosphere shifts attention from what something represents to how it is present, with meaning arising through felt exchange between people and their environment.^[2]

Limits of the sound-semiotic account

Material sound is described as remaining with the signifier, so this account does not require every sound to point toward a separate signified.^[1]

Questions about sound before it becomes a sign

How can analysis describe sound during the interval between its delivery and reception, before conventional signification takes hold?^[1]
When do material sounds remain energetically present on the signifier’s side, and when do audiences connect them with a signified?^[1]
How might a performance’s oral and aural qualities be examined alongside the set’s role in creating atmosphere?^{[1] [2]}

Sources

Artaud’s Hyeroglyphic Sign and Böhme’s Aesthetics of Atmosphere: The Semiotic Legacy of the Avant-Garde’s Recognition of the Materiality of Sound (Consortium Erudit, 2018)
www.pure.ed.ac.uk (www.pure.ed.ac.uk)

About this Article -

Written with AI assistance from published research, and reviewed by the Mystum team. See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.7202/1051070ar, Alternate LINK

Title: Artaud’S Hyeroglyphic Sign And Böhme’S Aesthetics Of Atmosphere: The Semiotic Legacy Of The Avant-Garde’S Recognition Of The Materiality Of Sound

Subject: General Medicine

Journal: Recherches sémiotiques

Publisher: Consortium Erudit

Authors: Mladen Ovadija

Published: 2018-08-31

Everything You Need To Know

What exactly is Antonin Artaud's 'hieroglyphic language' and how does it function?

The 'hieroglyphic language' developed by Antonin Artaud is a method of using sound, gesture, and visuals as expressive elements in themselves, rather than representing something else. It moves beyond traditional semiotics, where the meaning of a sign is derived from its relationship to a signified concept. Artaud believed that sounds like cries, or gestures could carry as much weight as dialogue, directly impacting an audience's subconscious. This concept aims to create a visceral experience that bypasses intellectual understanding, impacting the audience's senses directly.

Why are the ideas of Antonin Artaud so important in the context of this theatrical movement?

Antonin Artaud’s ideas are important because he challenged the traditional dominance of the spoken word in theatre. His 'hieroglyphic language' prioritized the raw expression of sound and physicality, advocating for improvisation. This approach breaks the chains of text-driven theatre, prioritizing sound as a primary element. His work created a sensory overload that would shatter conventional theatrical experiences and transform the body into an instrument of raw expression, changing the way stories are told and experienced.

How does avant-garde theatre use sound to enhance the audience experience?

Avant-garde theatre uses sound to create immersive experiences. Sound is not just an accompaniment but a primary element that conveys meaning and emotion in ways that words cannot. This involves a semiotic understanding of sound, where its material qualities become carriers of meaning, moving beyond traditional signifiers and signifieds. By prioritizing sound, theatre can create deeply immersive and affective experiences, inviting audiences to engage on a more profound and sensory level.

Can you provide an example of how Artaud’s ideas have been put into practice in a specific performance?

Antonin Artaud’s work focused on prioritizing sound and physicality over narrative. He sought to create a visceral experience and challenged the dominance of text. An example of this is 'The Brig' by The Living Theatre which used repetitive sounds and movements to create a visceral and unsettling experience, reflecting Artaud's vision. The focus on sound and physicality allowed for a new form of storytelling, where sound and movement became the main tools for expression.

What does the future hold for theatre, given these new approaches to sound?

The exploration of sound in avant-garde theatre suggests exciting possibilities for the future of performance. By embracing the materiality of sound and moving beyond traditional semiotics, theatre can create deeply immersive and affective experiences. The legacies of Antonin Artaud and Gernot Böhme provide a foundation for exploring new sonic landscapes, inviting audiences to engage on a more sensory level. As theatre continues to evolve, the semiotics of sound will undoubtedly play an increasingly important role in shaping its future.