Sarah Kane’s Theatre of Psychic Life: Theatre, Thought, and Mental Suffering

Sarah Kane was one of the landmark playwrights of 1990s Britain, her influence being felt across UK and European theatre. This is the first book to focus exclusively on Kane’s unique approach to mind and mental health. It offers an important re-evaluation of her oeuvre, revealing the relationship between theatre and mind which lies at the heart of her theatrical project.

Drawing on performance theory, psychoanalysis and neuroscience, this book argues that Kane’s innovations generate a ‘dramaturgy of psychic life’, which re-shapes the encounter between stage and audience. It uses previously unseen archival material and contemporary productions to uncover the mechanics of this innovative theatre practice.

Theatre has played an important role in post-conflict northern Ireland, where it has been used by artists, communities, and organisations as a tool for political advocacy.

This book provides an up-to-date assessment of the state of theatre in northern Ireland since the end of the conflict, across a period of complete transformation, from entrenched civil conflict to relative peace and prosperity. With a focus on applied theatre and works that use theatre as advocacy, the book investigates the ways the main communities in the region have used theatre to promote their agendas, combat prejudice, and deal with legacy issues of the conflict. It also explores the emergence of new theatres that reflect social and demographic changes in the post-conflict period, including theatre with migrants and minorities, LGBTQ and Irish language theatre. In doing so, it examines the crucial role that theatre (and by extension, arts) can play in processes of reconciliation.

This book draws on over twenty years scholarship from Diane Conrad’s academic career in applied theatre research with systemically marginalized youth. It draws on applied theatre research conducted with youth in three specific contexts: in alternative high schools, in a youth jail and with street-involved youth.

By drawing on examples from several projects, highlighting youths’ voices and youths’ creations, the book offers an introduction to the researcher and theoretical considerations for the research, suggests practical strategies for engaging with this youth population, describes the applied theatre process developed. It addresses specific considerations for working with incarcerated youth and with Indigenous youth, and explores the potential demonstrated for youth empowerment through applied theatre, some ethical considerations in conducting such work and the role of applied theatre in social change. The book may be of interest to applied theatre researchers, instructors, practitioners and students, and to drama teachers and youth workers.

This extended new edition of a seminal text marks the 30th anniversary of the original book’s major intervention in the discipline. Bradby and Williams’ field-defining book introduced the continental-European approach to directing, recognising the work of the modern stage director as an artist in his or her own right for the first time. Now edited by Peter M. Boenisch in collaboration with David Williams, this new edition includes an additional four chapters by leading contemporary experts on theatre direction. Covering recent practices and developments, as well as new trends in the academic research on directing, Directors’ Theatre interrogates working ethics and performance aesthetics, directors’ work with actors as a central creative source and their responses to the ongoing reassessment of theatre’s role and function in contemporary culture.

Shakespeare and Violence Prevention is a handbook that guides educators through an exploration of Shakespeare’s potential to address the public health issue of youth violence. Amanda Giguere presents Shakespeare’s plays as a tool to understand, address root causes of, and prevent violence in our own communities. Performance-based engagement with the plays in an educational setting allows students to explore violence-prevention strategies, practice empathy, and build safer communities. Youth violence is an all too relevant topic, and this text helps educators, theatre companies, and academic theatre departments understand new ways in which the performing arts can positively impact young people.