Madness at the Theatre by Femi Oyebode

Madness at the Theatre by Femi Oyebode

Madness at the Theatre studies the theatrical representation of madness from the classical Greek period through to the 21st century. Professor Oyebode charts the portrayal of madness by the world's great playwrights across the centuries and argues that whereas acts of madness are described but unseen in Greek drama, Shakespeare brought these behaviours to centre stage. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries aberrant behaviour was portrayed in domestic settings by Ibsen - theatrical madness became a family drama. Tennessee Williams and Eugene O'Neill drew on their own families for their explorations of madness and addiction. Pinter's masterful use of the ambiguity of language finds strong echoes in the psychiatric clinic. Soyinka emphasised the social context - the personal malady as reflection of a greater malaise in society. Finally, Sarah Kane created plays that were the physical embodiment of her inner world. This book will be essential reading for anyone interested in the language of drama, the depiction of mental illness, and in the wider place of madness as a concept within society.

"I would emphasise that psychiatry has important links with all arts, especially opera and literatureUnderstanding 'bizarre' behaviour of human beings through the arts is an effective way to integrate psychodynamic understanding."

- Dr Estela Welldon

Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy, The Portman Clinic (Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust), London

(e-Interview from The Psychiatrist 36:3, March 2012.)

About the editor:

Femi Oyebode is Professor and Head of Department of Psychiatry, University of Birmingham. He has published widely on the relationship between literature and psychiatry. His research interests include descriptive psychopathology and delusional misidentification syndromes. He is also a poet and literary critic.

Quote from the author: "Theatre is one of the greatest achievements of the human spirit. It combines storytelling with the concrete expression and enactment of the action. It uses language, music, dance, dress, props, and lighting to create an illusion and to influence the emotional life of the audience. It is singularly the most exacting and thrilling of the arts. Mental life is its source and its nourishment." - Femi Oyebode

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781908020420
ISBN 10	1908020423
Title	Madness at the Theatre
Author	Femi Oyebode
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	RCPsych Publications
Year published	2012-07-01
Number of pages	110
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.