Discussing theoretical perspectives such as phenomenology, feminism & postmodernism, this book offers the reader a comprehensive theoretical understanding of a range of approaches within cultural & performance studies that remain grounded in personal narratives & lived experiences. ...

A new play from Brian Friel whose previous works include " Philadelphia, Here I Come". Set over two days in a house just outside the Irish village of Ballybeg, the play tells the story of the five Mundy sisters, their brother Jack who is a priest & the illegitimate son of the younger sister. ...

In the summer of 1936 the five Mundy sisters encounter problems which threaten to tear them apart forever. The opening of a new knitting factory destroys the livelihoods of Agnes (Brid Brennan) & Rose (Sophie Thompson); travelling salesman Gerry (Rhys Ifans), the father of Christina's (Catherine Mc Cormack) son, announces that he is off to fight the fascists in Spain; & brother Jack (Michael Gambon), a missionary priest who has been away in Africa, returns home a broken, senile man. As the festival of Lughnasa approaches, the tensions between the sisters come to a head. Also stars Meryl Streep & Kathy Burke. ...

Dancers create 'civic culture' as performances for public consumption & vernaculars connecting individuals with little in common. Examining performance & the construction of culturally diverse communities, this book, now in paperback with a new preface, suggests that amateur & concert dance can teach us how to live & work together. ...