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Patrick White's Theatre

Australian Modernism on Stage, 19602018
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
One of the giants of Australian literature and the only Australian Nobel Prize winner for Literature, Patrick White is best known for his novels but also wrote eight plays. Patrick White's Theatre by Denise Varney explores these plays, examining their staging and reception over 60 years. From the initial controversy surrounding The Ham Funeral in 1962 to contemporary revivals that embrace digital technology, this book reveals shifts in Australian theatre and unpacks White's complex theatrical vision, social concerns, and his role within Australian modernism and theatre traditions.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers interested in Australian literature, theatre studies, and cultural history, as well as those keen on exploring the dramatic works of a Nobel Prize-winning author within the modernist tradition.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

One of the giants of Australian literature and the only Australian writer to have won the Nobel Prize for Literature, Patrick White received less acclaim when he turned his hand to playwriting.

In Patrick White's Theatre, Denise Varney offers a new analysis of White's eight published plays, discussing how they have been staged and received over a period of 60 years. From the sensational rejection of The Ham Funeral by the Adelaide Festival in 1962 to 21st-century revivals incorporating digital technology, these productions and their reception illustrate the major shifts that have taken place in Australian theatre over time.

Varney unpacks White's complex and unique theatrical imagination, the social issues that preoccupied him as a playwright, and his place in the wider Australian modernist and theatrical traditions.

Series: Sydney Studies in Australian Literature

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    One of the giants of Australian literature and the only Australian writer to have won the Nobel Prize for Literature, Patrick White received less acclaim when he turned his hand to playwriting. In Patrick White's Theatre, Denise Varney offers a new analysis of White's eight published plays, discussing how they have been staged and received over a period of 60...
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Jonathan Dunk praised Varney's work in the Australian Book Review, highlighting its blend of theoretical insight and sociological history. He calls it "an essential insight" into White's plays and suggests its relevance could extend to understanding Australian modernism more broadly.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781743327555

Publisher: Sydney University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 October 2021

Country: Australia

Imprint: Sydney University Press

Illustration: Illustrations

Audience: General / adult, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 15.0mm

Width: 176.0mm

Height: 250.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 212

About the Author

Denise Varney is Professor of Theatre Studies and co-director of the Australian Centre in the School of Culture and Communication at the University of Melbourne.

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