Journal of Literary Writing and Evaluation

JLWE, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2025, pp.385-392.

Print ISSN: 3078-8129; Online ISSN: 3104-5073

Journal homepage: https://www.lwejournal.com

DOI: Https://doi.org/10.64058/JLWE.25.2.20  

An Alternative Approach to History: A Review of British Drama of the Twentieth Century  

Yuan Yingzhe

Abstract: The publication of British Drama of the Twentieth Century marks a milestone breakthrough in the exploration of British drama within Chinese academia. It demonstrates the scholarly initiative and innovative accomplishments of domestic scholars in actively constructing knowledge systems within the global intellectual arena. Professors Liu Hongwei and Li Jing take an approach that combines diachronic and synchronic perspectives, moving beyond traditional Western thematic paradigms. With a firm stance on Chinese academic subjectivity and methodological confidence, they offer an original reconstruction of the historical logic and intellectual-cultural genealogy of twentieth-century British drama. By conducting an in-depth investigation into the historical contexts of dramatic creation, the study clearly delineates five core threads in the development of British drama, presenting a comprehensive map of its century-long transformation. Notably, the work goes beyond mere historical documentation, engaging deeply with international scholarly discourse through a distinctive narrative framework and critical theory. It provides an essential Chinese perspective and a unique interpretive framework for re-evaluating twentieth-century British drama. This achievement not only expands the academic boundaries of international British drama studies, but also opens up new spaces for dialogue, fostering more equal intellectual exchanges between China and the West.

Keywords: British Drama of the Twentieth Century; Liu Hongwei; Li Jing; Chinese perspective

Author Biography: Yuan Yingzhe, Ph.D. Candidate at the School of Foreign Languages, Beihang University. Research Area: British and American Literature. E-mail: yuanyingzhe12@qq.com.

题目：历史的另一种解法——刘红卫教授、李晶教授新著《英国20世纪戏剧研究》述评

摘要：《英国20世纪戏剧研究》一书的问世，标志着中国学界在英国戏剧研究领域实现了具有里程碑意义的突破性进展，彰显出本土学者在全球场域中主动构建知识体系的学术自觉与创新实绩。刘红卫教授与李晶教授以历时与共时相结合的研究路径，突破西方主题研究的既定范式，立足中国学术的主体立场与方法论自信，对英国20世纪戏剧的历史演进逻辑与思想文化谱系进行了富有原创性的重构。通过深入考察戏剧创作的历史语境，研究清晰勾勒出英国戏剧发展的五条核心脉络，完整呈现了百年变革的整体图景。尤为可贵的是，该著并未止步于史料梳理，而是以独特的叙事框架与批评理论深度介入国际学术讨论，为重新审视英国20世纪戏剧提供了重要的中国视角与独到的阐释方案。此项成果不仅拓展了国际英国戏剧研究的学术边界，更为中西之间的平等交流开辟了新的对话空间。

关键词：英国20世纪戏剧研究；刘红卫；李晶；中国视角

作者简介：袁英哲，北京航天航空大学外国语学院博士生，研究方向：英美文学。电邮：yuanyingzhe12@qq.com.

    Received: 8 Nov 2025 / Revised: 10 Nov 2025 / Accepted: 15 Nov 2025 / Published online: 30 Nov 2025 / Print published: 30 Dec 2025.