Synopses & Reviews
'This is the first one-volume analysis of British drama, from 1890-1990, covering the most dynamic and exciting period in its history since Shakespeare.'
Review
"As a reference source, Innes's history is a must for scholars and libraries. For the general reader, it provides an eminently readable account of the only century of drama that can claim comparison with the Renaissance era. Cambridge University Press is to be congratulated for following its earlier three-volume history of American drama (by C.W.E. Bigsby; see WLT 60:2, p. 312) with, at the lealst, an equally impressive accounting of an age of English drama." World Literature Today"The scope of this book, with its brief but often interesting observations about a great number of British plays, the chronology of plays and historical events, and the checklists of major work which precede Innes's discussions of individual playwrights, make this book attractive to students." Theatre Journal"...full of stimulating ideas and succeeds in illuminating an extraordinary wide range of material. It is an account, the best we have to date, that will trigger our thinking for a few years to come." Comparative Drama
Synopsis
This is the first one-volume analysis of British drama, from 1890-1990, covering the most dynamic and exciting period in its history since Shakespeare. Starting with George Bernard Shaw, Christopher Innes traces the evolution of modernism from the close of the nineteenth century right up to the present. The unparalleled breadth of this critical study shows patterns of development in naturalistic social drama, comedy, poetic drama, and feminist theatre. This provides a coherent theoretical frame for understanding individual writers and their work. The book gives detailed discussions of all the major dramatists; analysis of over 200 plays; information on the social and political context; facts about first productions and critical reception; a comprehensive chronology, and illustrations from seminal productions. The wide focus, unique coverage, and wealth of detail make this book an invaluable guide for students, theatre-goers, and theatre historians alike.
Table of Contents
List of illustrations; Acknowledgements; Chronology; 1. Contexts; 2. The traditional background; 3. Defining modernism: George Bernard Shaw; 4. Social themes and realistic formulae; 5. The comic mirror - tradition and innovation; 6. Poetic drama - verse, fantasy and symbolic images; 7. Present tense - feminist theatre; Index.