Editorial

Th six articles in this edition are representative of the diverse genre mix and internationality that has been a characteristic of Popular Entertainment Studies since the journal was first published in 2010. The genres under consideration here are the Italian sceneggiata (a form of melodramatic theatre); circus; British pantomime; dangdut koplo (a form of Indonesian popular music); musical theatre; and theme parks. Weaving through these articles are themes that have frequently appeared in earlier editions, such as: transformations arising from the influence of national histories on popular performance forms; political and social influences on the management of popular genres; the transnational transference of ideas pertaining to the subject and method of performance; postcolonialism; and ideas of aspiration or utopia. These are dominant themes in the field of popular entertainment research.