The Theatre and Films of Jez Butterworth

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Jez Butterworth is the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful new British dramatist of the 21st century: his acclaimed play Jerusalem has had extended runs in the West End and on Broadway. This book is the first to examine Butterworth's writings for stage and film and to identify how and why his work appeals so widely and profoundly. It examines the way that he weaves suspenseful stories of eccentric outsiders, whose adventures echo widespread contemporary social anxieties, and involve surprising expressions of both violence and generosity. This book reveals how Butterworth unearths the strange forms of wildness and defiance lurking in the depths and at the edges of England: where unpredictable outbursts of humour highlight the intensity of life, and characters discover links between their haunting past and the uncertainties of the present, to create a meaningful future. Supplemented by essays from James D. Balestrieri and Elisabeth Angel-Perez, this is a clear and detailed source of reference for a new generation of theatre audiences, practitioners and directors who wish to explore the work of this seminal dramatist.

Reviews

Rabey offers a series of illuminating and thought-provoking cultural and historical contextualisations plunging into past and contemporary understandings of Englishness from the outset, for instance and uses this as the basis for an analysis of the work that is vigorous and always personally engaged, but also open-ended and questioning ... this work has the conscious intent of creating a real and ongoing debate. An indispensable volume. * Studies in Theatre and Performance *
[Rabey] opens the door through which further philosophical enquiries into the work of one of this century's most dominant and enigmatic theatrical figures may emerge, and does a great service to current theatre scholarship. * New Theatre Quarterly *
Students of theatre and drama will appreciate Rabeys inclusive, well-informed and down-to-earth approach ... Due to its clear structure and accessible approach, the book offers a valuable introduction to Butterworths plays. * Journal of Contemporary Drama in English *
David Ian Rabey's The Theatre and Films of Jez Butterworth is the first study devoted to a playwright whose work first appeared on the main stage at the Royal Court in 1995 with Mojo. The book contextualizes Butterworth's work and his influences, offering an assessment of his place within contemporary British drama. * The Year's Work in English Studies *

Author Bio

David Ian Rabey is Professor of Drama and Theatre Studies at Aberystwyth University, UK, and Artistic Director of Lurking Truth/Gwir syn Llechu Theatre Company. His critical publications include Howard Barker: Politics and Desire (1989, 2009), David Rudkin: Sacred Disobedience (1997), English Drama Since 1940 (2003), Howard Barker: Ecstasy and Death (2009), and the forthcoming, Theatre and Time (2016). He has co-edited two collections of essays, Theatre of Catastrophe (2006) and Howard Barker's Art of Theatre (2013). His plays include two volumes, The Wye Plays (2004) and Lovefuries (2008).