Absurd Elements in Anthony Neilson’s Realism and The Wonderful World of Dissocia Plays

Abstract

After World War II, British theatre generally dealt with people’s meaningless actions and aimless lives. During the 1950s theatre reflecting the changing society opposed to the traditional theatre in terms of pattern and plot. The period in 1950s was named as Absurd Theatre by Martin Esslin and it has affected many writers until today. In 1990s theatre which reveals the untold explicitly and throws the violence in them to their face was coined by Alex Sierz. In Realism (2006), Anthony Neilson, one of In-yer-face playwrights, presents us with the melancholy protagonist Stuart, who is distant from the outside world, and who is lost amidst both his own sense of disinterest as well as life. The Wonderful World of Dissocia (2004), takes a look at the protagonist Lisa’s watch- which is consistently one hour behind- being fixed, as well as at the absurd events unfolding within Lisa’s imagination. The aim of this paper is to analyze the theme of absurdity in Anthony Neilson’s Realism and The Wonderful World of Dissocia through the lens of Esslin.