The relationship among performance, space, and site has become a firm fixture within theatre studies discourse. From the site-specific theatre operating at the fringes of the discipline in the 1980s to the advent of theatrical powerhouses such as Punchdrunk, and with the Royal National Theatre developing site-based works in recent decades, the genre has become a key facet of modern performance. This has resulted in discussions around such work becoming more nuanced and specific, as is the case in David Calder's Street Theatre and the Production of Postindustrial Space: Working Memories. As is indicated by the title, Calder's work is primarily concerned with how theatre interacts with ideas and concerns raised by postindustrialism, and indeed how such work engages communities affected by the decline of industry in Europe.

The book draws upon Calder's research into French street theatre by exploring four performance works ranging from 1977 to 2015. This is a clear decision made by the author, and one he delineates in the introductory chapter. However, while each work discussed is given with extensive sociocultural context, the extreme specificity of the book can feel myopic at points. While the depth of information and insight offered by Calder is consistently excellent, the book may have been strengthened by even a short summary of similar works in other countries, particularly for an Anglophone audience. This being said, the author's level of expertise is clear throughout, and there is a confident, informed tone to the writing that draws on necessary philosophical points of reference without overwhelming the text with citations.

Calder outlines two key claims within his work: the idea of “working memory” (3) and the unique relationships that street theatre (French street theatre in particular) has with the social, industrial, and cultural histories of the spaces it inhabits. In the introductory section of the book, street theatre is posed as working memory's “privileged artistic form” (6), and this is one of the key claims of the book. This notion of working memory as a conduit between past and present iterations of a space and the labor carried out there is woven into each of the case studies offered, and Calder elegantly illustrates how performance works from each of the chosen companies draw upon this concept. The second claim, and largely the rationale for this work, is rooted in a differentiation between site-specific theatre and street theatre, the latter being more profoundly engaged with spatial narratives and communities. While the works chosen do substantiate this notion to an extent, it should be acknowledged that many site-specific theatre works also engage with site, space, and community on this level, specifically radical, political, and ambulatory works (see, for example, the work of Brith Gof, Common Wealth, Rosana Cade, etc.) An expanded delineation might have been beneficial in order to outline the differentiation between site-specific theatre and street theatre (if, indeed, such a differentiation is necessary).

The main thrust of Calder's work comes from the case studies of Théâtre de l'Unité and Générik Vapeur (Chapter 1), Metalovoice (Chapter 2), KompleXKapharnaüM (Chapter 3) and La Machine (Chapter 4). While these companies may not all be familiar to the UK- or US-based reader, the level of detail offered by the author renders the experience of reading the book equal to attending the live performances. Indeed, with each project and company explored, Calder delineates new facets and conceptualizations of what street theatre means in the French context. Although the companies all create diverse artistic outputs, there is a thread of respectful repurposing that runs through Calder's exploration, a devotion to community and what-has-come-before in a site, crafted into a reimagining of what-it-can-be that respectfully makes space for these complex histories. Each chapter begins with a thorough discussion of the cities and spaces in which the works were developed and traces the sociocultural impact of the inception and subsequent decline of industry therein:

The writing toys with the liminal space in which it sits: part industrial history, part performance studies. While at times the level of historical detail can feel overwhelming for a reader from the discipline of theatre studies, it must be said that Calder's work is meticulous. The writing around the performance works themselves is both evocative and visceral, and in each summary the author effortlessly ties together the theoretical, historical, and artistic concerns of the book.

The highly specific focus of the book leads to the question of to whom the work might be of particular interest. Scholars in French street or site-specific theatre will, of course, find the in-depth nature of the work an excellent addition to literature in their particular field. However, the range of perspectives from which Calder draws in his work renders the book a useful theoretical tool for those working in a range of disciplines. The ideas that Calder eloquently draws together will appeal to those working in site-specific theatre, cultural history, human geography, and, indeed, to theatre makers themselves due to the high level of detail offered of each performance work. In a global context where theatre making has been profoundly shaken, Calder's focus upon alternative, street-based models of performance offers a reflection on the history of French street theatre abundant with future-facing possibilities.