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The historical age of empires may be over, but empire, as an idea, continues to exercise a hold over our imaginations. This compelling examination of the relationship between theatre and empire begins with potential definitions and theories of empire, suggesting how we might think of these two notions together and how we might see empire itself as theatre. A variety of case studies are then used to explore theatre in light of both cultural and economic imperialism.

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Series Editor´s Preface.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Defining Empire.- 3. Theories of Empire.- 4. Thinking across Empire and Theatre, Theatre and Empire.- 5. Empire as Rehearsal, Empire as Performance.- 6. Empire and Culture.- 7. Economic Imperialism.- 8. Three Kinds of Empire Play.- 9. The New Imperium.- 10. Empires in Confined Spaces.- 11. Reversal and Retreat.- 12. British Theatre, Post Imperialism.- 13. The Theatre that Empire Built.- Further Reading.- Index.

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Benjamin Poore is Lecturer in Theatre at the University of York, UK. He is author of Heritage, Nostalgia and Modern British Theatre: Staging the Victorians, and has contributed widely to journals and books on theatre from the 19th Century to the present day. His research interests are based primarily in the field of contemporary representations of the past in British theatre.

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