BENG310
Modern and Contemporary Drama

ECTS Value: 5 ECTS

Contact Hours: 25

Self Study Hours: 60

Assessment Hours: 40

 

Overall Objectives and Outcomes

This module is designed to provide a comprehensive survey of key developments in British drama, spanning from the early 20th century to the present. Divided into two parts—Modern and Contemporary—the module explores significant dramatic works, styles, and movements, focusing on both their historical contexts and their continuing influence on theatrical practice.

Part 1: Modern Drama

The first part of the module examines the evolution of British drama during the early 20th century, a period marked by significant changes in theatrical culture across Europe and North America. This era witnessed a challenge to traditional rules of theatrical representation, leading to the emergence of diverse forms, including modernism, expressionism, impressionism, political theatre and experimental theatre, alongside the ongoing refinement of naturalism and realism. Key elements include formal experimentation, meta-theatricality and social critique as playwrights grappled with the modernist tension between tradition and innovation. This part of the module emphasises how plays by authors such as George Bernard Shaw, W.B Yeats, T.S. Eliot and Samuel Beckett, in their unique ways, blend modernist and realist approaches to dramatise the complexities of their time.

Part 2: Contemporary Drama (1950–Present)

The second part of the module surveys English drama from the mid-20th century to the present day, focusing on how performance engages with meaning, politics and society. Key features of contemporary drama include detachment, irony, and contingency, with a strong emphasis on personal experience and its intersection with societal and political issues. Contemporary works often explore the body and identity, reflecting shifting cultural sensibilities.

 Plays by authors such as John Osborne, Harold Pinter, Sarah Kane, Polly Stenham will be studied in depth.

By the end of this module, the learner will be able to:

Competences

  • a)Critically analyse key works of modern and contemporary British drama;
  • b)Contextualise key drama pieces from modern and contemporary Britain;
  • c)Critically assessthe defining features of theatrical movements such as modernism, realism, experimental theatre, theatre of the absurd and political theatre.
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Knowledge

  • a)Demonstrate an understanding of foundational works and themes in modern British drama focusing on key figures such as George Bernard Shaw, W. B. Yeats, T. S. Eliot and Samuel Beckett, particularly their engagement with formal experimentation, meta-theatricality, and social critique;
  • b)Develop an appreciation of the historical, cultural and theatrical foundations of early 20th-century drama, including its responses to modernist and realist movements, and exploring how these ideas influenced the development of new theatrical forms such as modernism, expressionism and political theatre;
  • c)Explore major concepts within modern drama, such as the tension between tradition and innovation, the evolution of theatrical representation and the dramatisation of social issues, as represented in the works of leading playwrights;
  • d)Examine contemporary English drama by exploring works from authors such as John Osborne, Harold Pinter, Sarah Kane and Polly Stenham, identifying their engagement with detachment, irony, personal experience and the relationship between identity and society;
  • e)Appreciate the development of theatrical practices, considering how elements of performance, social critique and political engagement have shaped modern and contemporary drama and performance;
  • f)Critically outline the interplay between theatrical form, content, and socio-political context in the works studied;
  • g)Engage with key critical and theoretical frameworks to interpret drama from 1900 to the present.
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Skills

  • a)Critically discuss key elements in modern and contemporary drama, such as formal experimentation, meta-theatricality, detachment and the exploration of identity and society, in an open and critical manner;
  • b)Critically comment in an objective manner on the engagement of modern and contemporary drama with historical and cultural transformations, including the impact of modernist and realist movements, and the evolving role of theatre in addressing political, social and personal concerns;
  • c)Evaluate the diverse perspectives of modern and contemporary playwrights on the relationship between individuals and society, as well as their critiques of social, political and cultural structures through innovative theatrical techniques and themes;
  • d)Construct analytical arguments about dramatic form, staging, and social commentary in modern and contemporary drama.
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Assessment Methods

Suggested Readings

This module will be assessed through: Dramatic Analysis, Performance-Based Task and Forum Engagement

Core Reading List

  1. George Bernard Shaw, Pygmalion
  2. B. Yeats, Purgatory
  3. S. Eliot, The Family Reunion
  4. Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot
  5. John Osborne, Look Back in Anger
  6. Harold Pinter, The Birthday Party
  7. Sarah Kane, Phaedra’s Love
  8. Polly Stenham, That Face

Supplementary Reading List

  1. Aston, E. (Ed.) (2003). Feminist Views on the English Stage: Women Playwrights, 1990–2000, Cambridge University PressCurtin, A., Johnson, N., Paxton, N. & Warden, C. (Eds) (2023); The Edinburgh Companion to Modernism in Contemporary Theatre, ed. by Edinburgh University Press
  2. Innes, C. (2002), Modern British Drama: The Twentieth Century.Cambridge University Press
  3. Smart, J. (2001), Twentieth Century British Drama Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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