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Underneath (Modern Plays)
by Pat KinevaneIt's mad that ye're here with me. In Cobh. I always felt like I was born on the brink of the world. That I was near death, always. And here I am! Hereafter. This place of slower motion. But whipping energy. Back Home.A woman lies dead in her grave in the Tumbledown cemetery, Cobh, County Cork. It's a recent relocation; only two weeks before she was living in a flat near Croke Park in Dublin, beneath two East European prostitutes who she had begun to be friendly with.From her last resting place, she tells the story of her life: her happy childhood and the mother who loved Cleopatra; being struck by lightning and then missing school for a year; her night shifts in hotels washing and mending laundry; up to her ultimate and untimely demise in a north Dublin flat; all via a series of unlikely encounters and heartbreaking betrayals.Written in Pat Kinevane's signature style, Underneath is a blackly comic, rich and vivid tale of a life lived in secret, a testament to the people who live on the fringes, under the nose of everyday life.Underneath was published to coincide with the play's first production by Fishamble theatre company in December 2014.
The Edinburgh Companion to Shakespeare and the Arts
by Mark Thornton Burnett Adrian StreeteA substantial reference work that supersedes existing studies, the Companion, explores the place of Shakespeare in relation to a wide range of artistic practices and activities, past and present. The 'arts' are defined broadly as cultural processes that take in publishing, exhibiting, performing, reconstructing and disseminating. The 30 newly commissioned chapters are divided into 6 sections: Shakespeare and the Book; Shakespeare and Music; Shakespeare on Stage and in Performance; Shakespeare and Youth Culture; Shakespeare, Visual and Material Culture; and Shakespeare, Media and Culture. Each chapter provides both a synthesis and a discussion of a topic, informed by current thinking and theoretical reflection. Key Features * Addresses Shakespeare in terms of a global frame of reference * Chapters consider chronology and overview, critical history and analysis * Responds to a growing critical and pedagogical interest in the relations between Shakespeare, the arts, film, performance and mass media more generally
Audition Speeches for Black, South Asian and Middle Eastern Actors: Monologues for Men (Audition Speeches)
by Simeilia Hodge-DallawayAudition Speeches for Black, South Asian and Middle Eastern Actors: Monologues for Men aims to provide new and exciting audition and showcase material for actors of black, African American, South Asian and Middle Eastern heritage. Featuring the work of international contemporary playwrights who have written powerful and diverse roles for a range of actors, the collection is edited by Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway. Categorized by age-range, the monologues are collected in groups of characters playable by actors in their teens, twenties, thirties and forties+, and include work from over 25 top-class dramatists including Lemn Sissay, Katori Hall, Rajiv Joseph, Philip Ridley and Naomi Wallace. Audition Speeches for Black, South Asian and Middle Eastern Actors: Monologues for Men is the go-to resource for contemporary monologues and speeches for auditions. Ideal for aspiring and professional actors, it allows performers to enhance their particular strengths and prepare for roles featuring characters of specific ethnic backgrounds.
Audition Speeches for Black, South Asian and Middle Eastern Actors: Monologues for Women (Audition Speeches)
by Simeilia Hodge-DallawayAudition Speeches for Black, South Asian and Middle Eastern Actors: Monologues for Women aims to provide new and exciting audition and showcase material for actresses of black, African American, South Asian and Middle Eastern heritage. Featuring the work of international contemporary playwrights who have written powerful and diverse roles for a range of actors, the collection is edited by Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway. Categorized by age-range, the monologues are collected in groups of characters playable by actresses in their teens, twenties, thirties and forties+, and include work from over 25 top-class dramatists including Sudha Bhuchar, Jackie Sibblies Drury, Marcus Gardley, Mona Mansour and Naomi Wallace. Audition Speeches for Black, South Asian and Middle Eastern Actors: Monologues for Women is the go-to resource for contemporary monologues and speeches for auditions. Ideal for aspiring and professional actresses, it allows performers to enhance their particular strengths and prepare for roles featuring characters of specific ethnic backgrounds.
Punk Rock (Student Editions)
by Simon Stephens Catherine LoveEverything human beings do finishes up bad in the end. Everything good human beings ever make is built on something monstrous. Nothing lasts. We certainly won't . . . William Carlisle has the world at his feet, but its weight on his shoulders. He is intelligent, articulate and f***ed. In the library of a grammar school, William and his fellow sixth-formers are preparing for their mock A-Levels while navigating the pressures of teenage life. They are educated and aspirational young people, but step-by-step, the dislocation, disjunction and latent aggression is revealed.Punk Rock premiered at the Lyric Hammersmith on 3 September 2009 in a co-production between Lyric Hammersmith and the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester. It is published here as a Student Edition featuring commentary and notes by Catherine Love. The ancillary material is geared at students and considers:- an introduction outlining the play's plot, character, themes, context and performance history- the full text of the play- a chronology of the playwright's life and work- a detailed introductory analysis - extensive textual notes - questions for further studyMethuen Drama Student Editions are expertly annotated texts of a wide range of plays from the modern and classic repertoires.This play includes some strong language and violent scenes.
Cock (Modern Classics)
by Mike Bartlett Mark O'ThomasBut that's what this is, isn't it? The ultimate bitch fight.When John takes a break from his boyfriend, his accidentally meets the girl of his dreams. Filled with guilt and indecision, he decides there is only one way to straighten this out . . . Mike Bartlett's metrosexual play about love and longing provides us with questions of who we are and who we want to be. John's refusal to fix his identity disturbs and disrupts the lives of those around him in this contemporary tale of sex without nudity and struggle without violence. Mike Bartlett's punchy story takes a playful, candid look at one man's sexuality and the difficulties that arise when you realise you have a choice.Cock premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, on 13 November 2009.It is published here in the Modern Classics series, featuring an introduction by Mark O'Thomas.
A Taste of Honey GCSE Student Edition (GCSE Student Guides)
by Shelagh Delaney Kate WhittakerWritten specifically for GCSE students by academics in the field, the Methuen Drama GCSE Student Editions provide in-depth explanatory material alongside the play texts frequently studied at Key Stage 4.Whether for use in the classroom or independent study, these editions offer a fully comprehensive and lightly glossed play text with accompanying notes specifically directed towards readers of this age, which unravel essential topics and challenge all students to delve further into literary analysis. Shelagh Delaney's modern classic A Taste of Honey is a comic and poignant exploration of class, feminism, race, sexual orientation and optimism in post-war Britain. Fifty years after its hit premiere, working-class Lancashire lass Jo's story continues to engage new generations of audiences.In addition to some on-page explanatory notes and the play text itself, this edition contains sub-headed analyses of themes, characters, context and dramatic devices, as well as background information on the playwright.The Methuen Drama GCSE Student Editions never lose sight of their readership, and offer students the confidence to engage with the material, explore their own interpretations, and improve their understanding of the works.
A Taste of Honey GCSE Student Guide (GCSE Student Guides)
by Kate WhittakerWritten specifically for GCSE students by academics and specialists in the field, the Methuen Drama GCSE Student Guides conveniently gather indispensable resources and tips for successful understanding and writing all in one place, preparing students to approach their exams with confidence.Key features include a critical commentary of the play with extensive, clearly labelled analyses on themes, characters and context. They take studying drama even further with sections on dramatic technique, critical reception, related works, fascinating behind-the-scenes interviews with playwrights, directors or actors, and a helpful glossary of dramatic terms.Shelagh Delaney's modern classic A Taste of Honey is a comic and poignant exploration of class, feminism, race, sexual orientation and optimism in post-war Britain. Fifty years after its hit premiere, working-class Lancashire lass Jo's story continues to engage new generations of audiences.Closely following the requirements of GCSE English Literature assessment objectives, these studies include expert advice on how to write about modern drama. With featured activities for group study and independent work, they are versatile and valuable to students and teachers alike.
The History Boys GCSE Student Guide: Study Guide (GCSE Student Guides)
by Steve NicholsonPremiered at the National Theatre and winner of both the Olivier and Tony Awards for Best Play, Alan Bennett's The History Boys confronts issues of education, sexuality, and peer pressure through a group of boys preparing for their Oxbridge exams.Written specifically for Key Stage 4 students, this GCSE Student Guide offers a critical commentary on the text through an overview of the play and extensive analysis of themes, characters, contexts, dramatic technique, critical reception and related works. In addition, there is a section on how to write about the play, a glossary of dramatic terms and new interviews with Alan Bennett and the play's original director, Sir Nicholas Hytner. Throughout the guide are suggestions for activities and exercises pitched at the GSCE student, making this an indispensable resource for anyone studying the play at this level.
Blood Brothers GCSE Student Edition (GCSE Student Guides)
by Willy Russell Ros MerkinWritten specifically for GCSE students by academics in the field, the Methuen Drama GCSE Student Editions provide in-depth explanatory material alongside the play texts frequently studied at Key Stage 4. Whether for use in the classroom or independent study, these editions offer a fully comprehensive and lightly glossed play text with accompanying notes specifically directed towards readers of this age, which unravel essential topics and challenge all students to delve further into literary analysis. A well established modern classic, Willy Russell's Blood Brothers tells the story of Mickey and Eddie, twins separated at birth who grow up to lead very opposite lives, but which constantly and inevitably intersect. In addition to some on-page explanatory notes and the play text, this edition contains sub-headed analyses of themes, characters, context and dramatic devices, as well as background information on the playwright. The Methuen Drama GCSE Student Editions never lose sight of their readership, and offer students the confidence to engage with the material, explore their own interpretations, and improve their understanding of the works.
Blood Brothers GCSE Student Guide (GCSE Student Guides)
by Ros MerkinWritten specifically for GCSE students by academics in the field, the Methuen Drama GCSE Guides conveniently gather indispensable resources and tips for successful understanding and writing all in one place, preparing students to approach their exams with confidence.Key features include a critical commentary of the play with extensive, clearly labelled analyses on themes, characters and context. They take studying drama even further with sections on dramatic technique, critical reception, related works, fascinating behind-the-scenes interviews with playwrights, directors or actors, and a helpful glossary of dramatic terms.A well-established modern classic, Willy Russell's Blood Brothers tells the story of Mickey and Eddie, twins separated at birth who grow up to lead very opposite lives, but which constantly and inevitably intersect.Closely following the requirements of GCSE English Literature assessment objectives, these studies include expert advice on how to write about modern drama. With featured activities for group study and independent work, they are versatile and valuable to students and teachers alike.
Willy Russell Plays: Blood Brothers; Our Day Out - The Musical; Shirley Valentine; John, Paul, George, Ringo . . . and Bert (Contemporary Dramatists)
by Willy RussellA new collection of plays from Willy Russell, one of Britain's best-loved dramatists, features the smash hits Blood Brothers, Our Day Out: The Musical and Shirley Valentine as well as the previously unpublished John, Paul, George, Ringo . . . and Bert.Blood Brothers: A Liverpudlian West Side Story, this is the story of twin brothers separated at birth because their mother cannot afford to keep them both. 'One of those rare exceptions, where a show continues to pack a punch after many years on the road and in the West End' - What's On Stage, (5 stars)Our Day Out: The Musical: Mrs Kay's 'Progress Class' are unleashed for a day's coach trip to Conway Castle in Wales - in an exuberant celebration of the joys and agonies of growing up and being footloose, fourteen and free from school. 'One of those truly magical theatrical experiences that should very definitely not be missed' - StageShirley Valentine: The story of a put-upon mother and housewife who leaves the drudgery of cooking dinner for her husband, packs her bags and heads for the sun. 'Shirley is the star of her own monodrama, her gabbing made theatrical in a stream of stories and impersonations that are rooted in essential loneliness and reaction against domestic frustration . . . memorable and joyous' - IndependentJohn, Paul, George, Ringo . . . and Bert: Russell's first major hit, a musical about the Beatles, won the Evening Standard and London Critics' awards for Best New Musical of 1974. 'Why has no-one done it before? Perhaps only a scouser like Willy Russell could have the self-confidence to tackle Liverpool's great phenomenon . . . it's funny, incisive, well-acted and makes its points without any arty philosophising' - Time Out.Willy Russell Plays: 2 features an introduction from the playwright.
Meyerhold on Theatre (Theatre Makers)
by Edward Braun Jonathan PitchesMeyerhold on Theatre brings together in one volume Vsevolod Meyerhold's most significant writings and utterances, and covers his entire career as a director from 1902 to 1939. It contains a comprehensive selection from all published material, unabridged and translated from the original Russian, updated and supplemented with a critical commentary relating Meyerhold to his period and eye-witness accounts describing all his productions. The book is illustrated with photographs of Meyerhold's designs and productions. Within this diverse collection of sometimes dense, sometimes lyrical, and always fascinating writings, Meyerhold emerges from this book as a forerunner of such directors as Brecht, Piscator, Planchon and Brook, a relentless enemy of naturalism and a supreme exponent of total theatre whose influence continues to be felt throughout the theatre of today.This fourth edition features a new introduction by Prof. Jonathan Pitches, which helps to demystify some of the terminology Meyerhold and his associates used, and indicates the fundamental connection between culture and politics represented in his life and art.
Research Methods in Theatre and Performance (Research Methods For The Arts And Humanities Ser.)
by Baz Kershaw Helen NicholsonHow have theatre and performance research methods and methodologies engaged the expanding diversity of performing arts practices? How can students best combine performance/theatre research approaches in their projects? This book's 29 contributors provide hands-on answers to such questions. Challenging and debating received research wisdom and exploring innovative procedures for rigorous enquiry via archives, technology, practice-as-research, scenography, performer training, applied theatre/performance, body in performance and more, they create a focussed compendium of future research options. Key Features * Created in association with TaPRA, the leading UK Theatre and Performance Research organisation, with chapters produced by specialist groupings. * Provides many detailed project case studies and examples - including successful practice-based PhDs - plus analysis of dynamic couplings between methods, methodologies and skill-sets. * Introduction interrogates crucial qualities of performing arts research that constitute theatre and performance as, variously, single-, multi-, inter-, and trans-disciplinary. * Contributors include: Maggie B. Gale (Chair of Drama, University of Manchester); Steve Dixon (Professor of Digital Performance, Brunel University); Joanne 'Bob' Whalley and Lee Miller (University Lecturers and founders Fictional Dogshelf Theatre Company); Simon Ellis and Rosemary Lee (independent performance/dance makers); Roberta Mock (Professor of Performance, University of Plymouth).
The Edinburgh Companion to Scottish Drama
by Ian Brown John CorbettCombines historical rigour with an analysis of dramatic contexts, themes and forms The 17 contributors explore the longstanding and vibrant Scottish dramatic tradition and the important developments in Scottish dramatic writing and theatre, with particular attention to the last 100 years. The first part of the volume covers Scottish drama from the earliest records to the late twentieth-century literary revival, as well as translation in Scottish theatre and non-theatrical drama. The second part focuses on the work of influential Scottish playwrights, from J. M. Barrie and James Bridie to Ena Lamont Stewart, Liz Lochhead and Edwin Morgan and right up to contemporary playwrights Anthony Neilson, Gregory Burke, Henry Adams and Douglas Maxwell
The Cherry Orchard (Modern Plays)
by Anton Chekhov Simon StephensThe funny thing is the harder I work the more clearly I understand things. When I'm worn out after a day's work then it's like my brain relaxes. And sometimes then I get it. The meaning of my life. My purpose on this earth. How many people ever get to say that? And you know what? It doesn't matter. Doesn't change anything. It is not important. In Chekhov's tragi-comedy - arguably his most popular play - the Gayev family is torn by powerful forces deeply rooted in history and the society in which they live. Their estate is hopelessly in debt. Urged to cut down their beautiful cherry orchard and sell the land for holiday cottages, the family struggles to act decisively. Vigorous and profound, this new version of Chekhov's classic play by Olivier award-winner Simon Stephens, from a literal translation by Helen Rappaport, is an anguished and heartbreaking love letter to a society in violent transition. It received its world premiere at the Young Vic, London, on 10 October 2014.
Four minutes twelve seconds (Modern Plays)
by James FritzHe says they all do it. These kids, you know, they've got their phones. Film everything. Can't say I blame them. I would at that age.Seventeen-year-old Jack is the apple of his mother's eye. His parents, Di and David, have devoted their lives to giving him every opportunity they never had. As a result, Jack is smart, outgoing, and well on his way to achieving the grades to study Law at Durham University.But a startling incident outside the school gates threatens to ruin everything they've striven for: an incident that suggests a deep hatred of their son. As events begin to accelerate, Di and David start to doubt Jack's closest friends, Jack himself, and ultimately themselves – who can they trust?In a world where smartphones are ubiquitous, James Fritz's deeply provocative and topical drama throws a light on the sorts of insidious opportunities new technology offers – where nothing dies online, except reputation.Four Minutes Twelve Seconds was runner-up for the Verity Bargate Award in 2013. It received its world premiere at Hampstead Theatre in the Downstairs space on 2 October 2014.
Journey's End GCSE Student Guide (GCSE Student Guides)
by Andrew MaunderWritten specifically for GCSE students by academics in the field, the Methuen Drama GCSE Guides conveniently gather indispensable resources and tips for successful understanding and writing all in one place, preparing students to approach their exams with confidence.Key features include a critical commentary of the play with extensive, clearly labelled analyses on themes, characters and context. They take studying drama even further with sections on dramatic technique, critical reception, related works, fascinating behind-the-scenes interviews with playwrights, directors or actors, and a helpful glossary of dramatic terms.Unmatched as a theatrical response to the First World War, R. C. Sherriff's Journey's End focuses on the experience of soldiers and the conditions in which they fought and died through a socially diverse regiment of English soldiers hiding in trenches in France.Carefully following the requirements of GCSE English Literature assessment objectives, these studies include expert advice on how to write about modern drama. With featured activities for group study and independent work, they are versatile and valuable to students and teachers alike.
Glory Whispers & The Monkey (Modern Plays)
by Sonya Hale John StanleyThese two plays - the winners of Synergy Theatre Project's Prison Writing Competition - tell the tense but often funny stories of drug users and the stress their habits place on their relationships.In Glory Whispers, we see Mina visited by Glory after many years away. Hopeful of seeing Glory's little boy, Mina overlooks Glory's drinking and possible drug use. But when Mina's boyfriend Jonno returns unexpectedly, the troubles and pressures of their relationships see the illusion fall away.The Monkey sees Terry on a rampage trying to reclaim the £500 his friend Alan (aka 'Thick-Al') owes him. Terry's unpredictability, the result of an accident many years before, drives the piece in dark, violent but often hilarious and unexpected ways.These plays were published to coincided with a 2017 production at Theatre503, London, by Synergy Theatre Company.
The Chronicles of Oggle (Modern Plays)
by Peter GowenThen in a beautiful cloud of Holy, I go out the door to meet with my people, to see if I really am. With the angelus and two and six in my pocket, I am a rich and holy possible Jesus. I stop and talk to everyone I meet: 'Hello, I might be Jesus.'Meet Pakie. An orphan, a storyteller, an adventurer, a survivor. He may not be the sharpest sandwich in the tool box, but Pakie knows a thing or two about the history of his native town – from the vicious Vikings, to the less-than Christian Brothers. Pakie's a laugh a minute . . . but he's got secrets. Secrets the God-fearing people of Oggle may not be ready to hear.Written by renowned Irish actor Peter Gowen, The Chronicles of Oggle is a hilarious and heartbreaking story of small towns and even smaller minds.
Joan's Book: The Autobiography of Joan Littlewood (Theatre Makers)
by Joan Littlewood Philip Hedley'Once upon a time, the London theatre was a charming mirror held up to cosiness. Then came Joan Littlewood, smashing the glass, blasting the walls, letting the wind of life blow in a rough, but ready, world. Today, we remember this irresistible force with love and gratitude.' (Peter Brook)Along with Peter Brook, Joan Littlewood, affectionately termed 'The Mother of Modern Theatre', has come to be known as the most galvanising director of mid-twentieth-century Britain, as well as a founder of so many of the practices of contemporary theatre. The best-known work of Littlewood's company, Theatre Workshop, included the development and premieres of Shelagh Delaney's A Taste of Honey, Brendan Behan's The Hostage and The Quare Fellow, and the seminal Oh What A Lovely War.This autobiography, originally published in 1994, offers an unparalleled first-hand account of Littlewood's extraordinary life and career, from illegitimate child in south-east London to one of the most influential directors and practitioners of our times. It is published along with an introduction by Philip Hedley CBE, previously Artistic Director of Theatre Royal Stratford East and Assistant Director to Joan Littlewood.
The Plays of Aeschylus (Classical World)
by A. F. GarvieThis excellent introduction to the six extant plays of Aeschylus is fully revised and updated, with additional further reading, ideal for the student unfamiliar with these earliest of Greek tragedies. Aeschylus is the oldest of the three great Greek tragedians and lived from 525/524 to 465/455. He took part in the battle of Marathon in 490 and probably also in the battle of Salamis in 480, the subject of his Persians. Working in chronological order of their first production, this volume explores Persians, the earliest Greek tragedy that has come down to us; Seven against Thebes; Suppliants; and the three plays of the Oresteia trilogy: Agamemnon, Libation Bearers and Eumenides. The book also contains an essay on Prometheus Bound, now generally thought not to be by Aeschylus, but accepted as his in antiquity.The volume is a companion to The Plays of Euripides (by James Morwood) and The Plays of Sophocles (by Alex Garvie) also available in second editions from Bloomsbury. A further essential guide to the themes and context of ancient Greek tragedy may be found in Laura Swift's new introductory volume, Greek Tragedy.
The Plays of Sophocles (Classical World)
by A. F. GarvieThe emphasis throughout this book, ideal for sixth form and early university students, is on Sophocles' tragic thinking, on the concept of the 'Sophoclean hero', and on the dramatic structure of the plays. The seven extant plays, Ajax, Women of Trachis, Antigone, Oedipus the King, Electra, Philoctetes and Oedipus at Colonus are assessed and a brief concluding chapter draws together what has been said in the seven studies. This second edition has been revised fully, with an updated further reading list and more detailed information on the chorus and staging of the plays.The aim of the book is to help readers to understand why Sophocles is still worth reading, or going to see in the theatre, in the 21st century, and to show how far Sophoclean scholarship has moved in recent decades from the once prevalent view that he was a pious religious conformist who had nothing very profound or original to say, but who said it very beautifully.The volume is a companion to The Plays of Euripides (by James Morwood) and The Plays of Aeschylus (by Alex Garvie) also available in second editions from Bloomsbury. A further essential guide to the themes and context of ancient Greek tragedy may be found in Laura Swift's new introductory volume, Greek Tragedy.
The Plays of Euripides (Classical World)
by James MorwoodOver the past decades there has been something of a revolution in the way we view classical drama generally and Euripides in particular. This book, updated in a second edition, reflects that revolution and aims to show how Euripides was continually reinventing himself. A truly Protean figure, he seems to set out on a new journey in each of his surviving 19 plays. Between general introduction and final summary, Morwood's chapters identify the themes that underlie the plays and concentrate, above all, on demonstrating the extraordinary diversity of this great dramatist. New to this edition, which is updated throughout, are further details on the individual plays and extra suggestions for background reading.The volume is a companion to The Plays of Sophocles and The Plays of Aeschylus (both by Alex Garvie) also available in second editions from Bloomsbury. A further essential guide to the themes and context of ancient Greek tragedy may be found in Laura Swift's new introductory volume, Greek Tragedy.
An Inspector Calls GCSE Student Guide (GCSE Student Guides)
by Philip RobertsWritten specifically for GCSE students by academics in the field, the Methuen Drama GCSE Student Guides conveniently gather indispensable resources and tips for successful understanding and writing all in one place, preparing students to approach their exams with confidence.Key features include a critical commentary of the play with extensive, clearly labelled analyses on themes, characters and context. They take studying drama even further with sections on dramatic technique, critical reception, related works, fascinating behind-the-scenes interviews with playwrights, directors or actors, and a helpful glossary of dramatic terms.An English theatre classic, J. B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls is as much about today as it is about the 20th century. On a night in 1912, Inspector Goole's unexpected arrival at the Birling family's home turns a dinner party into a murder investigation with some shattering conclusions. Closely following the requirements of GCSE English Literature assessment objectives, these studies include expert advice on how to write about modern drama. With featured activities for group study and independent work, they are versatile and valuable to students and teachers alike.