Restaging feminisms

Abstract

This chapter introduces the premise of the study: a re-encounter with the tripartite modelling of liberal, radical and socialist feminisms that were foundational to pioneering feminist approaches to theatre. Past-present feminism and theatre connections are introduced and explored in the context of feminism’s significant revival as a social movement. Both the vicissitudes of feminism since the seventies and the shifts in the feminist-theatre landscape are outlined. Part II of the chapter focuses on the legacies and renewals of feminist dynamics within the British theatre industry: the liberal-feminist demand for equality; radical-feminist resistance to sexual harassment in the industry; and the contestation of class and intersectional inequalities.