British Theatre and Performance 1900-1950

Dr Rebecca D'Monte author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Published:26th Feb '15

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

British Theatre and Performance 1900-1950 cover

British theatre from the first half of the 20th century is undergoing a critical reevaluation, with many high-profile theatre revivals of plays from the period in recent years; this book explains why by an examination of the variety of work from this period and how it shaped what followed.

British theatre from the first half of the twentieth century is undergoing a critical reevaluation, with many high-profile theatre revivals of plays from the period in recent years. This book explains why by an examination of the variety of work from this period and how it shaped what followed.British theatre from 1900 to 1950 has been subject to radical re-evaluation with plays from the period setting theatres alight and gaining critical acclaim once again; this book explains why, presenting a comprehensive survey of the theatre and how it shaped the work that followed. Rebecca D’Monte examines how the emphasis upon the working class, 'angry' drama from the 1950s has led to the neglect of much of the century’s earlier drama, positioning the book as part of the current debate about the relationship between war and culture, the middlebrow, and historiography. In a comprehensive survey of the period, the book considers: - the Edwardian theatre; - the theatre of the First World War, including propaganda and musicals; -the interwar years, the rise of commercial theatre and influence of Modernism; - the theatre of the Second World War and post-war period. Essays from leading scholars Penny Farfan, Steve Nicholson and Claire Cochrane give further critical perspectives on the period’s theatre and demonstrate its relevance to the drama of today. For anyone studying 20th-century British Drama this will prove one of the foundational texts.

Both encyclopedic and vast … A welcome addition to the scholarship on early-twentieth-century British theatre. * Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism *
The volume is meticulously documented and is an essential reference for an extensive range of courses on twentieth-century theatre and future research in theatre history ... The volume is also accessible to a wide public, admirably bringing to life theatrical ventures and figures that have made today's British theatre. * New Theatre Quarterly *

ISBN: 9781408165652

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 404g

352 pages