Course Objectives

• This course examines the production of current theatre and performance in London with an emphasis on staged performance and written texts.
• The course concentrates on the witness of live performance, the discussion and exploration of the cultural context of performances seen and the development of historical understanding of the emergence of the phenomena called British Contemporary Theatre.
• This is high level course that develops the themes covered in the Drama section of CFA DR 443, so while it is unlikely that all students will have encountered the specifics of British theatre before there is the expectation that you will be in a position to frame arguments, to think critically and to express yourself clearly and confidently with regard to your own particular experience of artistic practice.

There is a course fee of £35 (subject to change) attached to this class which is a small contribution to the cost of theatre tickets.

Course materials are listed below. Please log in to view these items. 

Course Comments

"Really pushed me to think outside of my comfort zone. Very stimulating class with a very gifted professor. Also, very applicable for someone outside the discipline." Ashley Gedraitis, Fall 2009

"This class was challenging on a very intellectual and emotional level: we were not being challenged to tackle theatre as much as our own preconceptions about ethics and society. This is one of the best classes I've taken at BU!" Liz Wallbridge, Fall 2009

"I genuinely enjoyed this class; seeing performances was thrilling; lectures were interesting and encouraged creativity and Dr Alan Read is simply 'brilliant'. I wish this class had a part 2 for the second part of the semester." Anon., Spring 2009

“Really enjoyed all of the field trips and really appreciated the variety of shows that we saw. I now think of theatre in a much broader context and feel more connected to it like it carries over to my everyday life.” Julia Sokolyansky, Spring 2008

“Whether you’re a novice or a theatre expert, Alan Read will find a way to make this course enjoyable and worthwhile.”  Stewart Roulston, Fall 2008

Faculty Information

Dr Alan Read completed his undergraduate work at Exeter University and his doctoral work in Critical Theory and Writing for Performance at the University of Washington, Seattle. He has lectured in the US and UK, has written and produced three original plays in London. He is the Professor and Chair of Theatre at Kings College, formerly taught at University of Surrey, Roehampton. He is widely published, recent works include: Theatre and Everyday Life: An Ethics of Performance (1993). The Fact of Blackness: Frantz Fanon and Visual Representation (1996) and his latest book Architecturally Speaking: Practices of Art, Architecture, and the everyday (1999). He has recently been awarded a 5-year research grant from the AHRB to develop a web-based research project entitled Performance Architecture Location, web site is now live at http://www.e-state.org.uk .

Course Syllabus and Materials

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