Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 January 2009
The appearance of a succession of controversial and attention-catching new plays on the British stage in the 'nineties has led to considerable public discussion – and not a little ostensible outrage. In ‘an interim report’, Aleks Sierz examines the rash of plays about sex, drugs, and violence – notably Trainspotting, Blasted, Mojo, and Shopping and Fucking – by twenty-something authors, and asks whether they have anything in common beyond a flamboyant theatricality and the desire to shock. After showing how Cool Britannia's manifestation on the national stage has provoked arguments for and against this ‘in-yer-face’ drama, he outlines some of the common themes – such as the crisis of masculinity and the postmodern sensibility – that characterize much contemporary new writing. He argues that while these young writers are certainly gifted and mature, only subsequent theatrical revivals of their work will show whether it has anything lasting to say. Aleks Sierz is theatre critic for Tribune, and currently writing a book about ‘in-yer-face’ drama.
1. See the cover article, ‘Why London Rules’, Newsweek, 4 November 1996; Sunday Times, 5 April 1998.
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4. The Guardian, 13 March 1996; The Times, 1 May 1996; The Times, 14 May 1997. See also Nightingale, Benedict, The Future of Theatre (London: Phoenix, 1998), p. 17–22Google Scholar.
5. See anthologies such as Coming on Strong: New Writing from the Royal Court Theatre, including Peaches and Essex Girls (London: Faber, 1995), and Bush Theatre Plays (London: Faber, 1996). It is, however, significant that the Bush anthology features plays by women, most of which fall neither into the ‘urban ennui’ nor ‘lads’ play' categories.
6. Shank, Theodore, ed., Contemporary British Theatre (London: Macmillan, 1994), p. 18CrossRefGoogle Scholar.
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13. Published as Welsh, Irvine, Trainspotting and Headstate (London: Minerva, 1996)Google Scholar; Kane, Sarah, Blasted and Phaedra's Love (London: Methuen, 1996)Google Scholar; Butterworth, Jez, Mojo (London; Nick Hern, second ed., 1996)Google Scholar; Ravenhill, Mark, Shopping and Fucking (London: Methuen, second ed., 1997)Google Scholar.
14. Theatreland, London Weekend Television, 8–9 March 1998. Books such as Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch and High Fidelity, or films such as Brassed Off and The Full Monty, indicate that the theme of masculinity in crisis is central to the wider culture.
15. See Macdonald, James in Royal Court Newsletter (03–06 1998), p. 2Google Scholar; Miller, Carl, ‘Shocking and Fussing’, http://www.royal-court.org.uk (07 1997)Google Scholar; ‘Do New Writers Have Hearts?’ New Sceptics, Session 1, Theatre Museum, 15 October 1996.
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