Performance in a Time of Terror ─ Critical Mimesis and the Age of Uncertainty

Performance in the Time of Terror is an important investigation of the ways in which performance has given shape and form to "wars of terror," past and present, and as a strategy and tactic of violence. Focusing on an array of performances that caused a stir during the "war on terror" of the first decade of the twenty-first century, Hughes also explores the use of performance by counterinsurgents during the "war on terrorism" in Northern Ireland (1969-1998). Offering original discussions of the resurgence of political theater on London stages and the proliferation of anti-war activism during the war in Iraq (2003-2008), also documented are a series of theater productions targeting communities deemed vulnerable to ideologies of violent extremism. This book will appeal to researchers and students of contemporary theater and performance, especially those interested in the politics of performance. It will interest anyone researching wars on terror and terrorism from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Jenny Hughes is Lecturer in Drama at the University of Manchester.