Plays, playscripts, drama

Book SynopsisStephens writes dramas set in uncaring, uncompromising worlds, whose characters speak in a language at once naturalistic and yet artificially pared-down and whose uncertain attempts to assert their own identities sometimes lead to gratuitous and brutal acts of violence. - Financial TimesA fifth collection of plays by one of Britain''s most prolific contemporary playwrights, Simon Stephens, charting his work from 2011-2016, ranging from London''s Royal Court Theatre, Manchester''s Royal Exchange and Broadway. Wastwater (2011) Metaphoric, allusive, and thoroughly disturbing in its evocation of suspicion and uncertainty, Wastwater is a thought-provoking play whose quiet intensity stays with you for days its effect is like that of a ugly stone dropped into a pool, which results in constant ripples of dirty water lapping at your subconscious (Aleks Sierz)Birdland (2014) Mega-fame and limitless cash can turn a man into a monster, and Simon Stephens''s new playTable of Contents1. Introduction 2. Wastwater; 3. Birdland; 4. Blindsided; 5. Song From Far Away; 6. Heisenberg

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Book SynopsisIn an oak-panelled room in a rural Oxford gastropub, ten young undergraduates with cut-glass vowels and deep pockets are meeting, intent on restoring their right to rule - and on getting totally chatueaued. Members of The Riot Club, an elite student dining society, the fraternity starts to fray when they discover they''re a guinea-fowl short and the prostitute they''ve hired is suddenly banished. An apparent spoof on Oxford''s notorious Bullingdon Club, whose past members include Boris Johnson, George Osborne and David Cameron, Posh is a satirical play about power, politics and privilege, and how these elements interact within British institutions. The play is published here as a Methuen Drama Student Edition with commentary and notes by Henry Bell. Posh premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 2010 and two years later opened in the West End. It was nominated for Best New Play at both the Evening Standard Awards and for the Theatregoers'' Choice

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Book Synopsis What you want to go back to is your clean, unashamed youth. And you can't.When Chance Wayne left the small town of St. Cloud, he did so with the ambition of being an actor: now, many years later, he returns as a gigolo and the companion of faded movie star Alexandra del Lago. But, can Chance convince the town he did actually make it big, and win over his childhood sweetheart? Or will the mistakes of his past punish him still?Sweet Bird of Youth is Tennessee William's 1959 Broadway hit that explores the social and political climate of 1950s America, at a time where sexual freedom was a topical issue.This new edition includes an introduction by Alison Walls, that explores the play's production history as well as the dramatic, thematic, and academic debates that surround it; a must-have resource for any student exploring the play.Table of ContentsChronology Introduction Development of the play (Williams's state of mind, process and different iterations; collaboration with Elia Kazan) Historical, Social and Cultural Contexts (segregation; sexual freedom; political climate; Williams's other plays) Characters (allegorical names; African-American characters) Setting (St. Cloud; hotel; Easter weekend) Style and language (poetic realism; imagery; music) Themes (corruption/purity; violence; religion; sex; race; beauty; public image; politics) Productions and response (original cast; subsequent notable productions; reviews; film adaptations) Academic Debate Further Study Sweet Bird of Youth Notes

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Book SynopsisWhy am I trying to become what I don't want to be when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am.Willy Loman is an ageing travelling salesman haunted, driven and yet held back by empty dreams of prosperity and success. Justly celebrated as one of the most famous dramatisations of the failure of the American Dream, the play''s moral and political purpose is perfectly counterbalanced by a powerful and moving human drama of a man trying to make his way in the world and of the human flaws that lead to the shattering of his family and of their figurehead.Death of a Salesman is Miller''s tragic masterpiece and considered one of the greatest plays of the twentieth century. Awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1949, the play remains a classic work of literature and drama that is studied and performed around the world.This new edition includes an introduction by Claire Conceison that explores the play''s production history as well as the dramatic, thematicTrade Review[The book has] extensive but not daunting information under headings such as Historical and Social Context, Genres and Themes and Performance History, among other aspects. It’s clearly and accessibly written. * Ink Pellet: The Arts Magazine for Teachers *Table of ContentsChronology Introduction Historical, Social and Cultural Contexts Genre and Themes Play as Performance Production History Academic Debate Behind the scenes – Excerpts from interview with Chinese actor/translator Ying Ruocheng about working with Miller in Beijing in 1983 Further Study Death of a Salesman Notes

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Book SynopsisNiru is a young Bengali woman married to an English colonial bureaucrat Tom.Tom loves Niru, exoticising her as a frivolous plaything to be admired and kept; but Niru has a long-kept secret, and just as she thinks she is almost free of it, it threatens to bring her life crashing down around her.Tanika Gupta reimagines Ibsen's classic play of gender politics through the lens of British colonialism, offering a bold, female perspective exploring themes of ownership and race.

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Book SynopsisI could fly to New York and back every day for seven years and still not leave a carbon footprint as big as if I have a child. Ten thousand tonnes of CO2. That's the weight of the Eiffel Tower. I'd be giving birth to the Eiffel Tower.'In a time of global anxiety, terrorism, erratic weather and political unrest, a young couple want a child but are running out of time. If they over think it, they'll never do it. But if they rush, it could be a disaster.They want to have a child for the right reasons. Except, what exactly are the right reasons? And what will be the first to destruct the planet or the relationship?Trade Review“Duncan Macmillan’s distinctive, off-kilter love story is brutally honest, funny, edgy and current. It gives voice to a generation for whom uncertainty is a way of life… bravely written, startlingly structured” * Guardian *Macmillan’s play is at once harrowing and blisteringly funny, bleak and redemptive...It combines hyper-real dialogue with a quirky form that expands and contracts time before our eyes, creating the almost physical sensation of being hurtled towards an uncertain future. The piece’s furious pace lives up to its title, leaving audience, and no doubt actors, feeling the need to pause for breath in a world that does not allow it. * What's On Stage *“Both uproariously funny … and unbearably poignant… an engaging and poignant piece" * Exeunt Magazine *Duncan Macmillan’s distinctive, off-kilter love story is brutally honest, funny, edgy and current. It gives voice to a generation for whom uncertainty is a way of life… bravely written, startlingly structured” -- Lyn Gardner * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisThis is the first collection from critically acclaimed playwright Duncan Macmillan, containing the plays Monster, Lungs, 2071, Every Brilliant Thing and People, Places and Things.Trade ReviewDuncan Macmillan’s cracking play is a timely and gripping dissection of parenting and responsibility… This is a play that tests your liberal instincts to the limits. * The Guardian, on Monster *An honest, original and pretty much irresistible tearjerker. * The New York Times ArtsBeat, on People, Places and Things *A woundingly intense two-hander. It is the most beautiful, quietly shattering play of the year. * The Express, on Lungs *If we look to theatre to increase our awareness of the human condition, the evening succeeds on all counts. [...] This talk, which deserves wide dissemination, is better than good: it is necessary. * The Guardian, on 2071 *Heart-wrenching, hilarious... one of the funniest plays you’ll ever see about depression – and possibly one of the funniest plays you’ll ever see, full stop. * The Guardian, on Every Brilliant Thing *The writing is exquisitely painful. At times it feels like Macmillan has taken one of those little spoons, the ones with the serrated edge, for grapefruit, and scooped something out of you. * The Stage, on People, Places and Things *It is a rigorous but impassioned cri de coeur [...] conveyed in a single voice, founded on a lifetime's experience of the workings of the planet, it has real power. * New Scientist, on 2071 *Duncan Macmillans cracking play is a timely and gripping dissection of parenting and responsibility This is a play that tests your liberal instincts to the limits. * The Guardian on Monster *If we look to theatre to increase our awareness of the human condition, the evening succeeds on all counts. This talk, which deserves wide dissemination, is better than good: it is necessary. * The Guardian on 2071 *It is a rigorous but impassioned cri de coeur [ ] conveyed in a single voice, founded on a lifetime's experience of the workings of the planet, it has real power. * New Scientist on 2071 *Heart-wrenching, hilarious... one of the funniest plays youll ever see about depression and possibly one of the funniest plays you'll ever see, full stop. * The Guardian on Every Brilliant Thing *Duncan Macmillan's cracking play is a timely and gripping dissection of parenting and responsibility. This is a play that tests your liberal instincts to the limits. * The Guardian on Monster *One of the most powerful and painfully funny plays I've ever seen. * New York Times on People, Places and Things *Table of Contents1. Monster 2. Lungs 3. 2071 4. Every Brilliant Thing 5. People, Places And Things

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Book SynopsisIn Killology, players are rewarded for torturing victims, scoring points for creativity.But Killology isn't sick. In fact it's marketed by its millionaire creator as a deeply moral experience. Because yes, you can live out your darkest fantasies, but you don't escape their consequences.Out on the streets, not everybody agrees with him.There is an instinctive revulsion against taking a human life. And that revulsion can be conquered.

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Book SynopsisWinner of New Diorama, Underbelly and Methuen Drama's Untapped Award 2022Finalist for Best Performance Piece at the Offies Awards 2024 Sometimes I'm afraid of this play.Malta: Catholic kitsch, golden sun, deep blue sea, Eurovision and a blanket ban on abortion.Propelled by three years of interviews with anonymous contributors and their own lived experience, actors and activists Marta and Davinia interrogate Malta's restrictions on the freedom of women.What does it mean for your home to boast the world's most progressive LGBTQIA+ rights, leading transgender laws and a population that is almost unanimously anti-choice?Blanket Ban is a rallying cry from award-winning Chalk Line Theatre. This edition was published to coincide with the production at Underbelly Cowgate, Edinburgh, in August 2022.

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Book SynopsisWe were bound by the same dreamTo be there and to own itor to destroy itNearly two years after the end of their affair, John and Aga meet once more. Each has filled the void left by the other: he has withdrawn into his world of wealth and privilege; she has found herself working as a chambermaid to support her family. Both recognise that the spark between them is still there. Will they rekindle what they had, or is an altogether darker game about to be played out?Magdalena Miecznicka's Nineteen Gardens is a lyrical human comedy, by turns seductive, enigmatic and explosive. The author of several novels and plays in Polish, this is Miecznicka''s first play in English.This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere at London''s Hampstead Theatre, in November 2023.

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Book SynopsisIt''s nice to have a secret.Gio, who has never felt accepted by anyone - not by parents, teachers or peers - decides to disappear and hide out in a secluded cave. When his popular classmate Mirko discovers him, Gio enlists him as an accomplice, convincing him to preserve his secret despite the media frenzy over his disappearance. The boys embark on an unexpected journey towards self-discovery and acceptance, setting in motion a series of dramatic consequences. The play shines a light on bullying, homophobia and the power of social media, exploring how discriminatory voices can deeply impact young minds. It highlights how being yourself is still a risky proposition in our society when it comes to sexual orientation and independent thought. Tobia Rossi''s Hide and Seek is a moving and darkly entertaining play that pits two teenage boys against each other in the face of the contagious prejudice of their small Italian town. This edition was publishe

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Book SynopsisCountry is cool now I think it''s coolConor is 17. He lives with his mum in Croydon. He works at a leisure centre. He's gay. Life is not what he expected, and he's worried he might be well, a loser. He dreams of moving away, of being noticed, of being a somebody.When he hears about an opportunity to perform on stage at the very questionable Croydon People''s Day, he hatches a plan to indulge his passion of Country Western dancing and show the world just how cool he is. But he needs help.Enter best friend Zainab and fellow lifeguard Michael. Can they be convinced that this isn't in fact the biggest loser plan ever? Might they even join Conor on stage for his debut Country Western bonanza performance? In My Life as a Cowboy, Bruntwood Prize-longlisted playwright Hugo Timbrell's hilarious and heart-warming story of friendship, courage and cowboy dance moves, these three unlikely teenagers learn what it really means to dance, to emb

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Book SynopsisWinner of a Fringe First Award 2024Winner of the Popcorn Writing Award 2024Here, you. Are you a VL?Max and Stevie are just two wee guys trying to survive in an ordinary Scottish secondary school. But to survive, sometimes you need to hide. And there''s no hiding when you''re a VL. A VL is a Virgin Lips. It means you''ve never kissed a lassie, or a laddie. But it's so much more than that. And the longer you stay a VL, the more of a VL you become. Kieran Hurley and Gary McNair, the Fringe First Award-winning writers of Square Go, team up again for another raucous and riotous comedy about status in a chaotic hormonal pressure cooker...This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere at Paines Plough''s Roundabout, produced by Francesca Moody Productions at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2024.

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Book SynopsisIn this pseudo-verbatim play, Scottish playwright Rob Drummond explores the anti-vaxxer movement after the famous Wakefield paper and during the COVID pandemic through the eyes of three people with vastly different experiences.

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Book SynopsisA thrilling and shocking adaptation of Orwell's acclaimed novel, detailing the dangers and realities of a totalitarian state.

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Book SynopsisLaura Wade is a Olivier award winning playwright and screenwriter. Her plays include The Watsons (Chichester Festival Theatre and Menier Chocolate Factory), Home, I'm Darling (Theatr Clwyd, National Theatre and West End), Posh (Royal Court Theatre and West End), Tipping the Velvet (Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith), and Alice (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield).

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Book SynopsisShane O'Reilly is an actor and theatre maker. He has been making and performing work for young audiences for a decade. He is currently writing two new works for theatre: Gold in the Water, a musical for family audiences, and Her Father's Voice - a new play/opera. Shane is currently researching working with young performers in a professional context with the support of an Arts Council YPCE Bursary.

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Book SynopsisMaia Novi is a writer and performer based in New York. Her play Invasive Species (Vineyard) which she wrote and starred in was named one of the Top 10 Cultural Events of 2024 by The Hollywood Reporter. She's currently in development on her first feature with Film4. Education: Yale School of Drama

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Book SynopsisNina Segal is a playwright and was the recipient of the 2022 Playwright's Scheme Award and was shortlisted for the 2020 George Devine Award. She won a Rose D'Or award for her short film CAPTURE, made with the Financial Times. She is under commission to the RSC, Donmar Warehouse, Chichester Festival Theatre, Soho Theatre and ETT.Katie Mitchell is an award-winning theatre and opera director with a career spanning 30 years and over 100 productions, in the UK and internationally. Her work has been staged at the Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre and the Royal Court and she has been an Associate Director at all three organisations.Melanie Wilson is a U.K. based inter-disciplinary performance maker. Her acclaimed work is founded on the dialogue between sound, experimental forms of composition, language, technology and live performance. Melanie's work creates spaces for audiences to feel and think deeply through listening.

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Book SynopsisHugo Timbrell is a queer, dyslexic, Bruntwood Prize-longlisted writer from London. He likes stories with great plots, interesting forms and things that make you laugh. His work focuses on presenting gripping stories with protagonists you wouldn't usually see heading them. His work has been developed and supported by organisations including Traverse Theatre, Bruntwood Prize, Selladoor, HighTide Theatre and the Arcola Theatre.

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Book SynopsisJoe Orton (1933-1967) was an English playwright noted for his black comedies, which combine genteel dialogue with violent and shocking action. He delighted in shocking audiences by breaking taboos surrounding sexuality and death in conventionally structured 'black' farces involving epigrammatic dialogue and frenetic, convoluted plots. His plays include Entertaining Mr Sloane (1964), Loot (1965) and What the Butler Saw (1969).

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Book Synopsiscurious directive is a Norwich-based theatre company led by Artistic Director, Jack Lowe. Since 2008, curious directive has collaborated with an evolving family of actors, creatives and technicians. Their work has spanned the mid-scale, like Fringe First Winner, Pioneer (2014), OffWest End nominated Deciphering (2021) or Norfolk Arts Award Winner, Spindrift (2022). Curious directive also connect cutting-edge technology with theatre, like virtual reality theatre hybrid Frogman (2017) and Gastronomic (2019). Critically acclaimed, with 17 prestigious arts-science nominations and awards (recently Best Sound Design/Best Set and Costume Design in 2021 for Deciphering), their work is described as Super theatre with all synapses firing' (The Guardian).

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Book SynopsisTemi Wilkey is an actor & writer from North London. She studied English at Cambridge before training with the National Youth Theatre REP company in 2014. Temi was a member of the Royal Court's Young Writers Group in 2017 and wrote her debut play, The High Table, at the course's culmination. It was produced at the Bush Theatre in Lynette Linton's debut season, and won Temi the Stage Debut Award for Best Writer in 2020. She also co-founded & co-directed the Drag King company, Pecs, performing in the sell-out runs of their shows at venues including Soho Theatre, The Yard & Tate Britain before leaving the company in 2019.Temi wrote an episode of Netflix's Sex Education S3 for which she was nominated for the NAACP award for Outstanding writing in a Comedy Series. She also wrote two episodes for Disney Plus's Wedding Season. Temi is working on her own original projects in the UK and the US. In 2021 she was on the BFI Flare x BAFTA Crew programme mentored by Russell T Davies and was named one of the Forbes 30 under 30.

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Book SynopsisNicholas Pierpan's most recent play, The Maddening Rain, had a successful London run before going on a UK tour and to New York City's 2011 Brits Off-Broadway festival. Nicholas has twice won the Cameron Mackintosh Award for New Writing for Too Much the Sun and The Problem with the Seventh Year. Nicholas was also a finalist for the 2009 Yale Drama Prize for Devolution. His short play Bird was recently chosen for The Miniaturists at the Arcola Theatre. Another short piece, Something Came Out, was selected for the 2009 Off Cut Festival. Nicholas won the 2009 BAFTA/Script Factory Serious Screenwriting Award. In 2010, he was chosen by Faber for their screenwriting academy. Nicholas was commissioned by BAFTA-award winning Little Brother Productions to create a six-part television drama about a London school and was also selected for the 2010 BBC Sparks Radio Residency. He has since written an Afternoon Play for BBC Radio4 (Take a Virtual Girl Like You), an episode for BBC Radio7's Man in Black series (The Printed Name) and appeared on BBC Radio3's The Verb (with From a Distant Room). Nicholas has published his poetry in Poetry Review, the Guardian Review, Granta/British Council New Writing, Tower Poetry Review, the Liberal and elsewhere; his first volume is forthcoming. He holds a PhD in English Literature from Oxford University. He lectures on film and reviews fiction for The Times.

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Book SynopsisA delicious, and somewhat drunken, dinner party segues into a murder mystery game created by the hostess. However, the parlour game may hold clues about the dark truths hiding just under the surface of this genteel gathering...As suspects, clues and red herrings are sifted - it seems one of the guests has an unfair advantage: John Rebus, an ex-detective who used to do this for a living. But is he playing another game, one to which only he knows the rules, that will soon be revealed? As the tension rises, one by one, all their secrets will come out - and there is a shocking discovery that awaits them all...

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Book SynopsisFive recent hit plays by one of the most talented writers to emerge from the 1990s who made his mark with the seminal Shopping and F***ing.Table of ContentsMother Clap's Molly House; The Cut; Citizenship; Pool (no water); Product

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Book SynopsisThere's nae power on earth can crush the men who can sing on a day like this.A powerful re-imagining of Joe Corrie's neglected classic about a Fife mining community during the General Strike. To raise funds for the soup kitchens feeding the miners and their starving families, Corrie wrote In Time O'' Strife in 1926 whilst on strike himself, exposing the brutal lives of a family staring hunger and defeat in the face. Some 87 years later, Graham McLaren has adapted, designed and directed this rarely performed classic play.Created by Graham McLaren (Men Should Weep, A Christmas Carol), the production uses fragments of Corrie's other plays, poems and songs, celebrating his ability as a writer and his contribution to Scottish culture.This edition pairs Corrie''s original text with the script created by McLaren''s adaptation process.Trade ReviewGraham McLaren has adapted the original text and interwoven fragments of Corrie’s other plays, poems and songs to create a celebration of his oeuvre * Courier *A memorably angry, vivid and theatrical retelling of a vital story in Scottish history . . . It's an exhilarating experience, this In Time O' Strife, and not to be missed. * Scotsman *The meeting of music, dance and drama is frequently exhilarating . . . the production has a rare political anger. * Guardian *Corrie's characters personify the stark dilemma faced by the striking miners . . . an intensely powerful production, though, brilliantly performed by a fine ensemble. * The Times *

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Book SynopsisDesigned to introduce the student or general reader to a largely unfamiliar area of Elizabethan theatrical activity, Five Elizabethan progress entertainments focuses on a group of entertainments mounted for the monarch in the closing years of her reign. Richly annotated, and prefaced by a substantial introduction, the texts enable an understanding of the motives underlying not only the progress itself, but the choice of locations the monarch elected to visit and the personal and political preoccupations of those with whom she determined to stay. Selected for their diversity, the entertainments exhibit the tensions underlying some royal visits, the lavish expenditure entailed for the monarch’s hosts and the overlap in terms of both material and authorship between the progress entertainments and the more widely studied products of the sixteenth-century stage.Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION: THE ROYAL PROGRESS THE ENTERTAINMENT AT COWDRAYIntroductionText THE ENTERTAINMENT AT ELVETHAMIntroductionText THE ENTERTAINMENT AT BISHAMIntroductionText THE ENTERTAINMENT AT MITCHAM IntroductionTextAppendixTHE ENTERTAINMENT AT CHISWICKIntroductionTextINDEX

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Book SynopsisA collection of original short plays that focus on sexual harassment and assault in Egypt, by debut Egyptian playwrightsThese five original short plays, written by Egyptian students from the American University in Cairo in collaboration with Jillian Campana and Dina Amin, mark the first published plays in Egypt that deal directly with sexual harassment. Sexual crimes are not limited to the workplace or the street—they happen everywhere, from the bedroom to the café, in shops, on modes of transportation, and in businesses, homes, outdoor areas, and educational and religious institutions. They can be perpetrated by a stranger, acquaintance, friend, family member, or loved one and they can encompass many different types of sexual violence, including verbal, non-verbal, physical, or visual violence. This collection breaks social taboos by offering dramatic texts that reflect the reality of survivors of sexual harassment from multiple perspectives—families and couples, bystanders, victims and perpetrators, men and women. Many of the women portrayed in these plays are independent, educated, and well to do, but they are all subjected to varying degrees of sexual harassment and violence. Accompanied with narrative commentary that places the events in context, these plays and the issues they explore seek to challenge dominant perceptions about sexual harassment in the region and to shine light on the power imbalances and disparities that give rise to it. They will be of interest to artists, social science researchers, educators, and anyone interested in the issue of sexual harassment, and collaborative theater processes.Playwrights: Yehia Abdelghan, Marwan Abdelmoneim, Nour El Captan, Passant Faheem, Nour Ibrahim, Noran Morsi, and Omar OmarThe research on which this book is based was awarded the Times Higher Education 2023 MENA Award for Research Project of the Year: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Performances of these plays are royalty free.Trade Review"Tackling such topics as consent, psychological trauma, patriarchal attitudes, and the repercussions of speaking out, five sharply honed, open-ended 10-minute plays . . . . transcending easy labels like 'theatre for social action' and 'theatre in education,' they exist in a category of their own."—Critical Stages/Scènes critiques"The first published plays in Egypt that deal directly with sexual harassment."—Al Ahram"This book is a brilliant engagement with the issue of gender-based violence in the private sphere, one of the most difficult challenges that societies all over the world contend with."— Hoda Elsadda, Cairo University, and co-founder and Chair of the Board of the Women and Memory Forum, from the forewordTable of ContentsForeword: The Problem and the ProjectHoda ElSaddaSexual Harassment in Egypt and Using Theater as a Way ForwardJillian Campana and Dina AminThe Plays and Their IntroductionsIntroductions and dramaturgy by Jillian Campana and Dina AminForget Him by Nour El CaptanSee Me by Nour Ibrahim and Omar OmarThe Report by Noran MorsiWhen We Met by Marwan Abdelmoneim and Passant FaheemWhat Do You Know? by Yehia AbdelghanyBibliography

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Book SynopsisWitty and dynamic lovers’ dialogues for the stage. The actress and author Isabella Andreini won international renown playing the bold, versatile, and intellectual inamorata of the commedia dell’arte. After her death, her husband Francesco Andreini continued publishing her works, among them the thirty-one amorosi contrasti—or lovers’ debates— presented in this volume. Available in English for the first time, Lovers' Debates enables readers to envision the commedia dell’arte through the words of its most revered diva. Lovers flirt boldly, trade bawdy insults, exhibit their learning, and drive each other mad in stage dialogues that showcase Isabella’s skill in composition and drama. Sparkling with wit and bursting with dynamic energy, these brilliant lovers’ dialogues for the stage hold strong appeal not only for specialists in early modern literature and women’s studies, but for enthusiasts, scholars, and practitioners of classic and contemporary theatre. Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Illustrations Introduction The Other Voice Life, Works, Legend: “A Brilliant Discursive Mask” Playing the Game: Genre and Occasion Structure and Themes: The Contrasti in Action Diva on Top: The Professor, the Realist, the Bawdy Virago The Art of Losing Control: Madness and Frenzy Theater and Metatheater, Comedy and Tragedy Posthumous Success: Fragmenti, Alone and with Lettere Note on the Italian Text and Transcription Note on the Translation Lovers’ Debates for the Stage Amorosi contrasti PrefazioneDedicazione Tavola de’ Contrasti Scenici Nomi di tutti i Personnagi Amorosi contrasti: Italian Text Lovers’ Debates PrefaceDedication Table of Debates for the Stage Names of All the Characters Lovers’ Debates: English Translation NotesBibliographyIndex

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Book Synopsis'ZHE' (pronounced zee) is a gender-neutral pronoun – not he or she. Traveling from idyllic Harare, Zimbabwe to London’s gritty inner city; from the playfulness of childhood to the pain of adolescence; from the desire for forgiveness to self-acceptance, this humorous yet haunting drama encompasses the multiplicity of our cultural, gender and sexual identities and takes a fresh look at what makes us who we are.

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Book SynopsisBlending theatre, storytelling and killer moves, spoken word artist Maria Ferguson explores her relationship with the F-word (food) with the help of her first love (dance). Questioning how we all look at size, Fat Girls Don’t Dance takes us in to the world of performance, where three meals a day is up for compromise and skinny sells well. NB: There will be cakeTrade ReviewStunning. * Ed Fest Mag ????? *Candid and disarming. * The Stage *Funny... painfully sad at times... incredibly relatable with a lot of vulnerability. * Emma Gannon *

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Book SynopsisA political play staging the Nazi takeover of Germany with an eye on India. Although Utpal Dutt is acknowledged as a trailblazer of post-Independence Indian theater, English readers have not had access to the range and wealth of his drama. Barricade is a political play that stages the Nazi takeover of Germany in 1933 with an eye on India. Today, the surge to power of far-right parties and fundamentalist fanaticism across the world means that the co-option of democracy and civil society that led to Nazi fascism can happen again—or indeed has already happened—granting Barricade its immediate urgency. Equipped with an introduction analyzing its historical context, this translation of Barricade is also a very rare product in dramatic literature, collating both the printed original as well as a documented performance of the production directed by Dutt.Trade Review"The power of the play lies in its ability to tell us what we, as readers, already know...and that at every point in time, resistance remains the role of the intelligentsia, the media, and citizens. Lal's translation highlights the fact that, regardless of Dutt's own political view, his play remains relevant even fifty years on, and its prescience about the current political scenario makes its translation imperative." * Asymptote *Table of ContentsIntroductionBarricade

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Book SynopsisJessie's life is sorted. More than. So when her friends hear that Queer Eye is finally coming to London, they lie about her perfect life in order to get her a spot on her favourite TV show. However, as she starts to dismantle what she thought she loved, it unravels in a way she never imagined?All that Glittersis a sparkling new comedy and exploration of queer love.

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Book Synopsis'You do not know me yet but I am the heroine of this drama. I am told that here I must give a taste of what is to unfold. I am to convey that this tale is set in Jamaica during the last turbulent days of slavery and the early years of freedom. 'I am to say that it is a true and thrilling journey through that unsettled time. 'Cha, I say, what fuss-fuss. Come, let them just see it for themselves.' The Long Song is adapted from Andrea Levy's award-winning novel by Suhayla El-Bushra. It premiered at Chichester Festival Theatre in October 2021, directed by Charlotte Gwinner.Trade Review'[An] unblinking portrait of dignity amid moral horror... Suhayla El-Bushra's adaptation is a model of economy and fidelity... vivid and disturbing' * Guardian *'Scenes of rare power' * The Times *'Bold, brilliant... phenomenal... Wherever it goes next, it's imperative it has a further life' * Telegraph *'An excellent adaptation... a brilliant interpretation of the story that had the audience gripped and engrossed from beginning to end. The applause, cheers and standing ovation said it all' * British Theatre Guide *

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Book Synopsis'She made some very poor decisions. You tried to warn her. You love her yet, and that's a credit to you, but you need to think about what's best for Scotland...' It's 1567. James Melville is an intelligent, charismatic and skilled diplomat – and also one of the most loyal servants of Mary Stuart, the troubled Queen of Scots. It's a time of political turmoil, and the shocking crimes he has witnessed have shaken him. Now he needs to decide who's guilty, who's innocent, and who is too dangerous to accuse. Change is coming, but at what price? Mary is an explosive political thriller, and part of Rona Munro's breathtaking theatrical exploration of Scottish history. It is the sixth instalment of The James Plays Cycle which began with James I, II and III, performed by National Theatre of Scotland, including a run at the National Theatre in London, and which won the Evening Standard and Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards in 2014, and James IV, co-produced by Raw Material and Capital Theatres in association with National Theatre of Scotland, in 2022. Mary received its world premiere at Hampstead Theatre, London, also in 2022, directed by Roxana Silbert.Trade Review'A psychological and political thriller which pulses with excitement... Munro brilliantly interrogates historical fact, and her account of sexual violence is stunningly intense. At the end, she comes up with an equally impressive coup de théâtre... an excellently taut and satisfying account of intrigue and betrayal' * Arts Desk *'An engaging debate drama with some thrilling exchanges' * Guardian *'A chamber piece about political power and the deals men do in back rooms... a brilliant depiction of political persuasion... fascinating and truly unsettling' * Time Out *'A tight, incisive political drama... keenly focused and fiercely relevant' * The Stage *'A complex dissection of power dynamics coupled with tense and dramatic storytelling' * Reviews Hub *

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Book Synopsis'I been lookin at people on the street. This happen a other people? What the hell do they do?' Wyoming, 1963. A wild, unforgiving land where people live simple, unforgiving lives. When ranch hands Ennis and Jack take seasonal jobs on the isolated Brokeback Mountain, they find companionship in each other. And then they find something more. Brokeback Mountain tells the heartbreaking tale of an irresistible and hidden love spanning twenty years, and its tragic consequences. Based on a short story by Annie Proulx, this stage adaptation by Ashley Robinson, with songs by Dan Gillespie Sells, opened at @sohoplace in London's West End in 2023. It was directed by Jonathan Butterell, and featured Mike Faist and Lucas Hedges as Jack and Ennis, with Eddi Reader performing the songs. As Annie Proulx said of the adaptation, 'Brokeback Mountain has been recreated in several different forms, each with its own distinctive moods and impact. Ashley's script is fresh and deeply moving, opening sight lines not visible in the original nor successive treatments.' Trade Review'A potent, subtle piece of dramatic alchemy... a gem of a show' * Evening Standard *'Beautiful... the play packs a punch... with a herd of achingly lovely country ballads' * Telegraph *'A finely drawn musical miniature of quiet compulsion... has its own delicate, stirring power' * The Stage *'Tender and beautiful... like Bob Dylan/Conor McPherson's Girl from the North Country, this is a "play with music", and lightning strikes twice here... a notably superior musical offering' * iNews *'Stunning... a story fraught with emotion, tenderness, and heart... truly beautiful' * Broadway World *'An impossibly moving tale for our times... the music has a melancholy beauty that conjures the spirit of freedom and natural glory that is part of Brokeback's story... Robinson's adaptation sticks pretty close to Proulx's language, and honours the taciturn quality of the story' * WhatsOnStage *'A faithful and loving recreation of Proulx's original story, bringing with it a tenderness that could only be found in live performance... very special indeed' * Theatre Weekly *'Perfectly pitched and desolately poignant... Ashley Robinson's stage adaptation returns Annie Proulx's short story to a distilled purity... heartbreaking' * Guardian *'A memorable evening, beautifully judged. Don't miss it' * British Theatre Guide *'Heartbreaking and incredibly poignant... the most satisfying of theatrical experiences' * The Upcoming *

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Book SynopsisA racy and riveting drama of intrigue at the Tudor court, based on Philippa Gregory's internationally bestselling novel.

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Book SynopsisA powerful and passionate play about the devastating impact of generational HIV stigma, racism, homophobia and repressive gender norms. Premiered at HOME, Manchester, in 2023, before touring the UK in 2025.

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Book Synopsis"""None of this should ever have happened. Somebody should have given us a different life."" Two ten year olds are brought in for questioning. A third boy has gone missing. The investigator is gentle. The boys begin to talk. 1993. A play about the killing of James Bulger. Stripped to the bone, faithful to the facts. Unflinching. "Trade ReviewOutrageous and beautiful' The Gothenburg Post

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Book SynopsisA play about the last woman to be executed for witchcraft in Scotland, The Last Witch explores the psychological rifts that can divide close communities and drive families apart. Dornoch, northern Scotland, 1727. In the claustrophobic heat of summer, a woman's apparent ability to manipulate the power of land and sea stirs suspicion. Janet Horne can cure beasts, call the wind and charm fish out of the sea. Or can she? Her refusal to deny the charge of witchcraft puts her in dangerous opposition to the new sheriff. Her defiance threatens not only her own life but that of her daughter... Rona Munro's play The Last Witch is based on the historical account of Janet Horne, the last woman to be executed for witchcraft in Scotland. The play was commissioned by Edinburgh International Festival and co-produced by the Festival and the Traverse Theatre Company. It opened at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, in August 2009.Trade Review'Thrilling... seethes with poetry and emotion and is entirely gripping' * Guardian *'A powerful, poetic and unsettling supernatural thriller' * Scotsman *

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