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This guide offers a comprehensive account of British theatre from the 1960s to the present day. Placing critical commentary at the heart of its analysis, it explores how theatre critics and scholars have sought to understand and write about modern theatre, from the earliest reviews to revivals appearing decades later. With studies of contemporary reviews and archival material, Contemporary British Drama offers readers the opportunity to learn about British theatre in its original context and to chart shifting critical perceptions over the decades. It provides a crucial juxtaposition between the development of British theatre and its contemporaneous critical response, supplying an invaluable insight into the critical climate of recent decades.
From feminist playwrighting to In-Yer-Face theatre, this is the ideal companion for undergraduate students of Literature and Theatre in need of an introduction to the debates surrounding contemporary British drama.
List of contents
Introduction: Some key terms and ideas.- 1. The Rise of Political Theatre.- The Gendering of Political Theatre: Women's writing and feminist drama.- 3. In-Yer-Face theatre: The shocking new face of political drama?.- 4. The 'new' political - verbatim theatre and theatre of the 'real'.- 5. Global Theatres: Representing Race, Religion and Identity.- 6. New Theatre Forms - Adapting the Novel and Filming the Stage.- Conclusion.
About the author
Catherine Rees is Programme Director for Drama at Loughborough University, UK.
Summary
This guide offers a comprehensive account of British theatre from the 1960s to the present day. Placing critical commentary at the heart of its analysis, it explores how theatre critics and scholars have sought to understand and write about modern theatre, from the earliest reviews to revivals appearing decades later. With studies of contemporary reviews and archival material, Contemporary British Drama offers readers the opportunity to learn about British theatre in its original context and to chart shifting critical perceptions over the decades. It provides a crucial juxtaposition between the development of British theatre and its contemporaneous critical response, supplying an invaluable insight into the critical climate of recent decades.
From feminist playwrighting to In-Yer-Face theatre, this is the ideal companion for undergraduate students of literature and theatre in need of an introduction to the debates surrounding contemporary British drama.
Foreword
This textbook offers a comprehensive account of British theatre from the 1960s to the present day. Placing critical commentary at the heart of its analysis, it explores how theatre critics and scholars have sought to understand and write about modern theatre.
Additional text
Blending reviews and critical commentary, Rees contextualizes (and then re-contextualizes) canonical and non-canonical works from 1965 onwards, exploring not just texts or productions, but the apparatus of making and shaping critical theatrical conversations.
