Author: cristinadelgadogarcia

“A brilliant and crucial record of the recent change of paradigm in 21st-century British theatre and drama. This authoritative volume written by an international team of scholars opens up for discussion the ‘affective turn’ within today’s complex ethical context. This book allows for a fascinating take on the works of a broad selection of prominent, challenging playwrights explored from the manifold angles of affect theory. Focusing on affects as a necessary ‘disturbance’ and as a cognitive prism in our times of structural crisis, it captures one of theatre’s key raisons d’être.”

— Elisabeth Angel-Perez, Sorbonne Université, France

“A carefully curated collection, Affects in 21st-Century British Theatre provides a very welcome addition to the burgeoning interest in the study of theatre and affect. Rigorously pursued by all contributors, this affective turn to British dramatists delivers an array of critical and theoretical insights that deepen understandings of thinking-feeling in the poetics of playtexts and their contemporary stagings.”

— Elaine Aston, Lancaster University, UK

“Where scholarship of contemporary ‘playwrights’ drama’ has previously been dominated by a focus on the rational and analytical, this collection provides a range of critical tools to think through text-based plays’ often neglected affective dimensions. Important strands emerge, such as the interconnectedness of affect and cognition, the consideration of form as a major means through which affective meanings are created and received in theatre, and the exploration of affective aspects of subjectivity and identity within wider cultural genealogies and contemporary neoliberalised contexts.”

— Maggie Inchley, Queen Mary University of London, UK

“A highly significant contribution to character studies and political theatre”, “a stimulating, rewarding, and pleasurable read: it navigates complex ideas clearly and persuasively and offers politically incisive and imaginative readings of a sample of contemporary work”.

_{Siân Adiseshiah, Review of Rethinking Character in Contemporary British Theatre: Aesthetics, Politics, Subjectivity, Journal of Contemporary Drama in English 5.2 (2017), 410-414.}

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“The book’s chief value lies, at least for this reviewer, in achieving a positive outlook on the potential power of even the most opaquely experimental postmodern theatre in contributing to the reinforcement of trust and hope in humanity”.

_{Mária Kurdi, ‘The Resurrection of Dramatic Character’, Review of Rethinking Character in Contemporary British Theatre: Aesthetics, Politics, Subjectivity, Focus: Papers in English Literary and Cultural Studies 11 (2018), 145-149}