Three Socialist Plays (Open Guides to Literature)

Robert Shaughnessy considers the major issues in the theory and practice of socialist drama, using as his point of departure the performance-centred close analysis of three plays: Edward Bond's "Lear", Arnold Wesker's "Roots", and John Arden's "Sergeant Musgrave's Dance". Through the comparison and juxtaposition of these plays, this guide introduces key concerns and debates: the politics of theatre criticism, the relation between text and performance, illusionism versus Epic Theatre. The basis for the discussion throughout is the performance potential of the three plays; a mode of active reading geared towards a socialist theatre practice. Overall, this guide aims to enable students to engage not only with the individual texts but with the broader possibilities of socialist theatre.