Author Description

"Theatre on Trial is the first full-length analysis of Samuel Beckett's later drama in the context of contemporary critical and performance theory. Anna McMullan employs a close, textual examination of the later plays as a springboard for exploring ideas around authority, gender and the ideology of performance." "Recent work in the field of critical theory has suggested new ways of looking at performance practice. McMullan argues that, while contemporary theory can deepen our understanding of Beckett's dramatic practice, Beckett's drama places performance in the context of a metaphysical history and a metatheatrical tradition, thereby confronting and provoking some of the central debates in performance studies' engagement with critical theory." "Theatre on Trial will be of vital interest to students and teachers of performance studies. The author's application of theories of deconstruction, psychoanalysis and feminism to Beckett's work will break new ground in theatre studies."--Jacket.