Malvern
摘要
The collaborations between Shaw and the Birmingham Repertory Theatre led to the development of the Malvern Theatre Festival, established by Sir Barry Jackson in 1929 and initially dedicated solely to the works of Shaw. In its twelve seasons, the Festival included six British premieres of Shaw’s late plays, two of which were world premieres. This chapter explores the development of the Malvern Festival, contextualising this venture in broader discussions of early twentieth-century festival cultures to which Shaw contributed extensively. This chapter highlights the significance of the Malvern Festival in allowing Shaw to experiment away from the commercial pressures of London’s West End. I show how the existence of Festival managers willing to stage Shaw’s plays often regardless of their potential for generating profit, and the involvement of open-minded practitioners at Malvern, allowed Shaw, during the final stage of his career, to create some of his most experimental works. In return, prestigious Shavian productions and Shaw’s guidance helped to further the work of this, and other, predecessors to Britain’s post-war festival boom.