Contemporary British Theatre: Towards a New Canon
16/10/2010

Hosted by the School of English, Birmingham City University

Confirmed speakers include:
Prof. Dan Rebellato (Royal Holloway, University of London)
Dr Chris Megson (Royal Holloway, University of London)
Dr Graham Saunders (University of Reading)
Dr Aleks Sierz (Rose Bruford College, Boston University London branch)

The conference seeks to address representational trends and practices in post-1995 British theatre. It will examine the work of playwrights who produced their most influential plays during the last fifteen years and changed the face of contemporary British theatre, contributing to the development of new playwriting traditions in the UK. The conference will shed light on how these playwrights can be seen as belonging to a new canon, which is redefining extant notions of theatre and representation.

Proposals for papers are now invited. Topics may include (but are not limited to):

-Influential plays and playwrights
-Responding to social change: new issues for British theatre
-Renegotiating form, content and genre: testing the boundaries of representation
-New political theatre(s)
-Contemporary British theatre and Europe: influences, exchanges, aesthetics
-Contemporary British theatre and gender
-Contemporary British theatre and national identity
-Specific theatres, artistic directors and repertoire choices

Proposals of 250-300 words should be sent to Dr Vicky Angelaki, conference organizer, at vicky.angelaki@bcu.ac.uk, by 31/03/2010.