ABSTRACT

The British `New Wave' of dramatists, actors and directors in the late 1950s and 1960s created a defining moment in post-war theatre. British Realist Theatre is an accessible introduction to the New Wave, providing the historical and cultural background which is essential for a true understanding of this influential and dynamic era.
Drawing upon contemporary sources as well as the plays themselves, Stephen Lacey considers the plays' influences, their impact and their critical receptions. The playwrights discussed include:
* Edward Bond
* John Osborne
* Shelagh Delaney * Harold Pinter

chapter |8 pages

INTRODUCTION

chapter 1|31 pages

REPRESENTING CONTEMPORARY BRITAIN

Anger, affluence and hegemony

chapter 2|23 pages

INSTITUTIONS AND AUDIENCES

chapter 3|35 pages

REALISM, CLASS AND CULTURE

chapter 4|26 pages

‘BEYOND NATURALISM PURE’: REALISM, NATURALISM AND THE NEW WAVE

Realism, naturalism and the New

chapter 5|39 pages

REDEFINING REALISM

chapter 6|27 pages

THE TWO NEW WAVES

Realism in theatre and film