Contemporary Farce on the Global Stage

Contemporary Farce on the Global Stage provides audiences and practitioners a detailed survey of how the genre of farce has evolved in the twenty-first century. Often dismissed as frivolous, farce speaks a universal language, with the power to incisively interrogate our world through laughter.

Unlike farces of the past, where happy endings were a given and we could laugh uproariously at adulterous behaviour, farce no longer guarantees an audience a happy ending where everything works out. Contemporary farce is no longer ¿diverting us¿ with laughter. It is reflecting the fractured world around us. The book introduces readers to the Mechanics of Farce, and the ¿Four P¿s,¿ which are key elements for understanding, appreciating, and exploring the form. The Five Doors to Contemporary Farce identify five major categories into which farces fall. Behind each door are a wide selection of plays, modern and contemporary examples from all over the world, written by a diverse grou