Introduction: Intangible Commodities

Abstract

This book grew out of my frustration at the absence of any publication designed to explain to my students the concerns that have preoccupied contemporary British dramatists of the 1980s and early 1990s. In a popular field like television and stage drama, such a gap seems all the more surprising. Millions of viewers watched the broadcast plays discussed in following chapters, but little attempt has been made to elucidate them. Similarly, David Hare’s The Secret Rapture entertained many people when it opened at the National Theatre in London, but its aims are far from transparent, and interpretation seemed to lie beyond the range of most reviewers. Audiences may appreciate some guide to such works, and an indication of their place in each author’s development. As with other literary forms, meanings lie beneath the surface of the text, and sometimes we — as theatregoers, actors, directors, or simply as students of the play — may find it helpful to have these outlined. This volume aims to offer such a guide, and in doing so concentrates on works available to the reader in print.