Theatre criticism is a deeply individual craft. It is about engaging in an objective and honest manner, while accepting that any response will inevitably be unique to the critic concerned. In Aleks Sierz’s book, New British Drama in 15 Scenes, the academic and critic takes a look across the period between 2010 and the start of the pandemic, the shows, the writers, the directors, and the themes which came to prominence.
What makes this book an absorbing and unusual read is that each chapter approaches the task in a different style. One theme, gender and performance, is presented as notes from a study day, and another, Brexit plays, gives voice to a typical Leave voter. Along the way, a rich list of 250 British dramatic plays is referenced and discussed, bringing them to life, whether you saw them or not.
Sierz’s experimental approach to the decade and his “adventures in theatre criticism” is refreshing, fun, and thorough. You can dip in at almost every topic and be both entertained and informed. During the period referenced, I was casually reviewing, so I am aware of some of the titles, but any critic could pick up this book and feel enthused to approach their craft differently.
He also picks out the trends of the 2010s from the rise of plays about race, gender, and politics, through to historical plays and adaptations. The increasing importance of experimental or dystopian plays by the likes of Alice Birch, Tim Crouch, and debbie tucker green is set next to gig theatre, digital plays, and queer theatre.
This is a rich history of a period in British theatre exploration that has added strong new voices, values, and visions to the stage. It also celebrates the expansion of audiences who can start to see themselves within British drama. A chapter offering the perspective of three millennials – complete with emojis – hints at how younger generations view theatre and media written or created about the form.
With a style that is underpinned by the rigour of academic research, but presented as an accessible text for the general reader interested in the subject, New British Drama in 15 Scenes is an unusual book, but one which is both nostalgic and uplifting, whether you use it as a signpost for theatre trends, a list of key plays from the period, or as a validation or challenge to critical practice.
New British Drama in 15 Scenes: Adventures in Theatre Criticism, by Aleks Sierz, is published by Methuen Drama.