Rose de Wend Fenton and Lucy Neal.
With Rustom Bharucha, Lyn Gardner, Naseem Khan and Dragan Klaic
2005

£15.00 + p&p, 240 pp

Col and b/w illus
ISBN 978 1 903080 03 0
Buy from Central Books

The Turning World reflects on international theatre and the ways in which British theatre has been influenced by exposure to radical productions presented by companies from around the world during twenty years of the London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT). The story of this interaction unfolds through a vigorous narrative written by LIFT’s founding directors, Rose Fenton and Lucy Neal, and its impact is discussed by four leading international theatre practitioners – Rustom Bharucha, Lyn Gardner, Naseem Khan and Dragan Klaic.

Exploring the book’s themes organised under four headings – London, International, Festival and Theatre – the authors and the four commentators take a critical look at the role of theatre, globally, as a force for social and political change. Naseem Khan, who has observed the evolution of multicultural London and its arts constituencies for over thirty years, considers LIFT’s impact on the city; Rustom Bharucha, an independent writer, director and cultural critic based in Calcutta, comments on the shifting meanings implicit in the idea of international; theatre scholar and cultural analyst Dragan Klaic studies the political and cultural development of international performing-arts festivals; and Guardian critic Lyn Gardner assesses what LIFT has effected in the wider context of theatre.

‘LIFT has provided access to the most exciting developments in international theatre.’ Nicholas Hytner

‘The contribution of LIFT cannot be overestimated.’ Fiona Shaw

‘The Turning World is a fascinating account of how theatre has changed.’ Jane Edwardes, Time Out

‘What lingers after finishing the book is a renewed belief in theatre’s power to reach people.’ Samantha Ellis, TLS

Rose de Wend Fenton is an independent arts producer. She co-founded LIFT with Lucy Neal in 1981 and was its co-director for twenty-five years, receiving an OBE in 2005 for her services to drama. Rose Fenton contributes to arts advisory panels in the UK and abroad, in addition to occasional writing and broadcasting. She is on the board of the performance company Moti Roti, a member of the Roundhouse Trust Advisory Board and President of Theorem, a pan-European organisation that supports the work of emerging arts from Eastern and Central Europe.

Lucy Neal is an independent arts producer. She co-founded LIFT with Rose de Wend Fenton in 1981 and was its co-director for twenty-five years, receiving an OBE in 2005 for her services to drama. Lucy Neal contributes to arts advisory panels in the UK and abroad, in addition to occasional writing and broadcasting. She is a Trustee of the Roundhouse Trust and a Board Member of the performance company Station House Opera.