Description: "What distinguishes documentary theatre from other forms of drama? How has it integrated different media across the years, and to what effect? What is its relationship to truth and reality, and defining moments of civic unrest and political change? In this short authoritative book, Andy Lavender examines these questions and others as he surveys a century of documentary theatre and analyzes key productions, ranging from Piscator's In Spite of Everything in Berlin in 1925, through to 21st century productions providing mediations and experiences of Islam, immigration and western identity"--
Brief description: SIMON SHEPHERD is Professor of Theatre and Deputy Principal (Academic) at the Central School of Speech and Drama, UK.
Review Quotes:
"This book not only introduces students to the history, theory and practice of documentary theatre in a style that is simple but never simplistic, but also invites teachers and researchers to reassess and expand their understanding of the form - a rare double feat." --Caroline Wake, UNSW Sydney, Australia
"This is a fine, enthralling and lucid investigation of documentary theatre, one that will appeal to scholars and practitioners alike. In his detailed study, Lavender analyses a range of international theatre productions and case studies, exploring the historical traditions of stage documentary as well as its contemporary iterations across varied sites of cultural production. Throughout, Lavender attends to the technological, political, aesthetic and experiential dimensions of documentary theatre and their mobilization at times of social crisis. A thought-provoking and resonant book." --Chris Megson, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK