Theatre on Trial

Theatre on Trial is the first full-length analysis of Samuel Beckett's later drama in the context of contemporary theatre. Audrey McMullan employs a close, textual examination of the later plays as a springboard for exploring ideas around authority, voyeurism, gender, and the ideology of stage and TV space. Recent work in the field of critical theory has suggested new ways of looking at performance practice. And, argues McMullan, what makes an understanding of Beckett crucial to these debates is that his theatrical practice foreground processes which are central to much current thinking in the area. Beckett's Stages will be of vital interest to students and teachers of performance studies. The author's application of theories of deconstruction and psychoanalytic feminism to Beckett's work will break new ground in theatre studies.