What do theatre and Marxism have in common? What role has theatre played in the history of Marxist thought? How has Marxism shaped theatrical aesthetics and the social function of theatre?

Across politics and culture, Marxism is staging a comeback. This resurgence is especially visible in theatre, where artists and scholars are turning to Marxist ideas to better understand capitalism and imagine forms of social organisation beyond the imperatives of profit and growth. Theatre and Marxism takes this revival as an
opportunity to examine both how Marxism has shaped theatre and how theatre has shaped Marxist theory and struggle.

Organised into six short chapters, this book provides concise overviews of major currents in Marxist thought, including Marxist feminism and decolonial Marxism, while tracing key moments of political and social struggle. It combines close analysis of plays and performance art with accounts of significant episodes in theatre history over the past 150 years.

Theatre and Marxism offers an accessible yet rigorous introduction to one of modern history's most influential intellectual traditions. It is essential reading for students and scholars interested in how capitalism has shaped the modern stage-and how theatre, in turn, has fought back.