This new paperback edition provides a unique examination of theatre in Asia and the Pacific and is written by leading experts from within the countries covered. Its far-reaching scope and broad interpretation of theatre (to include all types of performance) set it apart from any other similar publication. Entries on 33 Asian countries are featured in this volume, preceded by introductory essays on Asian Theatre, Theatre in the Pacific, History and Culture, Cosmology, Music, Dance, Theatre for Young Audiences, Mask Theatre and Puppetry. The volume contains approximately 300,000 words and includes national essays of up to 25,000 words each. The countries include: Afghanistan * Australia * Bangladesh * Bhutan * Brunei * Cambodia * India * Indonesia * Iran * Japan * Kazakhstan *Kirghizia * Laos * Malaysia * Myanmar * Mongolia * Nepal *New Zealand * Pakistan * Papua New Guinea * PhilippinesNew Zealand * Pakistan * Papua New Guinea * Philippines *Singapore * South Korea * South Pacific * Sri Lanka * Tadjikistan * Thailand * Turkmenistan * Vietnam

Indonesian Postcolonial Theatre explores modern theatrical practices in Indonesia from a performance of Hamlet in the warehouses of Dutch Batavia to Ratna Sarumpaet's feminist Muslim Antigones. The book reveals patterns linking the colonial to the postcolonial eras that often conflict with the historical narratives of Indonesian nationalism.