An Illustrated History of British Theatre and Performance chronicles the history and development of theatre from the Roman era to the present day. As the most public of arts, theatre constantly interacted with changing social, political and intellectual movements and ideas, and Robert Leach's masterful work restores to the foreground of this evolution the contributions of women, gay people and ethnic minorities, as well as the theatres of the English regions, and of Wales and Scotland.
Highly illustrated chapters trace the development of theatre through major plays from each period; evaluations of playwrights; contemporary dramatic theory; acting and acting companies; dance and music; the theatre buildings themselves; and the audience, while also highlighting enduring features of British theatre, from comic gags to the use of props.
Continuing on from the Enlightenment, Volume Two of An Illustrated History of British Theatre and Performance leads its readers from the drama and performances of the Industrial Revolution to the latest digital theatre. Moving from Punch and Judy, castle spectres and penny showmen to Modernism and Postdramatic Theatre, Leach's second volume triumphantly completes a collated account of all the British Theatre History knowledge anyone could ever need.
Author(s): Robert Leach
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2019
Language: English
Pages: xxvi+848
Cover
Half Title
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
List of illustrations
Preface
Part one: Theatre and the Industrial Revolution
Timeline
1 The rise of the ‘minors’
2 Gothic
3 Imperial extravaganza
4 Penny showmen
5 Drama of the Industrial Revolution
6 Acting in melodrama
7 Joseph Grimaldi and Regency pantomime
8 The struggle for a free stage
9 Blood tubs, penny gaffs and the theatre of the streets
10 Factory acts
11 Northern strollers
12 Free and easy
Select bibliography
Interlude: Punch and Judy
Part two: Romantic Theatre
Timeline
13 Romantic drama
14 Romantic performance
15 The theatre deregulated
16 Staging the new imperialism
17 In search of a national theatre
18 Towards an Aristophanic drama
19 Women and Victorian theatre
20 On the margins
21 Mid-nineteenth century Scottish theatre
22 Heyday of the halls
23 Realism and respectability
24 Theatre in the provinces
25 Off stage
26 Fun
27 The actor-managers
28 Respectable Romantic acting
29 The gay nineties
30 Fallen women and bad girls
Select bibliography
Interlude: Toy theatres
Part three: Modernist theatre
Timeline
31 Shakespeare: A new start
32 Symbolist theatre
33 Ibsenism
34 Independent theatres
35 The new woman
36 Naturalism: The new drama
37 Naturalism on the stage
38 For the future
39 Theatre and women’s suffrage
40 The repertory movement
41 A pioneer
42 Other theatres
43 Modern Shakespeare
44 English workers theatre
45 Welsh drama: A slow awakening
46 Scottish modernist theatre
47 Expressionism on the stage
48 Christian drama
49 Theatre workshop
Select bibliography
Interlude: The art of Edward Gordon Craig’s theatre
Part four: Commercial theatre
Timeline
50 Staging the First World War
51 Musical comedy, revue and variety
52 The impresarios and their patrons
53 Well-made plays
54 The acting profession
55 Theatre and the Second World War
56 Post-war
57 Hard times
58 Revival?
Select bibliography
Interlude: Shakespeare Wallahs
Part five: Popular theatres
Timeline
59 Popular performance
60 Circus
61 Fit-ups
62 Lingering melodies
63 Beside the seaside
64 Twentieth century pantomime
65 Concert parties
66 Variety
67 The clubs
68 Stand-up
Select bibliography
Interlude: Mumming plays
Part six: Subsidised theatre
Timeline
69 CEMA into Arts Council
70 The English Stage Company at the Royal Court
71 Murmurs from abroad
72 Transformation
73 The regional reps
74 The rise of the director
75 Theatre and education
76 Alternative theatre
77 Theatre under Thatcher
78 Making the headlines
79 Scottish theatre before and after devolution
80 Towards the millennium
81 A new beginning?
Select bibliography
Interlude: Peter Brook and the empty space
Part seven: Postdramatic theatre
Timeline
82 Post-war: Post drama
83 Happenings and performance art
84 Visual and physical theatre
85 Site specific
86 Deconstruction
87 Multimedia
Select bibliography
Epilogue: Digital theatre
Glossary
Index
