Brecht and Post-1990s British Drama

Can theatre change the world? If so how can it productively connect with social reality and foster spectatorial critique and engagement? <br/><br/>This book examines the forms and functions of political drama in what has been described as a post-Marxist post-ideological even post-political moment. It argues that Bertolt Brecht's concept of dialectical theatre represents a privileged theoretical and dramaturgical method on the contemporary British stage as well as a valuable lens for understanding 21st-century theatre in Britain. <br/><br/>Establishing a creative philosophical dialogue between Brecht Walter Benjamin Theodor W. Adorno and Jacques Rancière the study analyses seminal works by five influential contemporary playwrights ranging from Mark Ravenhill's 'in-yer-face' plays to Caryl Churchill's 21st century theatrical experiments. Engaging critically with Brecht's theatrical legacy these plays create a politically progressive form of drama which emphasises notions of negativity ambivalence and conflict as a prerequisite for spectatorial engagement and emancipation. <br/><br/>This book adopts an interdisciplinary and intercultural theoretical approach reuniting English and German perspectives and innovatively weaving together a variety of theoretical strands to offer fresh insights on Brecht's legacy on British theatre history and on the selected plays.