This text represents a valuable introduction to the theories and practice of Augusto Boal. GFA, unlike its predecessor the Theatre of the Oppressed, contains practical exercises as well as an introduction to the important theoretical work of Boal. Boal's major innovations (such as Forum Theatre and Image Theatre) are introduced, discussed, and illustrated with examples, thus effectively allowing the reader to enter into the dialogue of using and refining the techniques. I would recommend this to any performer, artist, educator, or theatre worker who is unfamiliar with the work of Boal, and seeks new methods of understanding and transforming practice, and empowering both audience and participants.

Definitely a must-have in all drama classes. Don't recycle the same old exercises which have nothing to do with the world around us - the work of Boal is accessible and important to students of the theater of all ages.

In his latest text, Boal describes his newest theatrical innovation, Legislative Theatre. The idea is new (and exciting)- why not ask the people to share their concerns about government, in order to bring about reform? Boal's method of doing this is (naturally) through theatrical forms and expression. This is a natural progression for Boal, who was himself a member of the government of Rio de Janeiro in the early nineties, and has been involved in reinventing theatre as a form of social empowerment for much longer than this. As well as describing the techniques and the (rather disturbing) context in which they were developed and trialled, Boal also invites contribution from the reader - in a sense, breaking down the 'monologue' of the printed text, inviting and continuing the dialogue begun with earlier works and techniques. An essential read in the context of Boal's achievements.

If you enjoy theatre theories, The Rainbow of Desire is a mentally stimulating read. If you believe that theatre has the power to change lives, it is an inspiration. As a young actor/director myself working in educational theatre, Boal's techniques are an exciting departure from standard improv "games," though not having read Boal's previous books made some of the activities described sound a bit confusing. Currently I am in the process of applying these ideas in the creation of an outreach piece, ask me in a few weeks how well it worked.