Philip Auslander In Concert: Performing Musical Persona Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2021. 294p. £36. ISBN: 978-0-472-05471-8.

Abstract

examples of work with limited previous documentation in order to ‘extend the frames of reference’. The main body of this book is comprised of twelve chapters, authored by a range of contributors, all experts in their fields of work. The chapters include a range of applied theatre case studies, interviews, and essays, offering an insight into a breadth of practice in the sector. The range of contributors covers an international scope, including the USA, UK, Australia, and South Africa. Their various theatre programmes range from weekly drama-based workshops to film and singing projects, to radio plays and more. And although each is unique in its specific context, process, and product, there is a sense of connection between them. The contributors each demonstrate an awareness of the intricate complexities of practice in this environment and offer in-depth critical analysis of the socio-political framework in which they are working, particularly in relation to gendered experiences. Extracts of performance texts are interspersed through the chapters, and these are a welcome addition. They come froma range ofCleanBreak’swork, and have all been written by women who have experience of the criminal justice sector.McAvinchey states that she included these as she was ‘aware that the voices of the subjects of this book’ are ‘carefully mediated’ by others. Along with various quotes by the participants interspersedwithin the chapters, the performance texts offer a valuable reminder of their voices, and allow the experiences of both facilitators and prisoners to sit at the heart of the book. This book, then, will be of interest to applied theatre researchers and practitioners, students interested in theatre in the criminal justice sector, and those with interest in feminist studies, particularly feminist criminology. The reader can anticipate not only an engaging and accessible read but one containing honest and insightful reflections on newunderstandingswhich have unfolded through the theatre practice. Women and the Criminal Justice System provides a rich and thorough analysis of theatre work which negotiates ethical and pragmatic issues in order to strive to meet the needs of its participants, while encouraging audiences both within and out of the prison walls to consider the challenges of women in the criminal justice system. rachel mcmurray