二十一世紀英國國家劇院舞台上的女性劇作家

The abundant creative energy in the theatre world of the United Kingdom is attested by not only the repeated and innovative adaptations of classics but also the constant premieres of new plays. Yet even though equal rights between genders are presumed to be the prevalent norm in Britain, undeniably the writings of female playwrights have had less visibilities vis-a-vis their male counterparts, despite of the existence of established works such as Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls and the increasing number of performances based on the compositions written by female playwrights in recent times. This can be observed even in the list of performances from the UK’s National Theatre, which has considerable influence on performance arts in Britain. Perhaps because of such phenomena, systematic studies dedicated to the performances of texts by female playwrights in Britain are few and far between. In light of this, the goal of this research project is to study the performances staged in the National Theatre in the twenty-first century that are based on the texts written by female playwrights. Through a study of the themes addressed by these playwrights, this project will examine in detail the ways in which these theatre productions dealt with contemporary political, social and family issues, the influence of historical legacies, and questions about the society’s future. Works discussed will include the remakes of notable texts by Githa Sowerby, Victoria Benedictsson, Caryl Churchill, and Sarah Kane, as well as new writings by Lucy Kirkwood, Laura Wade, Lucy Prebble, Nina Raine, and Tamsin Oglesby. In addition to original writings, this project will also consider the works of adaptation by these female playwrights, including musicals and children’s drama, in order to provide a fuller picture of the issues under discussion.