Theatre and society (2022) - Surfing USA (2023)

The aim of this course is to explore the role of some contemporary theatre practices and forms in today’s society. The focus will be on British and Irish theatre. More specifically, documentary theatre, verbatim theatre and community theatre will be studied. We will also see what it means to practice theatre in prison, in immersive contexts and in the context of COVID. We will also question the relevance of adapting a Shakespeare play today in France and in Britain.

Students will be asked to read, watch and react to a selection of texts and videos each week. They will also attend one live performance in the course of the semester (attendance is mandatory as expenses should be covered by the university).

Session 1 :

• Étudiants régime général : contrôle continu : (exercices écrits et oraux effectués dans le cadre du TD)
• Étudiants régime spécial : CT : oral 15 minutes (30 minutes de préparation)

Session 2 (« rattrapage ») :

Étudiants régime général et régime spécial: examen terminal : oral 15 minutes (30 minutes de préparation)

Organisation des enseignements

2h TD hebdomadaires pendant 12 semaines.

Ouvrages au programme :

• Othello and Richard III by William Shakespeare
• Dear Ireland by Abbey Theatre (2020)
• Lippy by Dead Centre Dublin (2013)
• London Road by Alecky Blythe (2011)
• The Jungle by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson (2017)
• The Welkin by Lucy Kirkwood (2020)
• Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett (1953)

N.B.: extracts from these plays will be provided on ecampus at the start of the semester. Only the prior reading of Othello and Richard III is a mandatory requirement.

Bibliographie complémentaire :

• Nicholas Grene and Chris Morash (eds.), The Oxford handbook of modern Irish theatre, Oxford University Press, 2016.
• David Lane, Contemporary British Drama, Edinburgh University Press, 2010.
• Shaun Richards (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Twentieth-Century Irish Drama, Cambridge University Press, 2004.
• Kim Solga, Theatre & Feminism, Methuen Drama, 2015.
• Aleks Sierz, Rewriting the Nation: British Theatre Today, Methuen Drama, 2011.
• Harvey Young, Theatre and Race, Methuen Drama, 2013.