Overview

South Africa has a uniquely rich and diverse theatre tradition which has responded energetically to the country’s remarkable transition, helping to define the challenges and contradictions of this young democracy. This volume considers the variety of theatre forms, and the work of the major playwrights and theatre makers producing work in democratic South Africa. It offers an overview of theatre pioneers and theatre forms in Part One, before concentrating on the work of individual playwrights in Part Two. Through its wide-ranging survey of indigenous drama written predominantly in the English language and the analysis of more than 100 plays, a detailed account is provided of post-apartheid South African theatre and its engagement with the country’s recent history. Part One offers six overview chapters on South African theatre pioneers and theatre forms. These include consideration of the work of artists such as Barney Simon, Mbongeni Ngema, Phyllis Klotz; the collaborations of William Kentridge and the Handspring Puppet Company; the work of Magnet Theatre, and of physical and popular community theatre forms. Part Two features chapters on twelve major playwrights, including Athol Fugard, Reza de Wet, Lara Foot, Zakes Mda, Yaël Farber, Mpumelelo Paul Grootboom, Mike van Graan and Brett Bailey. It includes a survey of emerging playwrights and significant plays, and the book closes with an interview with Aubrey Sekhabi, the Artistic Director of the South African State Theatre in Pretoria. Written by a team of over twenty leading international scholars, The Methuen Drama Guide to Contemporary South African Theatre is a unique resource that will be invaluable to students and scholars from a range of different disciplines, as well as theatre practitioners.

Full Product Details

Author:   Prof. Martin Middeke (University of Augsburg, Germany) ,  Dr. Peter Paul Schnierer (University of Heidelberg, Germany) ,  Dr. Greg Homann ,  Prof. Martin Middeke (University of Augsburg, Germany)
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint:   Methuen Drama
Dimensions:   Width: 13.80cm , Height: 2.20cm , Length: 21.60cm
Weight:   0.477kg
ISBN:  

9781408176702

ISBN 10:   140817670
Pages:   392
Publication Date:   19 November 2015
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION (Greg Homman, Martin Middeke and Peter Paul Schnierer) PART I OVERVIEW ESSAYS 1. The Pioneers (Sarah Roberts, (University of the Witwatersrand, S.A.) 2. Contemporary Collaborators I: Kentridge, Handspring, Taylor (Jane Taylor, University of Leeds, U.K.) 3. Contemporary Collaborators II: Magnet Theatre (Yvette Hutchison, University of Warwick, UK) 4. Physical-Theatre (Robyn Sassen, Johannesburg, S.A.) 5. Popular Community Theatre (Emma Durden, Durban, S.A.) 6. The Theatre-Makers in One-person Format (Veronica Baxter, University of Cape Town, S.A.) PART II PLAYWRIGHTS 7. Athol Fugard (Dennis Walder, Open University, UK) 8. Reza de Wet (Anton Krueger, Rhodes University, S.A.) 9. Paul Slabolepszy (Adrienne Sichel, Johannesburg, S.A.) 10. Zakes Mda (Kene Igweonu, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK) 11. Lara Foot (Loren Kruger, University of Chicago, USA) 12. Mike van Graan (Brent Meersman, Cape Town, S.A.) 13. Craig Higginson (Michael Titlestad, University of the Witwatersrand, S.A.) 14. Mpumelelo Paul Grootboom (Muff Andersson, University of South Africa, S.A.) 15. Brett Bailey (Kevin Wetmore, Loyola Marymount University, USA) 16. Pieter-Dirk Uys (Mervyn McMurtry, University of KwaZulu-Natal, S.A.) 17. Fatima Dike (Miki Flockeman, University of the Western Cape, S.A.) 18. Yael Farber (Marcia Blumberg, York University, Canada) 19. Emerging Playwrights and Significant Plays (Greg Homann, Independent Scholar) 20. Aubrey Sekhabi: an interview, with Greg Homann (Independent Scholar) INDEX

Reviews

The Methuen Drama Guide brings compelling theatre and performance from the past twenty years under scholarly study, and the editors gather an impressive array of primarily South African scholars and theatre practitioners to reflect on themes and aesthetics emerging in more than a hundred plays … The Methuen Drama Guide offers a rare, well-curated glimpse into some of the most exciting contemporary work in South African theatre of the past twenty years. A long overdue contribution to postapartheid theatre scholarship, it is accessible to those with little knowledge of the topic and rewarding to those more knowledgeable. * Theatre Survey *

The Methuen Drama Guide brings compelling theatre and performance from the past twenty years under scholarly study, and the editors gather an impressive array of primarily South African scholars and theatre practitioners to reflect on themes and aesthetics emerging in more than a hundred plays ... The Methuen Drama Guide offers a rare, well-curated glimpse into some of the most exciting contemporary work in South African theatre of the past twenty years. A long overdue contribution to postapartheid theatre scholarship, it is accessible to those with little knowledge of the topic and rewarding to those more knowledgeable. * Theatre Survey *

Author Information

Martin Middeke is Professor and Chair of English Literature at the University of Augsburg, Germany and Visiting Professor of English at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. Peter Paul Schnierer is Professor and Chair of English Literature at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. Greg Homann is an independent academic and multi-award winning theatre director based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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