Realism, Naturalism, Romanticism, Total Theatre, Socialist and Feminist Drama: there have been many important developments in British Theatre since William Shakespeare and the Renaissance. With a generous nod to the master playwright and his abiding influence, this course offers an incisive and practical introduction to some of the key playwrights and movements in British Theatre History. Each week we will study a different movement, learning about its cultural, social, religious and political norms, then reading and/or performing texts which illuminate, and are illuminated by, this historical context.

The British and Irish playwrights studied will be chosen to coincide with performances we attend but are likely to be drawn from amongst the following: Aphra Behn, Oliver Goldsmith, Katherine Githa Sowerby, Oscar Wilde, Shelagh Delaney, Caryl Churchill, Atiha Sen Gupta, Roy Williams and Beth Flintoff.

Professor: ASE faculty