Masculinities and the Contemporary Irish Theatre - (Performance Interventions) by B Singleton (Hardcover)

About the Book

Irish theatre critic Helen Meany once said that she had seen so many father/son relationships in Irish theatre that she almost believed she might have had one herself! And so it is that Irish theatre and its histories appear to be dominated by men and their actions. However, close readings of a variety of performative encounters in Ireland in the past two decades and more do not point to a performance of a dominance by men. Socially and culturally contextualized performance analysis in this book reveals masculinities that are anything but hegemonic, played out in the theatres and other arenas of performance all over Ireland. These masculinities are not necessarily white, straight, Catholic and middle-class. In fact, many of them fall between the cracks in the edifice of dominance because of their class, race, religion and sexuality, while some contest culturally the performance of patriarchy in Irish society. And there are many that, until now, have been excluded from the narratives of Irish theatre history altogether. This timely book features first-hand performance analyses to deconstruct the masculinities represented on the Irish stage from the early 1990s right up to the present day.

Book Synopsis

Irish theatre and its histories appear to be dominated by men and their actions. This book's socially and culturally contextualized analysis of performance over the last two decades, however reveals masculinities that are anything but hegemonic, played out in theatres and other arenas of performance all over Ireland.

Review Quotes

'Singleton's treatment of [a] broad swath of work results in a varied, yet detailed, study' - Modern Drama

'This is a beautifully written, engaging and grounding breaking book. Its rigorous approach to masculinity as a diverse, complex and contradictory category makes it an extremely important contribution not just to the study of Irish theatre and performance and to postcolonial studies but to the field as a whole.' - Geraldine Harris, Lancaster University, UK

'This new edition brings Brian Singleton's landmark study of masculinities and contemporary Irish theatre right up to date, offering compelling readings of recent theatre texts and performances and new perspectives on classic Irish theatre from Yeats onwards. Singleton's book is an authoritative, comprehensive, and insightful guide to Irish theatre's responses to the contemporary moment, charting the emergence of new theatrical languages and voices.' - Anna McMullan, University of Reading, UK

About the Author

BRIAN SINGLETON Research Fellow at the Freie Universität Berlin (Interweaving Cultures of Performance Research Centre) and teaches at Trinity College Dublin. His research focus is on orientalism, interculturalism and networks in performance with specific reference to race and gender. Previous publications include Oscar Asche, Orientalism and British Musical Comedy (2004), two books on the life and work of Antonin Artaud, and two special collections of essays on contemporary Irish theatre for Australasian Drama Studies (with Anna McMullan) and Modern Drama (with Karen Fricker). He is President of the International Federation for Theatre Research.