Modern British Playwriting: The 1980's: Voices, Documents, New Interpretations (Decades of Modern British Playwriting)

Modern British Playwriting: The 1980s equips readers with a fresh assessment of the theatre and principle playwrights and plays from a decade when political and economic forces were changing society dramatically. It offers a broad survey of the context and of the playwrights and companies such as Complicité and DV8 that rose to prominence at this time. Alongside this it provides a detailed examination based on fresh research of four of the most significant playwrights of the era and considers the influence they had on later work. The 1980s volume features a detailed study by four scholars of the work of four of the major playwrights who came to prominence: Howard Barker (by Sarah Goldingay), Jim Cartwright (David Lane), Sarah Daniels (Jane Milling) and Timberlake Wertenbaker (Sara Freeman). Essential for students of Theatre Studies, the series of six decadal volumes provides a critical survey and study of the theatre produced from the 1950s to 2009. Each volume features a critical analysis of the work of four key playwrights besides other theatre work from that decade, together with an extensive commentary on the period. Readers will understand the works in their contexts and be presented with fresh research material and a reassessment from the perspective of the twenty-first century. This is an authoritative and stimulating reassessment of British playwriting in the 1980s. This Volume Equips Readers With A Fresh Assessment Of The Theatre And Principle Playwrights And Plays From A Decade When Political And Economic Forces Were Changing Society Dramatically. It Offers A Broad Survey Of The Context And Of The Playwrights And Companies Such As Complicite And Dv8 That Rose To Prominence At This Time. Machine Generated Contents Note: Domestic Life -- Education -- Culture -- Media -- Science, Technology And Industry -- Political Events -- 1. Theatre In The 1980s -- Thinking About The Recent Past -- Institutions, Policies And Funding -- New Writing And Playwrights In The 1980s -- Cultures Of Protest: Issue As Subject Matter -- Present Pasts -- 2. Introducing The Playwrights -- Crafting Careers -- Howard Barker -- Jim Cartwright -- Sarah Daniels -- Timberlake Wertenbaker -- 3. Playwrights And Plays -- Howard Barker / Sarah Goldingay -- The Two Lives Of A Play -- The Slippery Howard Barker -- Victory: Choices In Reaction (1983) -- The Castle: A Triumph (1985) -- The Last Supper: A New Testament (1988) -- Jim Cartwright / David Lane -- Career And Context -- Commonalities In Cartwright -- Road: Venue And Programming -- Bed: Process And Collaboration -- Two: Popular Culture And Performance -- Conclusion -- Sarah Daniels / Jane Milling -- The Question Of Realism -- A Laughing Matter: Issues, Politics And Comedy -- Masterpieces -- The Devil's Gateway -- Neaptide -- Still Laughing -- Timberlake Wertenbaker / Sara Freeman -- The Moment: 1988 -- The Plays: Brisk Sensuality -- The Grace Of Mary Traverse -- Our Country's Good -- Love Of The Nightingale -- An Assessment: Interrogative Affirmation -- 4. Documents -- Howard Barker -- Jim Cartwright -- Sarah Daniels -- Timberlake Wertenbaker -- Afterword -- Making A Name: Critical Reputations -- Howard Barker -- Jim Cartwright -- Sarah Daniels -- Timberlake Wertenbaker -- Other Histories. Jane Milling. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover Copyright Contents General Preface Acknowledgements Introduction to the 1980s Domestic life Education Culture Media Science, technology and industry Political events 1 Theatre in the 1980s Thinking about the recent past Institutions, policies and funding New writing and playwrights in the 1980s Cultures of protest: issue as subject matter Present pasts 2 Introducing the Playwrights Crafting careers Howard Barker Jim Cartwright Sarah Daniels Timberlake Wertenbaker 3 Playwrights and Plays Howard Barker The two lives of a play The slippery Howard Barker Victory: Choices in Reaction (1983) The Castle: A Triumph (1985) The Last Supper: A New Testament (1988) Jim Cartwright by David Lane Career and context Commonalities in Cartwright Road: venue and programming Bed: process and collaboration Two: popular culture and performance Conclusion Sarah Daniels by Jane Milling The question of realism A laughing matter: issues, politics and comedy Masterpieces The Devil’s Gateway Neaptide Still laughing Timberlake Wertenbaker The moment: 1988 The plays: brisk sensuality The Grace of Mary Traverse Our Country’s Good Love of the Nightingale An assessment: interrogative affirmation 4 Documents Howard Barker Jim Cartwright Sarah Daniels Timberlake Wertenbaker Afterword Making a name: critical reputations Howard Barker Jim Cartwright Sarah Daniels Timberlake Wertenbaker Other histories Notes Select Bibliography Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Notes on Contributors Part of the Decades of Modern British Playwriting series, the volume provides a critical survey of the theatre produced in the 1980s together with detailed studies by a team of experts of the work of Howard Barker, Jim Cartwright, Sarah Daniels and Timberlake Wertenbaker.