Publisher's Synopsis
Much has been written about the sociology of American acting and more recently there has been a discussion of the ways in which the need to rival Hollywood and the coming of television changed the nature of English acting tradition which had been essentially theatrical. We can now talk with confidence of a Welsh acting tradition. Although lacking a metropolitan centre, a culture in which both chapels and schools encouraged recitations and performance allowed an interest in amateur dramatics to develop. Eventually actors graduated from Wales to the glamour of London's West End and to the film studios. What did Welsh actors contribute to English- language theatre and cinema? More recently there have been new professional opportunities in Wales itself and consequently talented new generations of actors have been amphibious, working both at home in Wales as well as internationally. Each chapter will evoke an actor, assess their work and career and identify the social and psychological dimensions explored therein.
