Contemporary Irish Drama

ANTHONY ROCHE is Associate Professor in the School of English, Drama and Film at University College Dublin, Ireland. He has published widely in the field of twentieth- and twenty-first-century Irish drama and theatre. His recent publications include The Cambridge Companion to Brian Friel (2006).

'Much has changed in Irish theatre in the decade and a half since Anthony Roche's peerless survey of contemporary Irish Drama was first published...The appearance of this revised and updated second edition isa welcome opportunity to reacquaint oneself with one of the seminal books on the subject in recent years...Chapters on Brian Friel, Thomas Kilroy and Tom Murphy add considerable ballast to an intelligently written, well argued and essential book on a still vital tradition.' - Michael Quinn, The Stage 'Professor Roche's new edition of his book allows him to add a fascinating survey of the drama of the Celtic Tiger period. In this he convincingly highlights how a younger generation of playwrights engages with the Irish dramatic tradition as it reveals in its haunted plays the tragic flaws in Irish society that mere prosperity could not overcome.' - Terence Brown, Trinity College, University ofDublin, Ireland 'Anthony Roche's --Contemporary Irish Drama was a fundamental text in the study of modern drama; this revised edition with additions and updates proves its validity, value, and relevance. The strengths of the first edition original close readings, judicious contextualizing, comprehensive references are now complemented with definitive accounts of the most exciting young playwrights and their prospects in national and international 21st-century culture.' - John P. Harrington,Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York,USA 'Anthony Roche loves theatre, and Irish theatre in particular -he was at the opening nights; he has long known the playwrights, directors, and actors, as people and professionals; he has been in the scholarly debate about contemporary drama in Ireland all the way along. His new edition of this groundbreaking study really puts the reader on top of the subject, and up to date on many of the most successful English-speaking plays of recent times.' - Adrian Frazier, National University of Ireland, Galway

• Acknowledgements Introduction Beckett and Behan: Waiting for Your Man Friel's Drama: Leaving and Coming Home Murphy's Drama: Tragedy and After Kilroy's Doubles Northern Irish Drama: Imagining Alternatives The 1990s and Beyond: McPherson, Barry, McDonagh, Carr Notes Select Bibliography Index