Psychological liminality in Anthony Neilson's 'The wonderful world of dissocia'

Cassidy, G (2013) 'Psychological liminality in Anthony Neilson's 'The wonderful world of dissocia'.' International Journal of Scottish Theatre and Screen, 6 (1). pp. 54-81. ISSN 2046-5602

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Abstract

Anthony Neilson is a Scottish dramatist of growing international significance, with plays, such as Realism (2006) and its companion piece The Wonderful World of Dissocia (2003: hereafter abridged to Dissocia), being performed by companies from the National Theatre of Scotland to the Sydney Theatre Company. When researching Dissocia it was unexpected to learn the relative paucity of current critical material on the play. There is some academic discourse, but significantly less than what could be reasonably anticipated, especially given the popularity and longevity of the production. The current criticism of Dissocia is invaluable, but of the scholarly writing that does occur, none actually engages with sustained close textual analysis of the play and its thematic concerns. This article will shift the discussion beyond the work already available and is concerned with demonstrating that Neilson’s work warrants more critical consideration as it has much to offer the field of drama, particularly in its scope to enhance dialogues on liminality; because, as David Edgar reports, ‘drama is about liminal zones’ (Edgar 2009, p.202). It should also be noted that part of the analysis of Dissocia will consist of original transcript evidence from an interview that was conducted between Neilson and myself in May 2012.

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Keywords: Anthony Neilson; The Wonderful World of Dissocia; liminality; contemporary British theatre; intertextuality; fantasy
Divisions: Bath School of Music and Performing Arts
Date Deposited: 03 Oct 2016 09:47
Last Modified: 15 Aug 2021 09:43
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