Feeling the Potential of Elsewhere: Terry Pratchett’s Nation in Theatre

Abstract

Nation, in its adaptation for the theatre, is at the heart of Justyna Deszcz-Tryhubczak’s chapter. Deszcz-Tryhubczak argues that, in its 2009 adaptation into a play, the utopian contents of Pratchett’s novel become distilled (Hutcheon, A Theory of Adaptation, Routledge, 2006) into a number of scenes which particularly effectively model socially and ethically constructive visions of change towards a better future. These utopian moments stand out owing to the narrative redundancy of the adaptation, which can therefore be seen as both an interpretative and creative venture revisiting the utopian theme of Pratchett’s novel. The play’s potential for activating the audience’s imagination makes it a utopian performative that embodies moments of transformation resulting in peace, justice and equality, thereby catalysing not only a critical reflection on the world outside the theatre but also a momentary collaborative and intersubjective experience of what a better world could look like.