Inter-Cultural Performance

In the modem world we are accustomed to conceptualising international

relations in terms of national identity. We speak of English culture, French

culture and American culture as if these things were the basic building

blocks of global civilisation. While there is no doubt that national culture

is important, such a view fails to take account of the fact that there is great

diversity within nations and powerful connections across national frontiers.

Just as individuals cannot be understood in isolation from the society of

which they are a part, so national cultures cannot be understood in isolation

from the global community. Since the beginning of human history cross-cultural exchange has been important in bringing about social change.

This can be seen vividly in the way languages and their associated literary

and dramatic traditions have interacted with one another. This volume

brings together a collection of essays that focus on the role cross-cultural

exchange has played in performance in the theatre and in film. The aim is

not to suggest any systematic theory of cross-cultural exchange but rather

to present a variety of examples that illustrate the subtle and complex way

in which different cultures interact.