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Mobilising the Home Front: British Theatre in 1916

Brooks, Helen E.M. (2017) Mobilising the Home Front: British Theatre in 1916. In: The Fictional First World War, 6-9 Apr 2017, University of Aberdeen. (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:65361)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided. (Contact us about this Publication)

Abstract

It has long been recognised that the theatre played an important role in mobilizing young men in the first phase of the war. Yet, as this paper demonstrates, theatre also played a key role in the second phase of the war: this time in mobilizing the civilian population. In plays such as 'Too Late', 'The Great Redding Street Burglary', 'My Superior Officer', and 'War Mates, thrift and subscription to war bonds was encouraged; industrial unrest was lambasted; and appropriate attitudes and behaviours were promoted. Examining production histories in their historical context, this paper argues that these plays were a response to the new and particular challenges faced in 1916. It further argues that from 1916 the theatre sought to erode the fissure developing between those fighting and those ‘at home’ by presenting the whole nation as active participants in a total war.

Item Type: Conference or workshop item (Paper)
Uncontrolled keywords: War; First World War; Great War; Theatre; propaganda; mobilisation; home front
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Arts and Humanities > School of Arts
Depositing User: Helen Brooks
Date Deposited: 12 Dec 2017 22:16 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Feb 2021 13:51 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/65361 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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