1990s Theatre

Kitchen Sink Drama:
'Kitchen Sink' is the term given to a particular type of drama, which focuses primarily on the trials and experiences of the urban working class, itself stemming from the wider 'Kitchen Sink' movement of social realism in art. It became popular in the post-war years, but became increasingly used in drama throughout the 20th Century. The leading characters are often 'anti-heroes' and are usually dissatisfied with their lives and the world. Socialist authors are often linked to this style as they try and reveal the truth of lower class life.

e.g.) Look Back in Anger; Coronation Street, many of Shane Meadows' movies, such as This Is England; and (although more humorous) Paul Abbott's Shameless Partly, social realism developed as a reaction against Romanticism, which promoted concepts such as the beauty and truth of art and music, and even turned them into spiritual ideals. Social realism focused on the "ugly realities of contemporary life and sympathized with working-class people, particularly the poor."

In Yer Face Drama:

It is defined by the New Oxford English Dictionary (1998) as something 'blatantly aggressive or provocative, impossible to ignore or avoid' implies being forced to see something close up, having your personal space invaded and the crossing of normal boundaries.

It emerged in the 1990s predominately in London theatres but also around the rest of the UK, with its most important playwrights including Sarah Kane, Mark Ravenhill and Anthony Nielson. It tries to shock, unsettle and disturb audiences by the extremism of its language and images, emotional frankness and its acute questioning of moral norms. They want audiences to feel the emotions that are being played out on stage, and are often highly experimental.

Often contain bad language, nudity, explicit sex scenes, violence, controversial subject matter, focusing more on personal politics than ideology.

Links To Arcadia:

1. Septimus is somewhat of an anti-hero as he is very promiscious
2. There is lots of sex in the play
3. Opposite of 'gritty realism, so is perhaps a reaction against it?