The Play of Law in Modern British Theatre

The first book to investigate the place of law in modern and contemporary drama

• Illustrates the role of contemporary theatre in articulating legal and political issues to a modern audience
• Analyses a range of different genres in contemporary drama, including historical, poetic, realist, documentary and ’in-yer-face’
• Each chapter focuses on a particular area of law alongside the work of a particular contemporary playwright
• Shows how modern playwrights engage with issues such as pornography, murder, terrorism, the function of Parliament, and the role of the monarchy

Theatre, according to the prominent British playwright David Hare, is our most effective ’court of justice’. This book assesses the credibility of this arresting claim in the immediate context of contemporary British theatre by investigating the place and purpose of law in a range of modern dramatic settings and writings. Each chapter focuses on a particular area of law and the work of a particular contemporary playwright, and in doing so illustrates the important role of contemporary theatre in articulating legal and political issues to a modern audience.

Exploring a range of different genres in contemporary drama, including the historical, the poetic, realist, documentary and ’in-yer-face’, this volume explores the capacity of modern playwrights to engage with issues such as pornography, murder, the contemporary experience of terrorism, the function of Parliament and the role of the monarchy.

Ian Ward is Professor of Law at Newcastle University. His research focusses on the intersection of law, literature and history. Ian is an experienced author and has written numerous books and articles. Recent books include Literature and Human Rights (De Gruyter, 2017), Sex, Crime and Literature in Victorian England (Hart, 2014) and Law, Text, Terror (CUP, 2009).