This exciting collection of essays explores the complex area of madness and performance. The book spans from the 18th century to the present and unearths the overlooked history of theatre and performance in, and about, psychiatric asylums and hospitals. The book will appeal to historians, social scientists, theatre scholars, and artists alike.
"This collection, edited by Anna Harpin and Juliet Foster, works across performance and medicine, with a specific focus on 'madness' and psychiatry, and performances of and in the asylum. ... This is exciting and important work, capturing a pivotal moment in understanding particular histories of mental illness as it relates to site and performance." (Gianna Bouchard, Contemporary Theatre Review, Vol. 26 (1), February, 2016)
'This is a rich and textured book that brings together debates about madness and mental illness with contemporary analyses of performance. Historically informed, this ground-breaking edited collection traverses disciplinary boundaries, shedding new light on connections between theatre and madness.' - Helen Nicholson, Professor of Theatre and Performance, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK
'[A] wonderful book' - Femi Oyebode, National Centre for Mental Health
'This is a rich and textured book that brings together debates about madness and mental illness with contemporary analyses of performance. Historically informed, this ground-breaking edited collection traverses disciplinary boundaries, shedding new light on connections between theatre and madness.' - Helen Nicholson, Professor of Theatre and Performance, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK
'[A] wonderful book' - Femi Oyebode, National Centre for Mental Health