Not Minding the Gap: Intercultural Shakespeare in Britain
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1515/mstap-2017-0004Keywords:
Braisian (British Asian), Shakespeare, mixed-heritage, identity, intercultural, Tribe Arts, Tara Arts, Phizzical, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Cymbeline, DarokhandAbstract
The article takes issue with the perceived space/gap between the multiple identities of mixed-heritage groups, as most of these people often pick and choose elements from all of their identities and amalgamate them into a cross-cultural whole. In recent years, such mixed-heritage groups in the U.K. have increasingly found cultural expression in Shakespeare. Focusing specifically on a number of recent Shakespearean productions, by what I term Brasian (my preferred term for British-Asians as it suggests a more fused identity) theatre companies, the article demonstrates how these productions employ hybrid aesthetic styles, stories, and theatre forms to present a layered Braisian identity. It argues that these productions not only provide a nuanced understanding of the intercultural map of Britain but are also a rich breeding ground for innovative Shakespeare productions in the U.K.
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