6 x 9. 248 pgs. 11 photographs. (1995) Paper 978-0-472-08408-1 $25.95S  Available Add to Cart Search this Book's Content About the Book Praise Look Inside Series Theater: Theory/Text/Performance Subjects Literary Studies--British and Irish Literatures / Literary Studies--Literary Criticism and Theory / Theater and Performance

After Brecht
British Epic Theater

Janelle G. Reinelt



How contemporary British political theater has evolved and expanded from the legacy of Bertolt Brecht

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About the Book

After Brecht: British Epic Theater is the first book to fully explore contemporary British drama in the light of the influence of German playwright Bertolt Brecht. Focusing on the work of Howard Brenton, Edward Bond, Caryl Churchill, David Hare, Trevor Griffiths, and John McGrath, the book examines Brechtian techniques and style within the work of each playwright, while highlighting the divergent development of each.

The book has been enriched by the author's in-depth conversations with the playwrights. The topics covered include contemporary politics and the theater, the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and such well-known fringe companies as Foco Novo, Joint Stock, Portable Theatre, and 7:84. Reinelt examines each playwright within an interpretive frame drawn from an application of Brecht's theories and practice to the historically specific situation of post-war British theater.

The book will appeal to those interested in the relationship between politics and art and contemporary European theater and its antecedents.

Janelle Reinelt is Chair of the Department of Dramatic Art and Dance, University of California-Davis.