Theatre of Caryl Churchill

R. Darren Gobert specialises in comparative drama, dramatic and performance theory, and the philosophy of theatre at York University, Canada, where he is Associate Professor in the Department of English and the Graduate Programme in Theatre and Performance Studies. His publications include The Mind-Body Stage: Passion and Interaction in the Cartesian Theater. He is incoming editor of the journal Modern Drama.

Gobert offers a refreshing exploration of how the rehearsal process and actual productions help shape viewers' perceptions of the author’s work. Students and scholars of today’s theatrical landscape will find much to admire in this volume, not the least of which is the research methodology, the contextual analysis, and the timeliness of the subject matter … A real plus is the examination and analysis of the production history of many of Churchill's works. Top Girls, Serious Money, Cloud Nine, Fen, and Blue Heart receive treatment generally not available elsewhere … Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.

• AcknowledgmentsPreface1. Churchill’s Landscapesa) Top Girlsb) The Skrikerc) Far Away2. Derivatives; or, Capitalism and the Theatre Industrya) Ownersb) Serious Moneyc) A Dream Play3. Identity and the Bodya) Cloud Nineb) Icecream c) A Number4. The Aesthetics and Ethics of Collaborationa) Light Shining in Buckinghamshireb) Fenc) Mad Forest: A Play from Romania5. Performance and/as Theatrea) Trapsb) Blue Heartc) Love and Information6. Critical PerspectivesThe Picasso of Modern British Playwrights, by Elaine AstonThe ‘Times’ of Caryl Churchill’s Theatre, by Siân AdiseshiahEpilogue: Exit the AuthorAppendix: List of Churchill texts discussedAppendix: List of Churchill productions discussed EndnotesIndex