Theatre Studies by Robert Leach

Theatre Studies by Robert Leach

Theatre Studies: The Basics, now in its 3rd edition provides a comprehensive yet accessible exploration of both practical theatre-making and critical performance theories, now expanded with contemporary digital and sociocultural perspectives.

Readers gain an integrated understanding of Western theatre traditions, from classical genres to cutting-edge digital performances (including AI and Augmented Reality applications), enhanced by new material on DEI principles, critical race theory, developments in digital theatre, and analyses of modern practitioners. The book’s glossary, chapter summaries, and reading suggestions offer structured learning tools.

Ideal for students and newcomers to theatre studies, this new edition serves as a foundational resource for those seeking to engage critically with performance—whether as scholars, practitioners, or culturally curious readers.

Robert Leach is a writer and theatre director who has taught drama at the Universities of Birmingham and Edinburgh. His books include Makers of Modern Theatre (Routledge, 2004) and Theatre Workshop: Joan Littlewood and The Making of Modern British Theatre (University of Exeter Press, 2006).
Sophie Stringfellow is a Lecturer in Drama at the University of the West of England Bristol. She has published a chapter on 'Ghosting in James's The Tragic Muse' in The Routledge Companion to Theatre-Fiction (Routledge, 2023) and is currently a reviewer in the area of pre-1950s Drama for the Year's Work in English Studies.