Realism in British Theatre: Early Beginnings to Kitchen Sink Realism

Öz

Realism in British theatre is not simply a movement which began in the nineteenth century. Rather, it is an underlying attempt to fulfil the mimetic quest of representing the zeitgeist through stage setting, character, plot and language in such a way that feels most real to its audience. This paper seeks to present a brief outline of the development of British theatre in order to understand the socio-political and literary developments that led to the rise of Realism. After a brief account of Greek and Roman theatrical origins and Elizabethan drama’s contributions to the later theatrical scene, the paper situates the development of modern Realist theatre within the industrial revolution, the rise of a consumer middle class and the influences of continental philosophers like Marx, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, briefly tracing the influences of French and Russian theatre. The paper argues that, while the nineteenth century English theatre depicts successful portrayal of realism through its structures and form, it was with the emergence of Kitchen Sink Drama that the theatre employed both realist structures as well as contents to voice proletarian frustration, gender roles, and political structures. Consequently, the paper also draws a comparison with other parallel movements like Beckettian and Brechtian theatre, under which the realm of reality explored in drama shifted from the physical to the psychological. Realism in British theatre, therefore, emerges as a dynamic and contested terrain that continually questions the subjectivity and power dynamics that surround the reality narrative.