The Methuen Drama Handbook of Women in Contemporary British Theatre

(Hardback)

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Description

This handbook provides a detailed exploration of the rich and diverse theatrical work produced by women in the first two decades of 21st-century British theatre. The book explores key issues and methodologies relevant to women working in the UKs theatre industry including the legacies of feminism and its role in shaping contemporary work by women, the politics of visibility and inclusion in theatrical institutions and collaborative strategies in creating original work. Further, the book closely examines how women in contemporary British theatre tackle urgent social issues such as environmental risk, the representation of marginalised identities, mental and physical wellbeing. The book includes 20 chapters by both established and early-career scholars from a variety of international contexts. The essays offer up-to-date perspectives on significant questions and issues underpinning womens work in 21st-century British theatre by engaging with contemporary scholarly debates from the fields of theatre and performance studies and cultural theory. The book further includes a bespoke commissioned preface and a roundtable discussion thus offering a direct platform to women from the theatre industry to address key questions pertaining to their work. Featuring research tools such as introductions to sections, a detailed list of sources and an annotated bibliography, this is an authoritative study for anyone with a keen research interest in the areas of British theatre and women in contemporary theatre and performance.

Reviews

My enthusiasm for this collection only grew as I read it. Its got a sophistication and expansiveness that affirms that not only does gender still matter to analyses of theatre but also establishes that the work of British women theatre artists in the twenty-first century has breathtaking range. * Sara Freeman, University of Puget Sound, USA *

Author Bio

Marissia Fragkou is Assistant Professor in Theatre at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. Rebecca Benzie is Lecturer in Theatre at the University of York, UK.