Alison Oddey's interviews with prominent performing women span generations, cultures, perspectives, practice and the best part of the twentieth-century, telling various stories collectively. Stand-ups, 'classic' actresses, film and television personalities, experimental and 'alternative' practitioners discuss why they want to perform, what motivates them, and how their personal history has contributed to their desire to perform. Oddey's critical introductory and concluding chapters analyze both historical and cultural contexts and explore themes arising from the interviews. These include sense of identity, acting as playing (recapturing and revisiting childhood), displacement of roots, performing, motherhood and 'being', performing comedy, differences between theatre, film and television performance, attitudes towards and relationships with audiences, and working with directors. The prominent subtext of motherhood reveals a consciousness of split subjectives with and beyond performance. This new edition of the book includes three new interviews with actresses, and is useful primary resource material for undergraduate students on performance studies courses.

Includes 27 specially commissioned interviews (including 3 new ones for second edition) from top actresses/performers including Julie Walters, Imelda Staunton, Jo Brand, Dawn French, Sheila Hancock, Janet McTeer, Meera Syal, Kathy Burke and Fiona Shaw

List of Illustrations Acknowledgements Acronyms Preface to the Second Edition PART I: PERFORMING WOMEN PART II: HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXTS PART III: STAND-UPS, STRUMPETS AND ITINERANTS Jenny Eclair Niamh Cusack Imogen Stubbs Josette Simon Meera Syal Jane Horrocks Kathy Burke Marianne Jean-Baptiste Heather Ackroyd Jo Brand Imelda Staunton Juliet Stevenson Kathryn Hunter Fiona Shaw Dawn French Miranda Richardson Victoria Wood Penelope Wilton June Whitfield Sheila Hancock Brenda Blethyn Alison Steadman Julie Walters Bobby Baker Janet McTeer Naomi Frederick Geraldine James PART IV: WHY PERFORM?: THEMES ARISING FROM INTERVIEWS Selected Bibliography Index