R. Darren Gobert is the William and Sue Gross Distinguished Professor of Theater Studies at Duke University, USA where he specialises in comparative drama, dramatic and performance theory, and the philosophy of theatre. His publications include The Theatre of Caryl Churchill (Methuen Drama) The Mind-Body Stage: Passion and Interaction in the Cartesian Theater.

A detailed study of the work of one of Britain's leading playwrights that will be invaluable for students and theatre-goers. It maps Churchill's work through five key areas that characterise her broad-ranging output.

This is a detailed study of the work of Britain's leading female playwright that will be invaluable for student and theatre-goers. It maps her work through five key areas that characterise her broad-ranging output, and includes a close study of seventeen of the principle plays. It also features a number of essays by leading scholars.

Considers the work in rehearsal, on stage and on the printed page, with contributions from three leading scholars and interviews with directors associated with the work from the UK and North America.

AcknowledgmentsPreface1. Churchill's Landscapesa) Top Girlsb) The Skrikerc) Far Away2. Derivatives; or, Capitalism and the Theatre Industrya) Ownersb) Serious Moneyc) A Dream Play3. Identity and the Bodya) Cloud Nineb) Icecream c) A Number4. The Aesthetics and Ethics of Collaborationa) Light Shining in Buckinghamshireb) Fenc) Mad Forest: A Play from Romania5. Performance and/as Theatrea) Trapsb) Blue Heartc) Love and Information6. Critical PerspectivesThe Picasso of Modern British Playwrights, by Elaine AstonThe 'Times' of Caryl Churchill's Theatre, by Siân AdiseshiahEpilogue: Exit the AuthorAppendix: List of Churchill texts discussedAppendix: List of Churchill productions discussed EndnotesIndex

The Theatre of Caryl Churchill documents and analyses the major plays and productions of one of Britain's greatest and most innovative playwrights. Drawing on hundreds of never-before-seen archival sources from the US and the UK, it provides an essential guide to Churchill's groundbreaking work for students and theatregoers. Each chapter illuminates connections across plays and explores major scripts alongside unpublished and unfinished projects. Each considers the rehearsal room, the stage, and the printed text. Each demonstrates how Churchill has pushed the boundaries of dramatic aesthetics while posing urgent political and theoretical questions. But since each maps Churchill's work in a different way, each deploys a different reading practice - for many approaches are necessary to characterise such a restlessly imaginative and prolific career. Through its five interlocking parts, The Theatre of Caryl Churchill tells a story about the playwright, her work, and its place in contemporary drama.