Plays, playscripts, drama

Book SynopsisA collection of two plays by Indian playwright Satish Alekar. Satish Alekar is widely considered one of the most progressive and influential playwrights in modern Indian theatre. This volume brings together two of Alekar's plays written over half a century apart, The Grand Exit and A Conversation with Dolly. In The Grand Exit, written in Marathi in 1974, a dead man insists on being cremated in an old crematorium that will soon be privatized. In this irreverent masterpiece, father and son confront the mundane to honor the former's final wish. A Conversation with Dolly is the most contemporary of Alekar's plays, and his first to be published before it has been performed. In this play, an old man finds himself locked down during the COVID-19 pandemic, surrounded by Amazon boxes, talking and listening to his devoted nurse Dolly. Both plays are followed by interviews with the playwright which shed light on the origins and design of Alekar's dramaturgical genius.

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Book Synopsis'This is nice, innit? Yeah. Good little set-up to tell you the story of my name. The story of my true name.' When a woman receives an unexpected letter from the British Passport Office, she is forced to confront an old mystery: why does her South African passport not carry her first name? Armed with the wisdom of favourite '90s TV shows, she sets out on a journey that will take her back to the turmoil of Mobutu's Congo, growing up in post-Apartheid South Africa, moving to Ireland, and finding love in a hostile England. As her journey becomes inextricably linked with the tides of global history, how far will she go to unravel the truth? By turns wickedly funny and strikingly lyrical, Benedict Lombe's Lava is an explosive debut play that will turn the way you see the world on its axis. It premiered at the Bush Theatre, London, in July 2021, performed by Ronke Adékoluejo and directed by Anthony Simpson-Pike. Lava was awarded the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Prize in 2022. It also won Best Performance Piece at the 2022 Offies (Off West End Awards), and Benedict Lombe won the Book and Lyrics Recognition Award at the 2021 Black British Theatre Awards.Trade Review'A monologue about diaspora, identity and belonging, [Lava] seethes with rage and pain, and glows with joy, a celebration of black strength and excellence, as much as an unflinching social and historical reckoning. Lombe's writing has a sinewy poeticism and warm, effortless wit... A legacy of trauma — slavery, colonial exploitation, apartheid — collides with intimate personal experience, producing a narrative of volcanic force... the play is always pulsingly impassioned. Brilliant, blistering theatre' * The Times *'A captivating, continent-spanning one-woman show... Benedict Lombe's passionate memoir-monologue that weaves lyrical storytelling with untiring protest... encompass[es] light comedy with heavy truths' * Guardian *'[A] wry, magnetic and urgent study of black identity and displacement. This autobiographical show about a woman's journey from Congo to the UK feels shamingly timely' * Evening Standard *'[A] red-hot eruption of a monologue' * Time Out *'Lava is more than a play, more than a compelling spoken word piece; it's Benedict Lombe's unfiltered, loud, angry, joyful, unapologetically black female expression – all wrapped up in a narrative that runs parallel to the history of the western world' * Afridiziak Theatre News *

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Book Synopsis'Bit risky though, isn't it? Just sort of turning up to an isolated peninsula in the North Sea without any sandwiches…' Kilnsea, East Yorkshire. Angie and Lauren are closing up the café for another winter; the birds have gone south and taken the tourists with them. The last visitor is Dennis, stopping by for his pasty and beans. But there’s another arrival – one that’s unforeseen and life-changing for them all. Tom Wells' Big Big Sky is a beautifully tender play which explores nature's influence on love, friendship and family – the belief that anyone who's lost can be found, even in the remotest of places. It was premiered at Hampstead Theatre in July 2021, directed by Tessa Walker.Trade Review'Perfect summer viewing. Big Big Sky is a tender, warm and very funny look at community, motherhood, and nature... Wells' writing is superb, delicately balancing humour and sensitive moments... a beautifully wistful play, full of charm and kindness by the bucketload' * Whatsonstage *'Wells has a knack for creating knotty but utterly believable family relationships and this new play is no exception... entices us with warmth, humour and quirky asides, but punches through with some heartbreaking emotional truths and universal themes' * The Stage *'Beautifully crafted... the writing is so good that it avoids the elephant trap of easy sentimentality and shouting' * Arts Desk *'A play to make your spirit soar... a tender story of love, grief and family that plays wittily with expectations around gender and age... leaves you with your faith in human kindness refreshed' * i News *

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Book Synopsis'I dunno how it happened, But I like you. I don't know where it came from, But I… Need to stop saying I like you.' Eve's eyes are green like guacamole, she has posh hair, a freckle on her chin (it might be chocolate), and when she puts her hand on Elle's arm… Bloody Elle – A Gig Musical is a heart-warming and belly-achingly funny story about falling in love for the very first time, stuffed full of stomach-flipping, time-stopping moments, touches, glances, kisses. Written and originally performed by Lauryn Redding, this one-person gig musical, set to an original score, was first performed at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, in June 2021. It was directed by the theatre's Joint Artistic Director Bryony Shanahan and co-produced with Rebel Productions. It was revived at the Royal Exchange in June 2022, before transferring to the Traverse Theatre for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.Trade Review'A joyful solo show buzzing with live-gig energy... Redding beautifully captures the feeling of infatuation in all its intensity and awkwardness... her songs soar in a moment from the humdrum to the heart-swelling... irresistible' * Guardian *'The most joyous and romantic love story... a storytelling show with songs, spoken word, and an awful lot of heart' * Reviews Hub *'A gratifying, superbly accomplished display of invention and craft' * WhatsOnStage *'Intoxicating... I was left speechless' * A Younger Theatre *'Redding is a compelling storyteller, and she holds the audience with a story that never lets the pace lapse... the songs are great as well' * British Theatre Guide *'Warm and uplifting... captures the wonder of first love: the delicious tingle of attraction, the pain of heartbreak' * The Stage *'Superb... Redding's solo play is studded with her own magnificent original songs' * Scotsman *

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Book Synopsis'Folk say you can trick a brain. Placebo power… I'm going to stand up and it'll feel better.' Gaynor's got to leave the house if she wants to meet her newborn grand-daughter. Stillness has been the only way to deal with her chronic pain but now it's time to move. Gilly's not sure what her dying dad is feeling but she knows, from experience, that it's best not to Google it. Dougie and Ciara have spent their last NCT class preparing for the labour pains ahead, but now it's time for one last night on the dance floor. And then there's Mick, who wakes up on Portobello Beach in the early hours of the morning with two gold rings in his pocket. He can't remember what they're for but he knows it's something important. He'll work out what if only his old pal, Pat, will stop buying him drinks… Five Edinburgh souls stagger towards each other and are transformed. Full of tenderness and humour, Frances Poet's play Still is a cathartic story of life, loss and joy. It premiered at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, during the 2021 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, directed by the theatre's Artistic Director Gareth Nicholls.Trade Review'A powerful play about the ways in which people confront impending death... sensitively written... a play of great understanding' * The Stage *'Presents the complexities of human grief and pain' * The Skinny *

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Book Synopsis'When I look at you – when you look at me – when our eyes connect? I have to protect. To hold on to something, 'cause there's too much to feel!' Four generations of black men are trying to understand themselves in a world which tells them they have to be strong. Inspired by real-life testimony and told through an explosive fusion of text, physical theatre and hip-hop dance, Samskara explores vulnerability, emotional trauma and how cycles of fathering affect masculinity. Moving through joy and suffering, laughter and longing, this soul-baring odyssey untangles what it means to be a black man in twenty-first-century Britain. Samskara premiered at The Yard Theatre, London, in November 2021, written, directed and choreographed by award-winning artist Lanre Malaolu.Trade Review'Lanre Malaolu has a light touch on heavyweight subjects. His sharp, naturalistic script switches between laugh-out-loud comedy, personal psychology and social comment to address black masculinity in the 21st century... powerful, moving, rich and straight-talking... Malaolu is a real talent, and Samskara deserves a wide audience' * Guardian *'An outburst of a show... an achingly moving 90 minutes that questions whether Black men must be strong to be valued... Samskara feels current and raw... A triumph in its frank unpicking of the male psyche, it masters the experience of being an equally joyful and painful watch' * The Stage *'Undulating between naturalistic dialogue, mesmerising physical storytelling, and genuinely laugh-out-loud moments... Samskara is at once a deliciously joyful and hard-hitting watch' * Exeunt *

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Book Synopsis'If I invited you to come with me on a journey, a story, will you come with me?' When Okumu's village in Northern Uganda is attacked by a guerrilla rebel group, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) led by Joseph Kony, he and his brother find that their lives are changed forever. Far Gone is a profoundly moving play for one actor which tells the story of a young boy's journey from childhood innocence to child soldier, seen through the eyes of those that love him – and those that betray him. Inspired by John Rwothomack's own real-life experience of nearly being kidnapped by the LRA, the play was co-produced by Roots Mbili Theatre and Sheffield Theatres, with support from Theatre Deli, Sheffield. It premiered at the Crucible Studio, Sheffield, in February 2022, directed by Mojisola Elufowoju, and then toured the UK. 'This play is not about me, the kid who was lucky enough to escape. This play is for the hundreds of thousands who did not. For the parents whose children were either lost forever or forever changed. For the young girls who were forced to marry men old enough to be their fathers. For the brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, nephews, sons and daughters who lost the innocence of childhood, simply for being born at an unfortunate time in an unfortunate place. For the future generations who will continue to suffer the trauma the LRA has imprinted on them, for many years to come.' John RwothomackTrade Review'Intense and atmospheric... the drama grips and carries a spirit of fear and menace... Rwothomack has a powerful story to tell' * Guardian *'Potent and harrowing... a gut punch of a final twist' * The Stage *'A treasure of a play, a near perfect spectacle, and an emotional and frank depiction of the cycle of violence and loss of innocence' * British Theatre Guide *

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Book Synopsis'Lots of exciting things have happened here. Like that time in 2005 when Bradley Walsh opened Domino's.' Gavi wants to inspire his community. Which is tricky when everyone wants to just stay at home and watch Bake Off. But, determined to succeed, he starts hosting amateur motivational meetings from his garage. With the help of daily mantras, goal-setting and repeatedly listening to Spandau Ballet, he believes he can change lives for the better. However, when the only attendees are his two colleagues from the Co-op – bickering mother and daughter Dawn and Jen – it's not quite the enlightening experience they were all hoping for. Katie Redford's play Tapped is a witty and sensitive portrayal of managing mental health within a family, highlighting the barriers we put up in order to put on a brave face. It was first performed at Theatre503, London, in April 2022.Trade Review'A play with a sweet, romantic centre... raises urgent questions about mental health... the characters tug at our heartstrings' * Guardian *'A likeable big-hearted new seriocomedy' * The Times *'Heartwarming... an astute comedy about mental health and the things we do to cope' * The Stage *

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Book SynopsisJim Becker and his unlicensed drivers take the people of Pittsburgh Hill District where regular taxi cabs won't - healing old wounds and tearing new ones as they pass the time in a condemned taxi rank between pick-ups. August Wilson's groundbreaking modern classic explores the fragile bond between eight men as they live, love and work in a racially segregated, post-Vietnam America. Jitney received its British premiere at the National Theatre, London, in 2001, when it won the Olivier Award for Best New Play. This new edition was published alongside the 2021–22 revival by The Old Vic, Headlong and Leeds Playhouse, directed by Tinuke Craig.Trade Review'Thoroughly engrossing… Jitney holds us, its audience, in charmed captivity' * New York Times *'Soaring, profound and fantastically vibrant… More than perhaps any other contemporary dramatist, Wilson writes real people, living real lives' * Time Out New York *'Jitney, a masterful and garrulous piece of naturalism, is a play of rending and mending, an exploration of how we rip apart ourselves, each other, the fabric of a city, and how we might then go about patching what we have torn' * Guardian *'Rich, poignant drama' * Telegraph *'A powerful, intense study of characters tackling problems caused by class, race and generational divide' * The Stage *'A thrillingly vivid slice of history that resonates powerfully today... a stunning, richly textured piece of work' * Evening Standard *'A masterclass in theatre... a triumph' * Reviews Hub *'Exquisite... bursts off the page... The richness with which Wilson writes his characters is a gift to any actor... Wondrous and captivating' * Time Out (London) *

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Book SynopsisPearl, Jan and Linda are enjoying a long-awaited break on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, when a surprise visitor turns up. They haven't seen Shelley for years, and their retreat becomes a reunion – and pretty soon, a riot. But a lot has changed since they were last together and, cut off from the mainland, tensions rise with the tide. As the sky darkens, the island grows restless with echoes of the past. Will the four still be friends when dawn breaks? Following the smash hits Ladies' Day and Ladies Down Under, Amanda Whittington's Ladies Unleashed is the third play in her Ladies Trilogy. A moving comedy about friendship, growing older and living for today, it was first performed at Hull Truck Theatre in September 2022, directed by Mark Babych. The Ladies are back, and amateur theatre companies – as well as their audiences – are sure to delight in their riotous exploits.Trade Review'A joyous comedy... a story that serves every character with humanity... Whittington has created people who are rich with history and bursting with humour and passion. They're complex, multi-layered, and recognisable... glorious' * The Stage *'A comedy-drama tinged with poignancy... Amanda Whittington's perceptive writing makes it easy for the audience to relate to and grow fond of the characters' * Yorkshire Times *'A strong voice, deeply rooted in the community... a fab sense of humour... clever and funny dialogue, paired with some heart-wrenching scenes exploring womanhood and friendship... Ladies Unleashed has something for everyone' * Hull Is This *

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Book SynopsisDavid is gay, disabled and profoundly horny. He can't eat, drink or shower by himself – or wank. Totally inexperienced, he embarks on a sexual and romantic odyssey, armed with a fierce brain, and dick pics that he has to get someone to take. Can he keep it casual whilst also relying on round-the-clock care? And will he manage the thrill and uncertainty of random hook-ups after a lifetime of knockbacks? Animal is a hilarious, challenging and heartbreaking play by Jon Bradfield, from a story by Bradfield and Josh Hepple. It won the inaugural Through the Mill Playwriting Prize, was shortlisted for the Papatango Prize, and was first performed at the Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester, and Park Theatre, London, in 2023.Trade Review'What a joy to discover a play that is so bold, so outspoken and so thoroughly unpredictable... Angry and mischievous, droll and unforgettably poignant. Deserves to be seen on a bigger stage as soon as possible' * The Times *'Hard-hitting but wildly entertaining comedy. It's marvellous to find something that deals with so many Big and Important themes in such a breezy, confident way' * Time Out *'A bold and brilliant new queer comedy. Absolutely hilarious. Will resonate with anyone who's experienced the world of modern dating' * Gay Times *'An exceptional piece of theatre... uniquely brilliant in its sensitive foregrounding of a disabled protagonist... searingly insightful, soulfully intimate and utterly hilarious' * The Upcoming *'Hilarious and extremely entertaining... David is a complex and flawed character, and his sarcastic quips and rude sense of humour are always a hit... a gem' * Reviews Hub *'An excellent piece of socially engaged theatre that educates and entertains in equal measure... brutal honesty delivered with raw empathy... Animal is, simply put, a great play' * Broadway World *'Unmissable... a whirlwind of an adventure, combining both intense emotional heartache and literal laugh out loud moments... an exceptional piece of work that hits all the right spots' * Everything Theatre *'Insightful, funny and quietly heartbreaking' * WhatsOnStage *'A wonderful experience... a barrier breaking, provocative exposé on sexual equality, full of humour, grit and filth... refreshing, necessary and compelling' * The Theatre Talk *'A hilarious, laugh-out-loud comedy, which at the same time punches you straight in the gut... eye opening, heart-warming and deliciously funny... a wonderfully written, clever, witty stage play' * North West End *'Bold, brave and brilliant... a truly vital piece of theatre that everyone should see' * Frankly My Dear *'Hilarious and heart-breaking... It is truly refreshing to see a fleshed-out disabled main character who is allowed to be complex and flawed and human... captivating' * I Love Manchester *

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Book Synopsis'Maybe it's in the air. Maybe it's the weather. Maybe it's the pace of life. Maybe it's breathing in that black soot everyday on the tube. Maybe it's commuting. Maybe it's the cultural consciousness. Maybe it's being a millennial. Maybe it's the climate crisis. Maybe it's the patriarchy.' When 'intimidating' Rachel and eternal 'nice guy' Nick meet at an awkward work Christmas party, what was meant to be a one-night-stand becomes a sexual odyssey of self-discovery… and mutual destruction. Adrift, isolated and insecure, they scramble for new ways to connect. Can some playful, passionate pegging provide a pathway through the pitfalls of modern relationships and present the possibility of a deeper bond? A penetrating comedy about the search for sexual knowledge, true love and top-notch Tupperware, Lisa Carroll's play The Misandrist was first produced by Metal Rabbit Productions at the Arcola Theatre, London, in May 2023. Trade Review'A witty dramedy that explores the contemporary search for intimacy... portrays male vulnerability exceptionally well... The writing is delightfully caustic and acerbic... precise, political, unforgiving... unceasingly entertaining' * Broadway World *'Funny and frank... revelling in its exuberance and the celebration of sexuality... there's a great energy to the show and it offers plenty of saucy humour' * Reviews Hub *'A no-holds-barred insight into contemporary relationships, laced with sharp lines and dark humour... a zeitgeisty play that shows great promise, and confirms Carroll as a writer to watch' * WhatsOnStage *'Powerful with some very funny lines... has attitude to spare' * Time Out *'A smart, passionate and deeply knotty relationship dramedy... alive with warmth and wit... refreshingly transgressive... the writing has a real jagged edge... lays bare the many complications of modern life' * Lost in Theatreland *

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Book Synopsis'What if I look down at my baby and I don't know who they are? Just some… entity. Alien to me. Staring back. A nothing. Or worse, look down and all I see is Ed Sheeran.' Two couples each invite a stranger into their homes in the hope of sparking new life. Instead, they find themselves threatened by invasion, alienation and abduction… Louis Emmitt-Stern's uncanny and razor-sharp sci-fi comedy-drama I Fucked You in My Spaceship received a sold-out premiere at VAULT Festival 2023, winning the Origins Award for Outstanding New Work. It subsequently transferred to Soho Theatre, London.Trade Review'Louis Emmitt-Stern is a rising star playwright' * Time Out *'Humour and heartbreak in a play about relationships that cleverly riffs on themes of invasion and abduction... commendably fresh and candid' * Lost in Theatreland *'Wickedly funny... an initially far-fetched premise that becomes less ridiculous as it progresses... an absolute triumph' * All That Dazzles *

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Book Synopsis'If you not give elephant proper burial he'll haunt you forever.' They call him Mlima, the mountain – a magnificent elephant slaughtered by poachers for his tusks. Beginning in a game park in Kenya, we follow the trajectory of the tusks through the international ivory-trade market, while Mlima's spirit is close behind, marking all those complicit in his barbaric death. Lynn Nottage's play Mlima's Tale is a thought-provoking, heart-wrenching, rage-inducing portrait of humankind's capacity for corruption and greed, and our continued destruction of the natural world. It was first produced at The Public Theater, New York City, in 2018, and received its British premiere at Kiln Theatre, London, in 2023, directed by Miranda Cromwell.Trade Review'A beautiful, endlessly echoing portrait of a murder and its afterlife. Ms. Nottage shaped this story with such theatrical inventiveness and discipline that it never feels sensational… A finely wrought fusion of elements' -- Ben Brantley * New York Times *'Mlima's Tale, a haunting drama about avarice and ivory, offers a dramatic reminder that the majestic beasts endure things no living creature would want to recall… This lacerating and lyrical play leaves a mark' * New York Daily News *'Tightly crafted… Mlima's Tale is dedicated to excavating the gnarly human details behind the assault on one of the planet's most endangered animals' * Vulture *'An enthralling piece of theater that tells a fascinating story in a daringly original way… Riveting' * Wall Street Journal *'Clear, uncluttered, and hard-hitting… A play of rare beauty, rare understanding, and great moral power' * Hartford Courant *'Haunting and powerful... a play that jolts us awake' * The Times *'A wide-reaching and damning indictment of the ivory trade... Nottage's story encapsulates the complex struggles of conservation and the deep-rooted tentacles of corruption' * Guardian *'A brutal, beautiful experience... magical and deeply moving' * Evening Standard *'A brutal, devastating drama... simple but remarkable' * Telegraph *'A simple, powerful tale about the rape of Africa...exquisite and moving' * Arts Desk *'Punchy... a simple story... one of grace, care and properly deep sadness... Nottage's strength as a writer is that Mlima's silent presence is enough to make you enraged. No words are wasted here – she doesn't need them to be' * Time Out *'Thought-provoking and haunting... the genius of Nottage's script is that it compactly illustrates – without polemical oversimplification nor overcomplication – how competing urges for status, art, power, love, family and survival interconnect to form haunting tragedy again and again across ancient trade routes and alliances... an emotionally and sensorially immersive experience' * LondonTheatre1 *'Hypnotic... mesmerises from beginning to end' * Theatre Weekly *'Powerful and urgent, with a brutal, poetic and eye-opening script' * Broadway World *

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Book SynopsisIt used to be a magnificent opera house, its stage graced by the leading sopranos and tenors of the age. Now the only divas at the Grand Old Opera House Hotel are the ones checking-in, there are fist fights in the lobby, and there's scarcely a romantic hero to be found. When shy Aaron joins the hotel's inharmonious team, he's faced with emotionally volatile guests, apathetic staff and management that doesn't have a clue. Not to mention the rumour of singing ghosts haunting the corridors. But through all the madness, one voice stands out, capturing his ears and his heart – and Aaron must go into battle with the hotel's magical chaos to find out the truth. An uplifting ensemble comedy, Isobel McArthur's The Grand Old Opera House Hotel is a story of art bringing us together in hopeless circumstances, to the tune of some of the most popular opera songs ever written. It premiered at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, during the Festival in August 2023, with Dundee Rep Theatre, directed by Gareth Nicholls. It was the recipient of an Edinburgh Fringe First Award.Trade Review'A gloriously funny one-off... a remarkably inventive, uproariously witty comedy that springs one audacious surprise after another' * The Times *'Brilliant... nothing less than a pure and heartfelt boy-meets-girl romantic comedy, inspired by the rapturous power of great music... the sharpest kind of social criticism and wisecracking satire... a wild and sometimes beautiful farce... an absolute joy' * Scotsman *'Glorious... a gag-filled, head-spinning operatic comedy... an idiosyncratic romp as formally adventurous as it is extravagantly funny' * Guardian *'Exceptional... wildly original... richly comic and clever... an uproarious show with a vein of melancholy... I really loved it' * WhatsOnStage *'Completely unpredictable and wonderfully farcical' * Broadway World *'An ambitious and buoyant love story... a genuine delight' * Fest Mag *'Joyously theatrical, utterly surreal... There are few people in theatre today who are kookier — or more touched by genius — than Isobel McArthur, the hottest thing in Scottish theatre, and possibly the UK' * Daily Mail *'Bravo... a barn-storming production... There are twists and turns, serial misunderstandings, comic interludes (one scene has the woman in front of me howling with laughter) and pauses for McArthur to take potshots at everything from management speak to the prevalence of social media... one of the hits of the Fringe' * The Herald *'Clever and hysterically funny, with McArthur’s signature anarchy and inventiveness' * Reviews Hub *'The funniest show I’ve seen for years... a hit, a palpable hit!' * Edinburgh Music Review *

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Book Synopsis'We'll start with the flea, because that's as good a place as any...' July 1889, London. A flea bites a rat. A rat spooks a horse. A horse kicks a man. As the chain reaction continues, a boy and his mother find themselves swept up in a national scandal that will reshape both their lives – and the country. James Fritz's play The Flea is a retelling of the Cleveland Street Scandal that shook England – from the streets of Bermondsey to the halls of Buckingham Palace – and features a flea, a horse, a detective, a queen, a pimp, a god, and Charlie, the telegraph boy who knelt before the Crown. This anarchic and affecting play was first performed at The Yard Theatre, London, in October 2023, directed by Artistic Director Jay Miller. 'There are few playwrights working in Britain today whose work is as slick and unsettling as James Fritz's' Exeunt 'Fritz's work pairs structural playfulness with emotional intelligence and inky wit... his plays are contained and compassionate, and frequently find reservoirs of humour in places you wouldn't expect' The Stage Trade Review'Gloriously anarchic... a coked-up joyride of a satire which not so much pokes fun at, but hacks and slashes hierarchical English society to shreds... a bona fide blast' * Broadway World *'Exuberant in its ambition... The story provides rich pickings for James Fritz, one the UK's most interesting playwrights' * Guardian *'Wildly imaginative... a gleeful, dressing-up box takedown of the hypocrisies and privileges of the wealthy... a wildly entertaining tale that also lands some serious points about institutional corruption, abuse and impossible choices' * The Stage *'Absurdly funny... a unique piece of satirical Queer Victoriana' * Theatre Weekly *'A rollicking script... rambunctiously good... has an originality and rawness that compels... ambitious, imaginative, and unashamedly unfettered by convention' * WhatsOnStage *'Mischievous, searching, gloriously surreal... Fritz [is] certainly one the most boundary-pushing playwrights of today... a riotous, quirky ride' * Time Out *'A triumph... delivers everything you would expect from a period drama, and a lot of absurd and stylish things that you wouldn't... Sensitively conceived but hilarious, The Flea offers its audience a good laugh and a punch to the stomach' * Reviews Hub *

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Book SynopsisMALAPROP Theatre is an award-winning collective of Irish theatremakers, who seek to challenge, delight and speak to the world we live in (even when imagining different ones). This volume brings together four of their bold, playful and genre-spanning plays, all premiered at the Dublin Fringe Festival between 2017 and 2023. In Everything Not Saved, ex-lovers argue about when they were happiest, police officers rewrite history, and Rasputin dances like no one’s watching. Oh, and also the Queen is there. Before You Say Anything questions how everyone can be safe at the same time. A time-travelling set of interweaving stories exploring injustice, freedom and bravery. Where Sat the Lovers is about codes, hallucinations, Isaac Newton, war crimes, seeing meaning where there's none and vice versa. In an age of misinformation, how do you know if you know the right things? HOTHOUSE tackles climate breakdown with big ideas, a lot of laughs, and some truly grotesque cabaret numbers. Cruise ships, horny/murderous songbirds, fecund/fatalistic rabbits, loving/bruising parents and Minnie Riperton all make an appearance in this play with songs, which asks if things can ever get better. MALAPROP Theatre are Carys D. Coburn, John Gunning, Breffni Holahan, Molly O'Cathain, Maeve O'Mahony, Claire O'Reilly and Carla Rogers. 'MALAPROP have quickly distinguished themselves as one of Ireland's most exciting emerging companies' Ruth McGowan, Director, Dublin Fringe Festival (2018-23) 'A company of real ambition. One which is using theatrical form to grapple with the complexities of a world where the ground is constantly shifting beneath our feet and where what we believe can be recalibrated not just on a daily basis but minute by minute' Lyn Gardner, Stage Door 'Reminiscent of early Caryl Churchill... this is thinking theatre at its best' Irish IndependentTrade Review'[HOTHOUSE is] deadly serious and wildly funny... a sharp, nuanced script that rips along... Malaprop pulls it off with skill, style and substance' * Irish Times *'[Before You Say Anything is] subtle, timely and beautifully paced… riveting' * Irish Times *

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Book Synopsis1917: World War One is raging in Europe. In Britain, Sterling Ladies – known as the Dagenham Invincibles – are playing to win. For two whirlwind seasons, they never lose a game. Yet once peace is restored, the factory girls must hang up their boots and see triumph fade into obscurity. 2023: Injured footballer Maya follows England's progress through the Women's World Cup. The world has changed, yet the roar of the Lionesses echoes the Invincibles' war-cry. Watching at home, Maya fears she'll never play again – but as she loses herself in the present, she hears the call of the past and finds fresh hope for the future. Amanda Whittington's play The Invincibles celebrates two generations of inspirational women, and their adventures on the football pitch a century apart. It was premiered at Queen's Theatre Hornchurch in 2023, and offers rich opportunities for other theatre companies looking to score a hit with their audiences.Trade Review'A feisty football drama that lends perspective to the rise of women's football... packed with light and shade... The beauty of Whittington's play is that it allows the human stories to flourish behind the football history lesson' * The Stage *'Heartwarming and skilful... a touching story of sporting brilliance against the odds... eye opening and exciting' * Everything Theatre *'Entertaining and informative, with lots of heart' * British Theatre Guide *

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Book Synopsis'The supernatural is possible and the impossible is natural and life teeters on the edge of the unreal’ Malachi's been looking forward to a fresh start at uni for months. He's settling in, he's got a stack of books to read and he's met someone new – Kojo, a musician with a megawatt smile, who's basically perfect. But something doesn't feel right. He keeps having the same nightmare – sinking, crushed by the weight of the ocean – and it's getting worse… A beast grows in the water, hungry, relentless, hunting him but always just out of sight. As the boundaries between nightmare and reality fracture, Malachi must fight harder than ever to stay afloat. Kwame Owusu's play Dreaming and Drowning is an intimate and visceral deep-dive into the boundless mind of a young Black queer man wrestling with anxiety. It won the Mustapha Matura Award, was shortlisted for the Alfred Fagon Award, and was one of the winning plays in the RSC's 37 Plays competition. It was first performed at the Bush Theatre, London, in November 2023, directed by the playwright, performed by Tienne Simon, and produced by WoLab.Trade Review'Phenomenal... an arresting and songlike monologue... Owusu [is one] of the best, freshest and most agile talents of the year' * Time Out *'Wonderfully life-enhancing... punchy and richly imaginative... delivers a double hit of theatrical dopamine... witty, contemporary and at times compellingly poetic... a fleet, gripping piece of storytelling... a little gem... a must-see for anybody interested in fine new writing' * WhatsOnStage *'A visceral but lyrical look at anxiety and acceptance' * Guardian *'A joyful play that will leave you hopeful... funny, well-paced, and engaging' * LondonTheatre1 *'Pithy, poetic, and viscerally evocative' * Reviews Hub *'One part truthful queer coming-of-age story, one part psychological horror, this engaging monologue takes an appealingly offbeat approach to themes of racism, anxiety and self-discovery... tautly paced and tightly written... laced with warm humour' * The Stage *'A gem... an intense experience... terrific' * Arts Desk *'An exceptionally fine play... a startling portrait of human frailty that radiates authenticity and compassion' * Everything Theatre *'Beautifully crafted... powerfully reinstates the urgency of storytelling in the formation of identity. Poetry, campus life and comedy blend into an emotionally moving concoction, exploring a black, queer student’s experience with great skill' * Theatre Weekly *'Engrossing... a relatable drama with copious laughs along the way... Owusu has a gift for effortlessly blending colloquial and accessible dialogue with the more poetic... This is a multi-layered piece with a great deal condensed into just an hour' * The Upcoming *

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Book SynopsisPoland, 1949. Zula is bold and brilliant, a singer who ignites the stage. Wiktor is withdrawn and damaged, a composer longing to write. Irresistibly drawn to each other, they dream of escape. But in Communist-controlled Poland, the desire for freedom can be a dangerous thing. Based on the film by Academy Award winner Paweł Pawlikowski, Cold War is an epic love story spanning the decades and breadth of Europe at its most divided, and a compelling story of passion, redemption, and the journey to be free. This stage adaptation by Conor McPherson was first performed at the Almeida Theatre, London, in November 2023, directed by Rupert Goold, and featuring traditional Polish songs alongside music by Elvis Costello.Trade Review'One of the best plays of 2023... superlatively resonant... a small but mighty piece... simply exquisite' * iNews *'Bewitching... a lush tender play with joy as well as trauma... The script by Conor McPherson stays close to Paweł Pawlikowski's original and finds a truly theatrical, darkly witty character of its own' * The Times *'A triumph' * Telegraph *'An exquisitely sad love story, brilliantly translated to the stage' * Evening Standard *'Beautiful... a swooning adaptation... like a sad, smokey late-night cabaret performance in a faded old bar: there's a glamour to it but it's intimate, warm and nocturnal... it really is a lovely show' * Time Out *'Gloriously melancholic... an almost tangible sense of pain and half-concealed emotion... an unusual and original show, one that haunts you long after you leave the theatre, its essential sadness sweetened by tinges of hope and a deep humanity' * WhatsOnStage *'Compelling and bittersweet... a fine adaptation... a gift of no ordinary kind' * Arts Desk *'Brilliant. I need to see it again' * British Theatre Guide *

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Book Synopsis'Feel the rhythms Of your own heartbeat As I tell you a story My story' A woman, shaken by a broken relationship, finds herself discovering love in the last place – and with the last person – she ever expected. Based on Jade Anouka's own experience, and told through poetry, HEART is a raw and honest exploration of love, loss and self-discovery, celebrating the resilience of the human spirit and the beauty of human connection. It was first performed by Anouka herself, as an Audible Original audio play, before being presented on stage at the Minetta Lane Theatre in New York, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and Brixton House in London. This edition of the play also includes a selection of the author's poems.Trade Review'A clear-sighted show delivered in the flush of love' * Guardian *'Extra special... There's something for everyone in this hour-long play, and it's well worth taking the time out to make this connection' * Broadway World *'A refreshingly bouncy show that brims with swagger… a dynamic debut' * The Stage *'Poignant... braided with sincerity and heartache... electrifyingly raw' * Time Out *'Powerful, beautiful and full of hope' * Theatre Mania *'I couldn't help feeling envious of her way with words – it has to be seen and heard to be believed' * LondonTheatre1 *'Heart-wrenching... striking and richly felt... Bold, insightful, and unafraid to be afraid, Jade Anouka and HEART are the real deal' * All That Dazzles *'Generous and hopeful... Falling in love is the oldest story in the book, although it feels new and alive when Anouka tells it' * Reviews Hub *'Lyrical, punchy and powerful storytelling masterpiece' * Creative Reviews UK *'[Anouka's] narrative resonates like a modern fairy tale' * North West End *'The real joy of HEART is the words, and these – part iambic pentameter, part rap – have been masterfully crafted and presented by Anouka' * INTO More (New York) *

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Book SynopsisTwo plays by Matt Hartley: his entertaining one-woman play, The Wife of Cyncoed, premiered at the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, in 2024; and Idyll, a captivating short play premiered by Pentabus Theatre in 2021.

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Book SynopsisA powerful and innovative play about work, automation and capitalism's impact, premiered at the Liverpool Everyman in 2024.

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Book SynopsisRoleplay, desire and compassion intertwine in a play about the complexities of humanitarian work. Premiered at The Yard Theatre, London, in 2024.

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Book SynopsisA riotous stage comedy about sisterhood, freedom of speech, and dissent in the face of institutionalised Islamophobia.

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Book SynopsisA funny and provocative play about women's cricket, colonial India and the mythology of fair play.

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Book SynopsisA warm and witty one-person play exploring grief, the strings attached to success, and what it means to 'fail'. Premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2024.

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Book SynopsisAn impoverished family are evicted from their country smallholding. They agree to go their separate ways for five years, then to meet again to reassess their fortunes. Swankiller, the thrusting eldest son, decides to try his luck in the big city. Homeless, jobless, penniless and eventually alone, he discovers the brutal undertow beneath the city's varied and beguiling surface. Steeped in the atmospere and folklore of Suffolk coastal towns, Swankiller describes a man's search for identity and happiness in a fallen world. A genuinely epic play, it was performed with a cast of fifty at Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh in 1996.

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Book SynopsisA girl sits on a sofa, not knowing what to do with herself. She argues with her mother and envies her older sister. She also longs for her absent father, a seaman. A middle-aged woman paints a portrait of herself as a young girl, sitting on a sofa, but she's beginning to doubt her artistic ability. Still at odds with her sister and her mother and haunted by her dead father, she's unable to shake the continuing presence of the past in her life -Trade Review"brilliant - Paradoxically, it creates something of great aesthetic beauty out of a work that deals with painter's block" - Guardian

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Book SynopsisAngela is a ‘Blair Babe', trusted by Gordon, champion of a £59 million new PFI hospital and now on course for a promotion to the Cabinet. She is also wife to the too-smooth Larry, mother to a hormonal teenager and carer of her father, a union man. When an old friend and journalist manages to get her hands on a document that could end her political career, it is obvious that someone is threatening to thwart her ambitions. As a successful socialist, however, she couldn't have got where she is today without making tough decisions...and always with the greater good in mind. A play about those New Labour times- about political choices and the inevitable price to be paid - Question Time was produced at the Arcola Theatre in February 2004.

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Book SynopsisThree plays about America's troubled relationship with God. In "Suffering the Witch", a young woman returns to the small Pentecostal town she ran away from, with tragic results. "Mother Caldwell" tells the story of a right-wing candidate for governor whose campaign is undermined by a chance acquaintance of her gay son. "The Last Days..." finds America's most famous atheist holed up on an island, waiting for embezzled funds to arrive, as she confronts ghosts from her past and the thorny nature of belief and disbelief.

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Book Synopsis"Man Across the Way" is a dazzling, anarchic new work about surveillance, tap-dancing and the new world order. Fraser and Dougie are cops carrying out surveillance on the man across the way. They suspect him of involvement in the recent terrorist attack on the city. But are their motives entirely pure? "Magpie Park" contains a Harvey Nicks store detective with a dodgy past and a florist with a missing sister. What brings them together in a room at The Queens Hotel? Part mystery, part romance, the play follows the two from Briggate's bright lights to the birds of Hyde Park.

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Book SynopsisIn a remote mountain village in eastern Turkey, against a backdrop of mounting political turmoil, a father clings to the simple life he has created for himself and his family. As violence creeps ever closer, Haydar refuses to flee from the family home, a home he built with his bare hands. What keeps him here? Why do his silver birch trees seem more precious to him than the lives of his own children?

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Book SynopsisThis book is an exploration and critique of 'playback theatre', a form of improvised theatre in which a company of performers spontaneously enact autobiographical stories told to them by members of the audience.With more than ten years' experience as an actor with Playback Theatre York, the author introduces the reader to the basics of playback theatre within a historical and theoretical context. The history and development of the form is traced, from its conception in the late 1970s to its subsequent growth worldwide, and its relationship to the psychodrama tradition from which it has evolved is discussed. Through an examination of playback performances from the perspectives of performers, `tellers' of their stories and the audience, the author critically explores the nature, implications and ethics of the performers' response to the teller's experience, how notions of the public and personal are constructed, and the risks involved in improvising a response to a member of the audience's story.Playing the Other will be essential reading for drama students, dramatherapists and all those interested in the history and use of the theatre.Table of Contents1. Setting the Scene. 2. Openness and Ethics. 3. Personal Stories in Public Places. 4. Narratives and Memory Work. 5. A Very Different Kind of Dialogue: The Symbolic in Playback Theatre. 6. On `The Narrow Ridge': The Performer's Response to the Story. 7. The Exploration of Occasion: Improvisation and Playback Theatre. 8. The Ensemble. 9. The Ethical Limitations of Playback Performing. 10. Reflexivity and the Personal Story: Playback Theatre as Social Intervention. 11. Concluding Thoughts. References. Appendices. Subject index. Author index.

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Book SynopsisExploring a wide range of material including dramatic works, medieval morality drama, and lyric poetry this book argues for the central significance of literary material to the history of emotions. Early modern English writing about pity evidences a social culture built specifically around emotion, one (at least partially) defined by worries about who deserves compassion and what it might cost an individual to offer it. Pity and Identity in the Age of Shakespeare positions early modern England as a place that sustains messy and contradictory views about pity all at once, bringing together attraction, fear, anxiety, positivity, and condemnation to paint a picture of an emotion that is simultaneously unstable and essential, dangerous and vital, deceptive and seductive. The impact of this emotional burden on individual subjects played a major role in early modern English identity formation, centrally shaping the ways in which people thought about themselves and their communities. Taking in a wide range of material - including dramatic works by William Shakespeare, Thomas Heywood, Ben Jonson, Thomas Middleton, and William Rowley; medieval morality drama; and lyric poetry by Philip Sidney, Thomas Wyatt, Samuel Daniel, Thomas Lodge, Barnabe Barnes, George Rodney and Frances Howard - this book argues for the central significance of literary material to the broader history of emotions, a field which has thus far remained largely the concern of social and cultural historians. Pity and Identity in the Age of Shakespeare shows that both literary materials and literary criticism can offer new insights into the experience and expression of emotional humanity.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Textual Note Introduction 1. 'My name is Pity': Mediated Emotion and King Lear 2. Violent Spectacle and Violent Feeling in Early Modern Lucrece Narratives 3. Dramatic Reworkings of Poetic Pity 4. Theorising Humanity Through Pity Conclusion Bibliography

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Book SynopsisOne century after the death of Anton Chekhov (18601904), his plays are celebrated throughout the world as a major milestone in the history of theatre and drama. Outside the Russian-speaking community, he is undoubtedly the most widely translated, studied and performed of all Russian writers. His plays are characterised by their evasiveness: tragedy and comedy, realism and naturalism, symbolism and impressionism, as well as other labels of school and genre all fail to account for the uniqueness of 'Chekhovism' (ie: the essence of his artistic system and world view). Presence through Absence is a bold attempt to map the unique structure and meaning that comprise Chekhov's immensely rich artistic universe. Golomb's text is an incursion into Chekhov's vision of unrealised potentials and present absences. His timeless works are shown with rare insight and clarity to have artistic principles and coherence above and beyond the scope of the individual play.

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Book SynopsisRe-issue of two classics of Caribbean theatre; part of Peepal Tree's popular Caribbean Modern Classics series.Couvade, first performed in Guyana in 1972 and published by Cape in 1974, references the Amerindian ritual where the man takes to his bed and 'suffers' some equivalent to the pains of childbirth while his partner is in labour. And while Pat is giving birth, her artist husband Lionel has become obsessed with the Amerindian-style painting he is working on... Couvade is a powerful dream-play of ritual, shamanism and the overwhelming forces of the past. A Pleasant Career is based on the biography of the pioneering Guyanese novelist, Edgar Mittelholzer. The play explores Mittelholzer's early experiences of the racial and class hierarchies of British Guiana, of being the 'swarthy' boy in a predominantly white family, and of his resolute determination to beat down the doors of the London publishing world. It also gazes into some of the demons within, held in creative balance in his earlier years, but ending later in a fiery suicide. Despite its unassuming title, A Pleasant Career is a richly rewarding play of dramatic incident and psychological speculation. Michael Gilkes was born in Guyana in 1935. He is a distinguished Caribbean critic and dramatist, and more recently a film-maker. A Pleasant Career won the prestigious Guyana Prize for Drama in 1992. He won the Guyana Prize again in 2006 for his play The Last of the Redmen. He now lives in Bermuda.

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Book SynopsisExamines the impact of new media (such as video and YouTube) and the use of multi-media on live and recorded performance in Africa. Focuses on the ways African theatre and performance relate to various kinds of media. Includes contributions on dance; popular video, with an emphasis on video drama and soaps from Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Nigerian 'Nollywood' phenomenon; the interface between live performance and video (or still photography), and links between on-line social networks and new performance identities. As a group the articles raise, from original angles, the issues of racism, gender, identity, advocacy and sponsorship. Volume Editor: DAVID KERR is Professor of English in the University of Botswana, and is the author of African Popular Theatre Series Editors: Martin Banham, Emeritus Professor of Drama & Theatre Studies, University of Leeds; James Gibbs, Senior Visiting Research Fellow, University of the West of England; Femi Osofisan, Professor of Drama at the University of Ibadan; Jane Plastow, Professor of African Theatre, University of Leeds; Yvette Hutchison, Associate Professor, Department of Theatre & Performance Studies, University of WarwickTrade ReviewAn important contribution to the study of the current state of media and performance in Africa and, collectively, the authors address the issues of racism, gender, identity, advocacy, and sponsorship. * RESEARCH IN AFRICAN LITERATURES *Table of ContentsEditor's Introduction - David Kerr 'I Ain't Gonna Play Sun City': Anti-apartheid Solidarity & its Consequences - Torsten Sannar Ownership & Power: Debate & Discourse around the Subcultural Phenomenon of Die Antwoord - Sarah Woodward 'Border-Neutering' Devices in Nigerian Home Video Tradition: A Study of Mainframe Films - Gbemisola Adeoti Tanzanian Films: Between Innovation & Incompetence - Vicensia Shule 'Telling Our Story': Conversations with KinaUganda Home Movie Directors, Mariam Ndaigire & Ashraf Simwogerere - Sam Kasule Zimbabwe's Studio 263: Navigating Between Entertainment & Health Messaging - Samuel Ravengai Vele Abantu Sinjalo: Nationhood & Ethno-Linguistic dissent in Zimbabwean Television Drama - Nehemiah Chivandikwa Vele Abantu Sinjalo: Nationhood & Ethno-Linguistic dissent in Zimbabwean Television Drama - Ngonidzashe Muwonwa Within Between: Engaging Communities in Contemporary Dance Practice in East Africa - Christy Adair Water Feels: Layering Time in a Contemporary Multi-Media Performance - Moratiwa Molema Playscript: The Campus Queen - Akinwumi Isola Book Reviews

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Book SynopsisContributors examine how international theatre festivals have been organised and how they have affected the evolution of sustainable theatre. During the last fifty years, large sums of money, huge resources of labour and vast amounts of creative energy have been invested in international theatre festivals in Africa. Under banners such as 'Reclaiming the African Past' and 'African Renaissance', the festival participants have used the performing arts to address a variety of topical issues and to confront images embedded by a century of patronising colonial expositions. The themes indicate the desire to take history by the forelock, challenge perceptions and transform communities. Volume Editor: JAMES GIBBS Series Editors: Martin Banham, Emeritus Professor of Drama & Theatre Studies, University of Leeds; James Gibbs, Senior Visiting Research Fellow, University of the West of England; Femi Osofisan, Professor of Drama at the University of Ibadan; Jane Plastow, Professor of African Theatre, University of Leeds; Yvette Hutchison, Associate Professor, Department of Theatre & Performance Studies, University of WarwickTable of ContentsEditor's Introduction - James Gibbs Festivals as a strategy for the development of theatre in Zimbabwe, 1980-201 - Robert Mshengu Kavanagh The legacy of Festac '77: the challenge of the Nigerian National Theatre at Iganmu - Ahmed Yerima Festac, month by month and Soyinka's involvement - James Gibbs The Dakar Festivals of 1966 & 2010 - Yatma Dieye African Renaissance between rhetoric & the aesthetics of extravagance: FESMAN 2010 - entrapped in textuality - Amy Niang Theatre Programme for FESMAN, with Commentary - James Gibbs The Pan-African Historical Theatre Festival (Panafest) in Ghana, 1922-2010: the vision & the reality - Victor K. Yankah Panafest through the Headlines: an Annotated Bibliography - James Gibbs International festivals & transnational theatre circuits in Egypt, 1988-2010: ambassadors of no nation - Sonali Pahwa The Jos Theatre Festival, 2004- 2011:a theatre festival in a divided community - Patrick-Jude Oteh The Grahamstown Festival & the making of a dramatist: an interview with Andrew Buckland - Andrew Buckland Playscript: Prison Graduates by Efo Kodjo Mawugbe with a review of a performance by James Gibbs Book Reviews

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Book SynopsisA key volume for Shakespeare, African theatre and postcolonial cultural scholars, promoting debate on the role of Western cultural icons in contemporary postcolonial cultures. This volume takes as its starting point an interrogation of the African contributions to the Globe to Globe festival staged in London in 2012, where 37 Shakespeare productions were offered, each from a different nation. Five African companies were invited to perform and there are articles on four of these productions, examining issues of interculturalism, postcolonialism, language, interpretation and reception. The contributors are both Shakespeare and African theatre scholars, promoting discourse from a range of geographical and cultural perspectives. A critical debate about the process of the Globe to Globe festival is initiated in the form of a discussion article featuringsome of its directors and actors. Two further articles look at Shakespeare productions made purely for Africa, from Mauritius and Cape Verde, and leading Nigerian playwright and cultural commentator Femi Osofisan provides an overview article examining Shakespeare in Africa in the 21st century. The playscript in this volume of African Theatre is Femi Osofisan's Wesoo, Hamlet! or the Resurrection of Hamlet. Volume Editor: JANE PLASTOW Series Editors: Martin Banham, Emeritus Professor of Drama & Theatre Studies, University of Leeds; James Gibbs, Senior Visiting Research Fellow, University of the West of England; Femi Osofisan, Professor of Drama at the University of Ibadan; Jane Plastow, Professor of African Theatre, University of Leeds; Yvette Hutchison, Associate Professor, Department of Theatre & Performance Studies, University of WarwickTrade Review[An] excellent volume. * THEATRE SURVEY *Should not be confined to African Studies collections but also find a place in any library concerned with English literature or Theatre Studies. * AFRICAN RESEARCH & DOCUMENTATION *Table of ContentsEditors' Introduction - Jane Plastow Shakespeare, Africa & the Globe Olympiad - Femi Osofisan The Two Gentlemen of Zimbabwe & their Diaspora audience at Shakespeare's Globe - Penelope Woods Shakespeare's African nostos: township nostalgia & South African performance at sea - Colette Gordon Itan Oginintin - The Winter's Tale: Shakespeare meets Yoruba Gods - Sola Adeyemi Performing the nation at the London Globe - notes on a South Sudanese Cymbeline - Christine Matzke African Shakespeares: a discussion - Michael Walling with Juwon Ogungbe, Arne Pohlmeier, Kate Stafford & Dev Virahsawmy - Michael Walling 'Sa bezsominn Shakespeare la': The Brave New World of Dev Virahsawmy - Ashish Beesondial Crioulo Shakespeareano & the creolising of King Lear - Eunice Ferreira Playscript: Wesoo, Hamlet! or the Resurrection of Hamlet by Femi Osofisan - Femi Osofisan Book reviews

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