Miss Littlewood and me: Performing ethnography | Intellect Skip to content
1981
Volume 14, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 1750-3159
  • E-ISSN: 1750-3167

Abstract

Joan Littlewood (1914–2002) was a pioneer of theatre directing in the United Kingdom, most famous for her production of This article performs an ethnographic study of , a 2018 musical by Sam Kenyon, which documents Littlewood’s life and work using the style of the earlier show. ’s plot reveals details of Littlewood’s life and work, while its form mirrors the montage techniques that she pioneered in Britain. The article uses interviews and rehearsal observations to document aspects of the process by which was developed. It reflects on the tensions that are revealed between that relatively luxurious process and Littlewood’s political and financial realities. Ethnography was an ideal method for documenting this process because it facilitated observation of relationships between the various works and demonstrated the fluidity and creativity of academic writing.

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2020-04-01
2024-04-27
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