Applied Drama ─ The Gift of Theatre

Applied Drama offers an insight into theatre-making that takes place in communities across the world. It considers the role of artists who work in challenging settings, including prisons, schools, hostels for the homeless, care homes for the elderly and on the street. In this updated second edition, Helen Nicholson provides vivid new examples of practice, and addresses twenty-first century concerns about the environments in which applied theatre takes place.

Ideal for students and practitioners, this lively study poses critical questions about the aesthetics and ethics of applied theatre. It invites debate about the social role of theatre, and explores how interventionist theatre might maintain its radicalism in an increasingly globalized world.

Helen Nicholson is Professor of Drama and Theatre at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK, where she specialises in applied theatre and contemporary performance. She is co-editor of RiDE: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, and author of numerous books, including Theatre, Education and Performance: The Map and the Story.