Product Description

Now out in paperback, this highly personal and comprehensive survey of contemporary drama which celebrates the plays and playwrights at the forefront of theatre today All the way from A-Z, Dromgoole's engaging and provocative short essays include his thoughts on Sebastian Barry, Edward Bond, April de Angelis, Pam Gems, David Hare, Sarah Kane, Martin McDonagh, Conor McPherson, Harold Pinter, Mark Ravenhill, and many, many more. Intelligent, partisan, enthusiastic and always illuminating, this is an insider's guide to the key shapers of theatre over the last decade, and essential reading for anyone interested in contemporary theatre. This edition includes a new afterword."We are living in the middle of a carnival, a free festival, a fete, a flower show, a harvest home, a steam fair, a rock festival, a grand glorious tender wild burst of new plays." Dominic Dromgoole

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #424470 in Books
• Published on: 2002-05-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Customer Reviews

What a relief
Finally a book that pulls no punches. If you want a book with 'real information', this is not your man, but then it never pretends to be. If, on the other hand, you want a book with real opinion, from somewhere obviously deep in the scrum, buy this wonderful book. You don't have to agree with Dromgoole's views - you almost get the feeling he would prefer it if you didn't - but there is no doubting the man's style. I found this riveting - part manifesto, part professional suicide note, part love letters, part fan letters, part almanack, you name it, Dromgoole feels it, and then some. I've seen a lot of new theatre in my time, but I get the feeling that even if I hadn't, this would be pure entertainment from start to finish. An A-Z of contemporary accountants written with this much hutzpah would be as thrilling. I wouldn't use this as a barometer of theatrical consensus, but having read the book, I wouldn't trust commonly held views any more, and I'm a better person for it. I eagerly await the next volume.

Quite interesting but certainly not good value for money.
If only this was a more thorough, insightful guide to contemporary playwrights and their new work for the theatre in the last decade of the twentieth century. Instead we get only the facade of a guide. Detailed, rigorous attention to the plays do not, despite the format, seem to be the point. For this is really a "letting off" steam by the author - at times interesting - he has some illuminating anecdotes and thoughts - but half an hour is all you need to get the message. It would work so much better as a pamphlet for a few quid in which a few punches could be pulled and a manifesto aired. As an appraisal and catalogue of writing for the theatre there are just too many holes and not enough real information.

Refreshingly different approach to viewing playwrites.
Dominic Dromgoole's views on modern playwrites might not be in keeping with the popular status quo, but he is writing about a profession which is in a constant state of flux. What Dromgoole has done is to present his views in a format which shows each playwrite in his/her own light, without unfair comparison to others, and has had the bravery to express his true opinions, not simply the ones which will help him professionally, and for this he shoud be applauded.