How Did in‐Yer‐Face Theatre Reflect the Social and Political Climate of Post Thatcher Britain?

University of Portsmouth PORTSMOUTH Hants UNITED KINGDOM PO1 2UP
This Dissertation
Burdon, Chelsey (2009) How did in-yer-face theatre reflect the social and political climate of post Thatcher Britain? BA dissertation, University of Portsmouth.
Has been retrieved from the University of Portsmouth’s Research Repository: http://eprints.port.ac.uk To contact the Research Repository Manager email: [e-mail] did In‐Yer‐Face theatre reflect the social and political climate of Post Thatcher Britain?
Chelsey Burdon 362007
University of Portsmouth
School of Creative Arts, Film and Media Studies April 2009
Dissertation submitted in part fulfilment for the requirements of the BA (Hons) Film and Drama
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Table of Contents
Abstract Pg3 Introduction Pg4
Chapter One “What Society? There is no such thing as society.
There are individual men and women and there are families.” Pg11
Chapter Two
“We had to fight an enemy in the Falklands.... We always have to be aware of the enemy within, which is more difficult to fight and more dangerous to liberty” Pg19
Chapter Three
“If you want something said‐ ask a man. If you want something done‐ask a woman”
Conclusion Bibliography
Pg28
Pg38 Pg42
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Abstract
This study uses critical reviews and textual analyses of 5 key In‐Yer‐Face plays, alongside contextual information regarding the political backdrop of 1990’s Britain, in an attempt to establish a relationship between this provocative form of theatre and the social and political climate of Britain in the wake of Thatcherism. The dramatic texts within this study cover a range of themes and differ greatly in terms of content, yet they share an aesthetic of cruelty and confrontational flair that places them under an umbrella term known as In‐Yer‐Face theatre, popularised in the mid 1990’s and produced predominantly by young, emerging playwrights.
Each chapter takes a well known quote from Margaret Thatcher as a starting point by which to deconstruct

Bibliography: Allen, G., & Hicks, J. (1999) A Century of Change: Trends in UK Statistics since 1900. Retrieved November 4th, 2008 from United Kingdom Parliament Website: http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp99/rp99‐111.pdf Aston, E Billington, M. (1999, March 10) Heirs of Pirandello. The Guardian, p. 12. Retrieved March 3, 2009 from the Nexis UK database Burchill, J Charles, N. (2002). Gender in Modern Britain. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Crimp, M. (2007). Attempts on Her Life. London: Faber & Faber. D’monte, R. (2008) Thatcher’s Children: Alienation and Anomie in the plays of Judy Upton. In R. D’Monte, G. Saunders (Eds.), Cool Britannia? British Political Drama of the 1990’s (pp. 79‐96). Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan Driver, S., & Martell, L Duke, S., & Edgell, S. (1991) A Measure of Thatcherism: A Sociology of Britain. London; Harper Collins Academic Edgar, D Eldridge, D. (1997). Serving It Up & A Week With Tony. London: Methuen. Kane, S.(2001). Complete Plays. London: Methuen Drama Keay, D Peacock, D. (1999) Thatcher’s Theatre: British Theatre and Drama in the 80’s. London: Greenwood Press 44 362007 Playwright Kane Found Dead (1999) Retrieved December 10th, 2008 from the BBC news website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/284378.stm Ravenhill, M. (1999, 23 February). Obituary: Sarah Kane. The Independent. Retrieved December 10th, 2008 from http://www.independent.co.uk/arts‐ entertainment/obituary‐sarah‐kane‐1072624.html Ravenhill, M Ravenhill, M. (2005) Shopping and Fucking: Student Edition. (D. Rebellato, Ed) London: Methuen Drama. (Original work published 2001) Saunders, G Sierz, A. (2001a) In‐Yer‐Face Theatre: British Drama Today. London: Faber and Faber 45 362007 Sierz, A (2001b, February 17) Outrage Theatres gave young writers freedom‐ no ideologies, no rules, no taste Sierz, A. (2006) The Theatre of Martin Crimp. London: Methuen Drama Sierz, A Spencer, C. (2007, Feb 21) Looking forward in a different class of anger. The Telegraph. Retrieved December 10th, 2008 from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/drama/3663150/Looking‐forward‐in‐ a‐different‐class‐of‐anger.html They Said What? TV Interview for Granada: World in Action. (1978) [Transcript]. Retrieved September 20, 2008 from the Margaret Thatcher Foundation http://www.margaretthatcher.org/speeches/displaydocument.asp?docid=103485 Upton, J Urban, K. (2001) An Ethics of Catastrophe: The Theatre of Sarah Kane. [Electronic Version] A Journal of Performance and Art, 23 (3), 36‐46 Urban, K Woddis, C. (1994) Ashes and Sand Review. Retrieved October 29th, 2008 from http://www.judy.ukwriters.net/1ashes.htm Wright, G Zimmerman, H. (2003) Images of woman in Martin Crimp’s Attempts on her Life [Electronic Version]. European Journal of English Studies, 7(1), pp.69‐85 47