Walsh, Fintan, ed. (2019) Theatres of contagion: transmitting early modern to contemporary performance. Methuen Drama Engage. London, UK: Methuen Drama. ISBN 9781350085985.
Abstract
Book synopsis: To what extent is theatre a contagious practice, capable of undoing and enlivening people and cultures? Theatres of Contagion responds to some of the anxieties of our current political and cultural climate by exploring theatre's status as a contagious cultural force, questioning its role in the spread or control of medical, psychological and emotional conditions and phenomena. Observing a diverse range of practices from the early modern to contemporary period, the volume considers how this contagion is understood to happen and operate, its real and imagined effects, and how these have been a source of pleasure and fear for theatre makers, audiences and authorities. Drawing on perspectives from medicine, neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, philosophy, law and affect theory, essays investigate some of the ways in which theatre can be viewed as a powerful agent of containment and transmission. Among the works analysed include a musical adaptation and an intercultural variation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet; a contemporary queer take on Hamlet; Grand Guignol and theatres of horror; the writings and influence of Artaud; immersive theatre and the work of Punchdrunk, and computer gaming and smartphone apps.
Metadata
| Item Type: | Book |
|---|---|
| School: | Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication |
| Research Centres and Institutes: | Contemporary Theatre, Birkbeck Centre for |
| Depositing User: | Fintan Walsh |
| Date Deposited: | 17 Oct 2019 07:49 |
| Last Modified: | 09 Aug 2023 12:46 |
| URI: | https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/27182 |
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