DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

The Theatre and Films of Conor McPherson

Conspicuous Communities

Eamonn Jordan author Patrick Lonergan editor Kevin J Wetmore, Jr editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Published:20th Aug '20

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

The Theatre and Films of Conor McPherson cover

This book offers a vibrant, detailed and engaging critical analysis of the plays and films of Conor McPherson. It considers issues of gender, class, violence, wealth and the supernatural in relation to the conditions and expressions of agency in the various cultural, political and contexts in which the work is written and performed.

The spellbinding premiere of The Weir at the Royal Court in 1997 was
the first of many works to bring Conor McPherson to the attention of
the theatre-going public. Acclaimed plays followed, including Shining City,
The Seafarer, The Night Alive and Girl from the North Country, garnering
international acclaim and being regularly produced around the globe.
McPherson has also had significant successes as a theatre director, film
director and screenwriter, most notably, with his award-winning screenplay
for I Went Down.

This companion offers a detailed and engaging critical analysis of the
plays and films of Conor McPherson. It considers issues of gender and class
disparity, violence and wealth in the cultural and political contexts in which
the work is written and performed, as well as the inclusion of song, sound,
the supernatural, religious and pagan festive sensibilities through which
initial genre perceptions are nudged elsewhere, towards the unconscious and
ineffable. Supplemented by a number of contributed critical and performance
perspectives, including an interview with Conor McPherson, this is a book
to be read by theatre audiences, performance-makers and students who wish
to explore, contextualize and situate McPherson’s provocative, exquisite and
generation-defining writings and performances.

Highly recommendable … [I] believe Jordan’s work on McPherson’s theatre and films is rigorous, thoughtful and honest, approaching the “conspicuous communities” inhabiting the fictive world from different perspectives, in a delightful edition and with a style which makes the act of reading a pleasurable experience, something which is not the rule when reading a piece of critical work. * Estudios Irlandeses *
A necessary companion for those interested in the work of McPherson, contemporary Irish theatre, or indeed theatre in general, Eamonn Jordan offers detailed, authorative and accessible insights into McPherson’s theatre and film from an impressive range of critical contexts. -- Dr Rhona Trench, Institute of Technology Sligo, Ireland
The Theatre and Films of Conor McPherson offers a comprehensive source of information about McPherson’s life, career, and critical reception. It is more up to date than most of the existing books dedicated to McPherson, and by crossing the generic boundary between theatre and film, it allows us to perceive parallels and continuities that can open up new avenues for future scholarship. It is a faithful companion; and for those new to McPherson, it will probably be good company. * Theatre Journal *

ISBN: 9781350178724

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 295g

248 pages