British Theatre Since the War / Dominic Shellard.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Shellard, Dominic, Author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Theater--Great Britain--History--20th century.

Theater.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (279 p.)

Place of Publication:

New Haven, CT : Yale University Press, [2008]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

British theatre of the past fifty years has been brilliant, varied, and controversial, encompassing invigorating indigenous drama, politically didactic writing, the formation of such institutions as the National Theatre, the exporting of musicals worldwide from the West End, and much more. This entertaining and authoritative book is the first comprehensive account of British theatre in this period.Dominic Shellard moves chronologically through the half-century, discussing important plays, performers, directors, playwrights, critics, censors, and agents as well as the social, political, and financial developments that influenced the theatre world. Drawing on previously unseen material (such as the Kenneth Tynan archives), first-hand testimony, and detailed research, Shellard tackles several long-held assumptions about drama of the period. He questions the dominance of Look Back in Anger in the 1950s, arguing that much of the theatre of the ten years prior to its première in 1956 was vibrant and worthwhile. He suggests that theatre criticism, theatre producers, and such institutions as the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company have played key roles in the evolution of recent drama. And he takes a fresh look at the work of Terence Rattigan, Harold Pinter, Joe Orton, Alan Ayckbourn, Timberlake Wertenbaker, and other significant playwrights of the modern era.The book will be a valuable resource not only for students of theatre history but also for any theatre enthusiast.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

Table of Significant Events

Chapter 1. 1945-1954

Chapter 2. 1955-1962

Chapter 3. 1963-1968

Chapter 4. 1969-1979

Chapter 5. 1980-1997

Notes

Select Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 24. Apr 2020)

ISBN:

1-280-57166-7

9786613601261

OCLC:

1024017410