Political Theatre in an Era of Disengagement

Abstract

Political theatre since 1995 has gone far beyond surviving as a remnant of the activist 1970s; it has expanded, developed in new ways, and become a force of renewal in British theatre by responding energetically to the conditions of the post-Thatcher era. Political plays have helped to define post-Thatcher politics through the issues and themes they have brought to visibility, and they have contributed to the continually evolving definition of theatre through devising new strategies to address and engage audiences. Contemporary political theatre acknowledges the basis of the current mood of disengagement by questioning and invalidating many of the ideas and practices that have constituted political activism. At the same time, it challenges indifference to politics by articulating issues of great immediacy in forms that signal their urgency. It contests apathy and cynical detachment through its example of engagement, and involves audiences in thinking about social and political issues without advocating particular ideologies to frame interpretation of those issues. The rich variety of new writing that has reinvigorated political theatre in Britain since 1995 offers a striking exhibition of current perspectives on public life and citizenship of the nation and world.