Contemporary Farce On The Global Stage Or Serious Laughter | Theatre And Performance

Contemporary Farce on the Global Stage provides audiences and practitioners a detailed survey of how the genre of farce has evolved in the 21st century. Often dismissed as frivolous farce speaks a universal language with the power to incisively interrogate our world through laughter. Unlike farces of the past where a successful resolution was a given and we could laugh uproariously at adulterous behaviour farce no longer guarantees an audience a happy ending where everything works out. Contemporary farce is no longer ‘diverting us’ with laughter. It is reflecting the fractured world around us. With a foreword by award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig the book introduces readers to the Mechanics of Farce and the ‘Four Ps ’ which are key elements for understanding appreciating and exploring the form. The Five Doors to Contemporary Farce identify five major categories into which farces fall. Behind each door are a wide selection of plays modern and contemporary examples from all over the world written by a diverse group of playwrights who traverse gender race ethnicity and sexual orientation. Supplementing each section are comments observations and reflections from award-winning playwrights directors actors designers dramaturgs and scholars. Designed specifically to give theatre-makers a rounded understanding that will underpin their own productions this book will also be of use to theatre and performance studies students. |Contemporary Farce on the Global Stage or Serious Laughter | Theatre and Performance