The Theatre of Philip Ridley is one of the first monographs dealing with
Philip Ridley's entire dramatic oeuvre, including the plays written
for teenage and young adult audiences. The book's theoretical framework
convincingly suggests that Philip Ridley's plays are aesthetic representations
of accelerated globalization, urbanization, and human
atrocities. It not only offers readings of all major plays written by Philip
Ridley in his three decades as a major British playwright but it also delivers
substantial research reports on the relevant topics informing its
framework such as the relationship of theatre and globalization, social
acceleration, dystopian theatre and of course on Philip Ridley's dramatic
oeuvre and impressive career. What makes The Theatre of Philip
Ridley stand out is its end-to-end approach, meaning that it pays close
attention to the intricate relationship between content, dramatic form,
and stage aesthetics in all of its readings. Using theories like Hartmut
Rosa's social acceleration to support its view on the last three decades
of globalization, the book exclusively offers a distinction between hot
and cold dystopian theatre. The book's three analytical chapters show
to readers what is to be gained from this distinction and why it makes
sense to approach many of Ridley's plays with the analytical toolset
provided by the idea of dystopian theatre.