Forms of Conflict: Contemporary Wars on the British Stage

Forms of Conflict questions how dramatists have responded aesthetically to the changing nature of conflict, focusing on plays written and performed around or after the September 11 terrorist attacks.  Soncini examines how the works of playwrights such as Caryl Churchill, David Hare, Martin Crimp, and Simon Stephens have provided an interpretative means to enlarge our understanding of the new patterns of conflict, ensuring theater’s continued cultural and political relevance. Drawing predominantly on textual material while also considering performance dimension and actual productions, Forms of Conflict explores the relationship between new forms of warfare and new forms of drama, illustrating what dramatic form can reveal about the post-9/11 landscape.