Anthony Neilson is one of the most exciting and challenging voices in contemporary British theatre. For more than two decades he has been in the vanguard of new writing and has acquired a formidable reputation for innovation and experimentation. His major stage plays include Penetrator, The Censor, Stitching, Realism, Unreachable and his 2004 masterpiece The Wonderful World of Dissocia, arguably one of the finest Scottish plays of the new millennium.

This volume provides the first full-length study of Neilson’s plays and his innovative rehearsal methodology. As well as providing a detailed account of each play Trish Reid includes an extensive new interview with Neilson and additional contributions from important scholars and commentators in the field. This is essential reading for anyone who wants to develop a better understanding of one of British theatre’s most original artists.

Significant to the field of theatre and performance because of its status as the first full-length study of the playwright, but its importance is intensified by its deep thought, rigorous research and superb prose. * Studies in Theatre and Performance *

Trish Reid is Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching)) in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Kingston University, London, UK. She is the author of Theatre & Scotland (2012), and has contributed chapters to The Suspect Culture Book (2013); Modern British Playwriting the 1990s (Bloomsbury Methuen Drama, 2012) and The Edinburgh Companion to Scottish Drama (2011).