Plays, playscripts, drama

Book SynopsisExtends the study of China's "soft power" into theatre studies and looks more widely at syncretic traditions evolving in other long-term historic exchanges between Asia and Africa. China is the main focus of this volume, and articles consider the way it is using "soft power" in its extensive engagement with South Africa, and, through its support for theatre festivals, with Lusophone countries in Africa. China's involvement with the construction of theatres, opera houses and cultural facilities as part of its foreign aid programmes in such countries as Algeria, Cameroon, Mauritius, Ghana and Senegal, provides the background to the playscript from this volume, Blickakte (Acts of Viewing) by Daniel Schauf, Philipp Scholtysik & Jonas Alsleben, that explores Chinese impact in Somalia. Issues also emerge around what China is "importing" culturally fromAfrica. In 2012, Soyinka's The Lion & the Jewel was produced there, and a season of Fugard's work was enjoyed in Beijing during 2014. During 2016 Brett Bailey's Macbeth Opera will be performed in Macao. In recent years courses in African theatre have been started in Beijing by Biodun Jeyifo, and also taught by Femi Osofisan whose well-known Esu and the Vagabond Minstrels and Once Upon Four Robbers have been translatedinto Mandarin, along with Soyinka's The Lion & the Jewel. The volume also includes contributions on exchanges between other Asian countries and Africa such as articles on the production of African plays in Bangladesh and onthe persistence of African performance traditions among African migrants in India. Attention is paid to the syncretic theatre traditions that have evolved wherever African and Asian populations have been in close and extended contact, as in Mauritius and Durban. Unusual exchanges and globalized theatre surfaces in the course of the volume. For example, while the Guangdong Provincial Puppet Art Theatre Group performed at the 41st Grahamstown Festival (2015), Chinese puppeteers are being trained to manipulate the War Horse for a Beijing production. Volume Editors: JAMES GIBBS & FEMI OSOFISAN FEMI OSOFISAN Thalia Laureate of the International Association of TheatreCritics 2016 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 ofDrama, University of Ibadan; Jane Plastow, Professor of African Theatre, University of Leeds; Yvette Hutchison, Associate Professor, Department of Theatre & Performance Studies, University of Warwick.Table of ContentsIntroduction - James Gibbs I AFRICA'S DISCOVERY OF CHINESE THEATRE China in Ghana: an interview with Mohammed Ben Abdallah about the National Theatre, built by the Chinese Government in Accra; introduced & annotated by James Gibbs - Awo Mana Asiedu The Orphan of Chao: A Chinese Play at a Nigerian University, 1979 - Tony Humphries II CHINA'S DISCOVERY OF AFRICA: TEXTS, FESTIVALS & BUILDINGS Theatre in China in 1965, with a focus on War Drums Along the Equator - an interview with Robert Bolt, with an introduction by James Gibbs - James Gibbs The post-colonial imaginary & politics of representation in the Macao SAR: the Teatrau & the (re) emergence of 'lusofonia' under Chinese stars - Isabel Maria Da Costa Morais China-Africa relations at the Mindelact Theatre Festival, Sao Vicente, Cabo Verde - Rita M. Rufino Valente China meets South Africa in the theatre: some recent South African work about China & in China, & The Year of China in South Africa - Ying Cheng A checklist of African playscripts translated into Chinese - Wang Shang Introducing Blickakte - (Acts of Viewing): 'Do I see what I see, do I know what I know, do I hear what I hear' - Christine Matzke Playscript: Blickakte (Acts of Viewing) based on an idea by Ahmed Jama Aden - Daniel Schauf Playscript: Blickakte (Acts of Viewing) based on an idea by Ahmed Jama Aden - Philipp Scholtysik Playscript: Blickakte (Acts of Viewing) based on an idea by Ahmed Jama Aden - Jonas Alsleben III INDIAN THEATRE EXCHANGES WITH EAST & SOUTH AFRICA: HISTORICAL DIMENSIONS Indians of African descent: Sidis, Bava Gor & spiritual practices - Beheroze Shroff Jay Pather, South African artist of Indian ancestry: Transforming society in post-apartheid South Africa through his theatre-dance works - Ketu H. Katrak IV CONTESTED SPACES: Asian & African theatre in Mauritius: A report from the front line - Michael Walling Hidden under a black veil in Terra Incognita: representations of Africa in Bangladesh theatre, with a checklist of African playscripts performed in Bangladesh - Syed Jamil Ahmed Book Reviews

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Book SynopsisA collection of playscripts and texts that give an English-reading audience access to key plays as well as less well-known and previously untranslated works - a superb resource for scholars and theatre practitioners. This volume makes available some of the most influential, imaginative and exciting plays to come out of East and West Africa from the 1970s to the present day. Deliberately excluding playscripts by the regions' two best known playwrights, Wole Soyinka and Ngugi wa Thiong'o, whose work was profiled in African Theatre 13 the editors have selected plays, some well-known and some less widely available, that represent the diversity and richness of thesetwo very different African regions. The playscripts include a new translation from Amharic, as well as the English version of a play originally written in French, making more theatre from some of Africa's multitude of languages accessible to an English-reading audience. Each script is accompanied by an essay from an expert on the work, the playwright, and the context in which the play was produced, so that the volume will be of maximum use to both researchers and students of African theatre. Volume Editors: MARTIN BANHAM & 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, 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 ContentsPreface - Jane Plastow and Martin Banham THREE PLAYS FROM EAST AFRICA The Translation & Transcription of Mother Uganda & Her Children [Patience Nitumwesiga & team] The Context & Making of Rose Mbowa's Mother Uganda & Her Children - Patrick Mangeni and Jane Plastow Majangwa: A Promise of Rains (1974) by Robert Serumaga Notions of Indigeneity: Uganda's Robert Serumaga - Don Rubin The Guest (2016) by Manyazewal Endeshaw An Absurdist in Addis Ababa: Manyazewal Endeshaw's Engida - Jane Plastow and Zerihun Birehanu THREE PLAYS FROM WEST AFRICA If: A Tragedy of the Ruled (1983) by Ola Rotimi Ola Rotimi: Creating Theatrical Spaces - Martin Banham Morountodun (1983) by Femi Osofisan Morountodun: A Retrospective Commentary - Biodun Jeyifo The Legend of Wagadu as Seen by Sia Yatabere (1988) by Moussa Diagana Moussa Diagana & The Legend of Wagadu as Seen by Sia Yatabere: Advocating Anarchy in Mauritania? - Jane Plastow Book Reviews

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Book SynopsisThis volume in the African Theatre series celebrates the African theatrical diaspora from Brazil to Tasmania, and Canada to Cuba, and also includes the playscript Messing with the Mind by Egyptian writer and director Khaled El-Sawy. Diasporas', as used in the title of this volume, refers to a multitude of groups and communities with widely differing histories, identities and current locations. This book brings together essays on theatre by people of Africandescent in North America, Cuba, Italy, the UK, Israel and Tasmania. Several chapters present overviews of particular national contexts, others offer insights into play texts or specific performances. Offering a mix of academic andpractitioner's points of views, Volume 8 in the African Theatre series analyses and celebrates various aspects of African diasporic theatre worldwide. Guest Editors: CHRISTINE MATZKE, Lecturer in African Literatures and Cultures, Humboldt-University, Berlin; and OSITA OKAGBUE, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Drama, Goldsmiths, University of London. 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 ReviewAs a contribution to the field of diaspora studies or to the respective diasporas represented, this book is substantial and toothsome. * AFRICAN THEATRE *The volume stands out for its rigorous attempt to bring together academic and practice based points of view as well as different formats that include Jane Plastow's interview with Lemn Sissay, as well as Mona Khedr's English translation of Khaled El-Sawy's satirical play Messing with the Mind. * AFRICAN PERFORMANCE REVIEW *Table of ContentsIntroduction - Christine Matzke and Osita Okagbue Performing Black Canadas: The Trans-American Imaginary of Black Canadian Theatre - Maureen Moynagh The Theory of Ase: The Persistence of African Performance Aesthetics in the North American Diaspora - August Wilson, Ntozake Shange & Djanet Sears - Esiaba Irobi African Presence in Cuban Theatre - Cariad Astles Marginality, Sacrifice & Transgression: Mothers & Rebellious Women in Two Plays by Cuba's Eugenio Hernández Espinosa - Conrad James Interculture on Stage: Afro-Italian Theatre - Sabrina Brancato Black British Theatre in London 1972-1989: A Brief Overview - Yvonne Brewster Talking about Something Dark: An Interview with Lemn Sissay - Jane Plastow Jews, Blood & Ethiopian Dance in Israel: Critical Race Theory & the Postcolonial - Rob Baum Nature in Migration & the 'Natural Migrant': Performing African Settlement in Tasmanian Community Arts - Mary Elizabeth Anderson Translator's Introduction to Khaled El-Sawy's Messing with the Mind - Mona Khedr Playscript: Messing with the Mind - Khaled El-Sawy Book Reviews

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Book SynopsisOne of Dickens's best-loved and most autobiographical stories, brilliantly and faithfully dramatised by Alastair Cording. All Dickens's marvellous creations are here: Mr Micawber, Uriah Heep, Mrs Peggotty, Murdstone, Steerforth and Betsey Trotwood. Weaving through the colourful maze of the storyline is David's hopeless infatuation with Emily – and eventual salvation in the arms of the long-suffering Agnes. Alastair Cording's stage adaptation of Dickens's David Copperfield was first performed by Eastern Angles in 1995. It skilfully concentrates on the essentials of the story while maintaining the colour, humour and drama of the book. Most notable is its fluidity, with each scene flowing into the next without the need for cumbersome scene changes – or much scenery at all. Performable by a cast of eight, if necessary, but equally offering good roles to thirty or more.Trade Review'One of the cleverest adaptations you are likely to see' * Ipswich Evening Star *'All the drama, pathos and humour of David Copperfield's eventful young life are vividly realised in this enthralling adaptation' * The Stage *

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Book SynopsisDrama Classics: The World's Great Plays at a Great Little Price A masterpiece by one of the greatest writers of the Spanish Golden Age. When the people of the town of Fuente Ovejuna revolt against their tyrannical overlord and murder him, the authorities attempt to find out who is responsible, leading to one of the most memorable acts of resistance in world drama. First published in Madrid in 1619, Lope de Vega's play Fuente Ovejuna is believed to have been written between 1612 and 1614. This edition in the Nick Hern Books Drama Classics series is an English translation by Laurence Boswell.Trade Review'Thrilling and moving, accessible and unusual, raw and intensely sophisticated' * Chicago Tribune *

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Book SynopsisA blackly hilarious exploration of deceit, paranoia and murderous desire, as the spirit of the Blues lands in leafy suburbia. Demolition expert Ned lives in a nice new house on a nice new estate on the edge of the English countryside. He loves his job. Barbecues. Car-boot sales. Fitness programmes. Outwardly his life is entirely unremarkable. Not unlike his friend and neighbour Dale. So why has he not slept a wink in six months? Why is he so terrified of his attractive wife Joy? And why is it every time he leaves on business, something else goes missing from his home? Jez Butterworth's play Parlour Song was first performed at the Atlantic Theater, New York, in Febraury 2008, before receiving its European premiere at the Almeida Theatre, London, in March 2009.Trade Review'Blissfully funny... combines the comic, the erotic and the downright disconcerting with superb panache' * Telegraph *'Exactly captures the mundane madness beneath the bland routine of affluence' * Guardian *'Wickedly funny' * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisA classic from the Spanish Golden Age, Calderón's richly poetic, epic masterpiece explores illusion, reality, fate and destiny against the backdrop of a mythical Polish kingdom. 'If I'm asleep, don't let me wake. If this is real, don't let me dream.' To protect the country from the horrors prophesied, the young Prince Segismundo is condemned for all eternity to be shut away from his country and his birthright. Banished to a secret world high in the mountains and cut off from the sun, he can only dream of a life reversed: of palaces, empires, freedom – revenge… Helen Edmundson's version of Calderón's Life is a Dream was premiered at the Donmar Warehouse, London, in 2009.Trade Review'Rich, haunting drama... one of the great works of the Spanish golden age, yet it also seems to look forward to such modern dramatic concerns as the flexible nature of reality and the possibility of freedom in a world apparently governed by fate' * Daily Telegraph *'Extraordinary and fascinating... a superb adaptation by Helen Edmundson' * Sunday Times *'Exquisitely unreal... winds you tightly in a glittering web of dreams... Helen Edmunson's English script is enchanting: full of fairy-tale rhymes and plain, speakable rhythms' * Time Out *

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Book SynopsisRenowned poet and dramatist Liz Lochhead tells the story of Frankenstein's creation. Summer 1816. A house party on the shores of Lake Geneva. Eighteen-year-old Mary and her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley, along with Mary's half-sister Claire and the infamous Lord Byron, take part in a challenge to see who can write the most horrifying story. Mary's contribution is to become one of the most celebrated Gothic novels of all time. Using flashbacks and the rich poetic language for which she has become admired, Lochhead weaves a spider's web of connections between Mary's own tragic life and that of her literary monster. Liz Lochhead's play Blood and Ice was first performed at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 1982. It was later revived, in a revised version, by David McVicar at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1988, and subsequently toured by McVicar's company, Pen Name. It was again revived, in this published version, at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, in October 2003. As Lochhead writes in the Introduction to this revised version of the play, the myth created by Mary Shelley 'remains potent for our nuclear age, our age of astonishment and unease at the fruits of perhaps-beyond-the-boundaries genetic experimentation'.Trade Review'Thrilling... a play full of raging debates about freedom, responsibility, hedonism and privilege, about the emptiness of life without ideals and the cruelty of a life entirely driven by them' * Scotsman *

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Book SynopsisA sassy, offbeat comedy-drama about rebelling against your roots. Rivka wants the perfect Orthodox wedding. With two weeks to go, she has the man, the dress – and the wig. But when doubt is cast on her wig, everything starts to unravel. Rivka finds herself far from home, up a tree and in the midst of an anti-road protest, not knowing whether she’ll be able to go back to where she came from… Or even if she wants to. Samantha Ellis' play Cling To Me Like Ivy was inspired by a chance remark by Victoria Beckham in 2004 which sparked a crisis within the Orthodox Jewish community about the wigs worn by married women. The play was first performed at The Door, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, in February 2010, followed by a UK tour.Trade Review'That genuinely rare beast, a popular comedy with heart, brains and the stomach to make some difficult choices' * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisDrama Classics: The World's Great Plays at a Great Little Price Set in a country weighed down by political, ideological and spiritual stagnation, Chekhov's compelling early play is rooted in the revolutionary atmosphere of Russia at the turn of the 20th century. Anton Chekhov's play Ivanov was first performed in 1887 at the Korsh Theatre in Moscow. This English version, in the Nick Hern Books Drama Classics series, is translated and introduced by Stephen Mulrine, with notes on Further Reading, a Chronology and a Pronunciation Guide.

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Book SynopsisThe savage power of ancient myth collides with twentieth-century decadence in Oscar Wilde's astonishing tragedy. Salome, stepdaughter of King Herod, agrees to perform the mysterious and erotic Dance of the Seven Veils – but demands in return the head of the King's most infamous prisoner, Iokanaan (John the Baptist). To avoid censorship by the Lord Chamberlain, Wilde originally wrote Salome in French, and it premiered in Paris in 1896, while he was in prison. The play was finally seen in London in 1906, but has yet to gain the massive popularity of his comedies. This edition of Salome, published alongside a UK tour by Headlong in 2010, includes new introductions by the academic Trevor R. Griffiths and Ben Power of Headlong.Trade Review'An operatic riff on the destructive potential of desire and power' * The Times *'Lyrical, exotic and dark in the extreme' * Whatsonstage.com *

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Book SynopsisA revealing, funny and wonderfully moving portrait of four women who sign up to join the Women's Land Army during World War II. Based on one hundred and fifty letters and interviews with original Land Girls, along with songs from the period, Lilies on the Land charts the personal journeys of four women who join the Women's Land Army – determined to work endless backbreaking hours on farms across the country in a bid to do their best for the War Effort. But how do these women, all hailing from different walks of life, torn from their families and bereft of all basic home comforts, deal with the hardships of farming life and the pressures of war? Maybe work clothes full of mice and toilet rolls falling from the sky are just what it takes for these girls to get through… Lilies on the Land was devised and first performed by the Lions part in a 2001 touring production. It was revived at the Arts Theatre in the West End in 2010, and then toured in 2011 and 2012. This edition includes notes on staging and performing the play.Trade Review'Full of gems... a heartwarming, unsentimental show' * The Stage *'Poignant and humorous... it's impossible not to be awed' * The Times *'Wonderful... beautifully crafted... has the satisfying tang of lived experience... one leaves the theatre moved, amused and with the strong conviction that one has encountered the British character at its absolute best' * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisThe true-life drama of the extraordinary bond between two identical twin girls and their struggle to find a voice. Refusing to speak to adults, identical twins June and Jennifer Gibbons communicate in their own private language, their only relationship being their intense and turbulent bond with each other. Inspired by Marjorie Wallace's bestselling book The Silent Twins, Polly Teale and Linda Brogan's powerful play is an astonishing and moving portrayal of the secret world of a very special but ultimately destructive alliance between two sisters. Speechless was first performed by Shared Experience and Sherman Theatre Cymru at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, in 2010. It was the winner of an Edinburgh Fringe First Award.Trade Review'So good it will leave you tongue-tied' * Guardian *'Mesmerising... a gripping, thought-provoking, poignant 90 minutes' * Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisSix plays by some of the most exciting and distinctive female voices in British theatre, exploring the heartbreaking truth about the lives of women in the criminal justice system. The plays were commissioned and premiered by Clean Break, a theatre and education company working with women whose lives have been affected by the criminal justice system. Included in this volume: Fatal Light by Chloë Moss, about a young mother's inability to cope with separation from her daughter. Taken by Winsome Pinnock, about a mother confronted by the child she had to give up. Dream Pill by Rebecca Prichard, about two children forced into prostitution. Doris Day by E V Crowe, about two police officers and their different expectations of the job. Dancing Bears by Sam Holcroft, about the twisted loyalties and violence in teenage gangs. That Almost Unnameable Lust by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, about a writer holding workshops with older women in a prison. The plays were first performed at Soho Theatre, London, in November 2010.Trade Review'A gripping vitality... It's striking how the overall tone is not stridently feminist, but quiet and matter-of-fact. Charged feels more urgent for it.' * Guardian *'Unlocks the drama – and the pity – of tough justice.' * Time Out *Table of ContentsFatal Light by ChloA" Moss Taken by Winsome Pinnock Dream Pill by Rebecca Prichard Doris Day by E V Crowe Dancing Bears by Sam Holcroft That Almost Unnameable Lust by Rebecca Lenkiewicz

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Book SynopsisA shattering and heartbreaking play, joint winner of the Bruntwood Playwriting Competition. From the moment he came into the world as the snow fell and the cold wind blew, Oscar's existence has been a stagger through an underworld peopled by loners and losers. He's aching to piece it together, but the figures that clot his life are unwilling to fix him when they're unable to fix themselves. Oscar must discover if a bird with a broken wing can learn to fly, or is destined to stay earthbound for ever. Andrew Sheridan's play Winterlong was joint winner of the 2008 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting. It was first staged at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, in 2011.Trade Review'It's patently the work of an impressive new talent... brilliantly written' * Independent *'Full of passages of astonishing writing... unbearable to watch but unforgettable; strange yet completely recognisable' * Guardian *'It takes a real poet of the theatre to find the gems in the rotting bodies of dross' * Arts Desk *

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Book SynopsisMoving from satiric comedy to poignant family drama, Little Platoons explores what the retreat of the state and the growth of people power really means for society and its youngest citizens. When Rachel's ex threatens to remove their son from London to sort out his education, she joins a local group of parents setting up a 'free school'. Her new friends, led by the charismatic Nick, want to create an education their children can enjoy not endure. But the vision of the Big Society they seek to create tears their lives apart. Steve Waters' play Little Platoons was first staged at the Bush Theatre, London, in 2011.Trade Review'Wittily exposes the confusion that surrounds the subject of how we best educate our children' * Guardian *'An engrossing state-of-the-nation play about a contemporary issue that is unlikely to go away' * Arts Desk *'Anatomises the urgency of education policies in the coalition government... I can't recall a more urgently satirical local play at this address in all the wonderful 38 years of its existence' * Whatsonstage.com *

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Book SynopsisLove in Idleness is the third in Terence Rattigan's unofficial trilogy of war plays (after Flare Path and While the Sun Shines). It is published here alongside an earlier version of the play, Less Than Kind, which was never staged during Rattigan's lifetime. Michael, eighteen, returns to wartime London from schooling in Canada, brimming with youthful left-wing convictions. Reunited with his mother, he is alarmed as he begins to realise that she is the mistress of a leading member of the war cabinet. Sparks fly between the idealistic younger man and the pragmatic politician, while the mother is torn between them... Love in Idleness was first staged at the Lyric Theatre, London, in December 1944, in a version rewritten by Rattigan at the request of the production's stars, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. The earlier version of the play, Less Than Kind, was never staged and remained unpublished until 2011, the centenary of Rattigan's birth. That version was premiered at Jermyn Street Theatre, London, in January 2011. This volume presents both plays in full so that readers may judge for themselves which is the better. This edition includes an authoritative introduction by Dan Rebellato, a biographical sketch and chronology.Trade Review'Few dramatists of this century have written with more understanding of the human heart than Terence Rattigan' * Guardian *'A universally relevant observation of parents and children and the problems of finding true, true love… a play well-worth rediscovering' * WhatsOnStage *'A glorious – and rare – wartime Terence Rattigan play… turns on a sixpence from Chekhovian despair to frothing farce… often howlingly funny, but it has that Rattigan tang, the streak of honest agony and conflicted love which shakes the heart' * TheatreCat *'An ingenious fusion of domestic tragi-comedy and political debate… this work has now entered the canon of must-do Rattigan' * Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisA moving story of love and loyalty, courage and fear, based on Terence Rattigan's own experiences as a tail gunner in the Second World War. 1942. The Falcon Hotel, on the Lincolnshire coast. RAF bomber pilot Teddy is celebrating a reunion with his actress wife Patricia. When Peter, Patricia's ex-lover and Hollywood heart-throb, arrives and an urgent bombing mission over Germany is ordered, Patricia finds herself at the centre of an emotional conflict as unpredictable as the war in the skies. Terence Rattigan's play Flare Path was first produced at the Apollo Theatre, London, in August 1942. It was revived as part of the Rattigan Centenary celebrations at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, in March 2011. This edition contains an authoritative introduction by Rattigan scholar Dan Rebellato.Trade Review'A deeply moving portrait of people at war' * Guardian *'A three-handkerchief weepie that somehow manages to be both profoundly moving and wonderfully funny' * Telegraph *'Classic Rattigan: undemonstrative emotional catharsis... be dragged with power, humour and truth out of whining modernity into a mindset where duty trumps desire' * The Times *'Devastating and uplifting' * Evening Standard *'Tender, funny and overwhelmingly moving' * Arts Desk *'Rattigan's insightful characteriations create a multilayered view of war and what it does to people' * Hollywood Reporter *

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Book SynopsisDrama Classics: The World's Great Plays at a Great Little Price A startling domestic thriller from the seventeenth century, one of the first tragedies ever to be written about ordinary people. Thomas Heywood's play A Woman Killed with Kindness strips bare two women's lives, with forensic realism. It was first performed by Worcester's Men in 1603. This edition, in the Nick Hern Books Drama Classics series, is edited and introduced by Trevor Griffiths.

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Book SynopsisIbsen's political comedy in a crisp and satirical version by Andy Barrett. Bratsberg is a man of tradition. He thinks manners, knowledge and education are the foundations of a good society, but are his values dated? Monsen is an entrepreneur who believes success comes from hard work, but can he be trusted? Stensgard is a radical. He can see that change is beckoning and that he should be the man to drive progress forward. But when real power becomes a possibility how will he respond? A play about political ambition and opportunism, the conflicts of class, the difficulties of breaking open long established systems, and the ways in which political expediency can lay waste to idealism. Written as a response to political change in Norway, The League of Youth was Henrik Ibsen's first truly successful play, and is a clear precursor to The Pillars of Society, A Doll's House and An Enemy of the People. Its vivid characters are instantly recognisable as the prototypes for many of his greatest creations. This English version by Andy Barrett was first staged at Nottingham Playhouse in 2011.Trade Review'Andy Barrett's new version does an excellent job… allows us, without pushing the point, to savour the topicality of a play in which principles are sacrificed for power' * Guardian *'A wonderful adaptation' * Left Lion *'Andy Barrett's new version brings fresh meaning to what I suspect is an impenetrable original' * Whatsonstage.com *

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Book SynopsisA magical and deeply compassionate play about identity and the capacities of the human spirit. At a time when science and religion have conspired to make freak shows shameful, Robert Riley, owner of Riley's Odditorium, struggles to find ways to keep his company afloat. There's no money in the coffers and they've had to eat the horse. Only the mermaid act is bringing in the punters and she's just holding her breath… Lynda Radley's play Futureproof was first staged at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, in August 2011, in a co-production with Dundee Rep. It won an Edinburgh Fringe First Award.Trade Review'Outstanding... wonderfully profound' * Evening Standard *'There are not enough stars for this utterly draw-you-in drama' * Edinburghguide.com *'Endearing, funny, finally sad, this is 90 minutes of rich wisdom about imagination, individuality and comradeship' * The Times *

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Book SynopsisAn irresistibly funny and tender play about big dreams and small changes. Amid the dreaming, the dramas and the dirty dishes, something has to give. But will it be Kath or the kitchen sink? Things aren't going to plan for one family in Withernsea, Yorkshire. Pieces are falling off Martin's milk float as quickly as he's losing customers and something's up with Kath's kitchen sink. Billy is pinning his hopes of a place at art college on a revealing portrait of Dolly Parton, whilst Sophie's dreams of becoming a ju-jitsu teacher might be disappearing down the plughole. Tom Wells' play The Kitchen Sink was first performed at the Bush Theatre, London, in 2011. It won its author the George Devine Award and the Most Promising Playwright Award at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards. This volume also includes the monologue Spacewang, in which a teenage girl roams the streets of Withernsea in search of aliens.Trade Review'Writing to remember' * Guardian *'This is one of the best new plays I have seen anywhere this year, and I cannot recommend it too highly.' -- Charles Spencer * Daily Telegraph *'Wells wrings more riches out of seemingly throwaway lines than a lot of writers manage in an entire play' * Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisTen years after 9/11, twenty international writers respond to the defining event of our times. Published here are their individual plays, which woven together formed the basis of Decade, an immersive theatrical production from Headlong theatre company, first staged at Commodity Quay, St. Katharine's Dock, London, in 2011. The writers: Samuel Adamson, Mike Bartlett, Alecky Blythe, Adam Brace, Ben Ellis, Ella Hickson, Samuel D. Hunter, John Logan, Matthew Lopez, Mona Mansour, DC Moore, Abi Morgan, Rory Mullarkey, Janine Nabers, Lynn Nottage, Harrison David Rivers, Simon Schama, Christopher Shinn, Beth Steel, Alexandra Wood.Trade Review'Dazzling... a bold experiment in engaging with history, realised with flair' * Evening Standard *'Astonishing... deeply moving... illuminated by humour and a strong sense of human resilience' * Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisA funny, touching and at times savage portrait of a family full of longing that's losing its grip – The Last of the Haussmans examines the fate of the revolutionary generation. Anarchic, feisty but growing old, high-society drop-out Judy Haussman remains in spirit with the ashrams of the 1960s, while holding court in her dilapidated art deco house on the Devon coast. After an operation, she's joined by her wayward offspring, her sharp-eyed granddaughter, a local doctor and a troubled teenager who makes use of the family's crumbling swimming pool. Over a few sweltering months they alternately cling to and flee a chaotic world of all-day drinking, infatuations, long-held resentments, free love and failure. Stephen Beresford's play The Last of the Haussmans was first staged at the National Theatre, London, in 2012, in a production starring Julie Walters and Rory Kinnear.Trade Review'A knockout – entertaining, sad and outrageous. [Stephen Beresford] is going to be a major name' * Observer *'Beresford's drama is frequently a hoot... you can't not enjoy' * Metro *'Beresford's debut is thoughtful and fresh, delighting in the savagery of a dysfunctional family... deliciously comical... drips with smart lines' * Evening Standard *'A taut, touching and genuinely amusing portrait of generations of family damage... gloriously textured.. utterly authentic... hilarious and haunting' * The Stage *

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Book SynopsisA devastating drama about family and the ties that bind us together. Sixty five miles. The distance between Hull and Sheffield. The distance between a man and the daughter he's never met. Pete and Rich are two very different brothers. Reunited after nine years, both are seeking forgiveness. Rich needs to confront ex-girlfriend Lucy, and the shadows of his recent past. Pete's search is for the one woman in his life he has never known, his daughter. Matt Hartley's play Sixty Five Miles won the Under-26 Award at the 2005 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, and was first staged by Hull Truck Theatre in 2012.Trade Review'Hartley makes the imaginative leap towards the anxieties of middle age' * Guardian *'Compelling, thought provoking and hard hitting theatre' * Whatsonstage.com *'A beautifully under-written play... as funny, unlikely and heart-breaking as life itself' * A Younger Theatre *

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Book SynopsisA fast and funny family drama about intergenerational and cross-cultural relationships - containing plenty of spicy bits… It's the anniversary of John Anyia's death, and the Anyias are packing their suitcases, preparing to head home to Nigeria for a memorial service in his honour. But before they go, they're going to have to get rid of some excess baggage. Janice Okoh's play Egusi Soup was first performed as a script-in-hand performance at Menagerie Theatre Company's Hotbed Festival in July 2009 and, in October 2009, embarked on tour in a co-production with Eastern Angles. It was revived in 2012 in a co-production between Menagerie and Soho Theatre, in association with the Mercury Theatre, Colchester.Trade Review'Entertaining and revealing... you want to see more from this writer' * The Times *'A new work showcasing extraordinary writing... both sensitive and accurate in its portrayal of a modern British-Nigerian family... a triumph' * publicreviews.com *'Okoh's play is punchy and funny, and generates much laughter of recognition' * The Stage *'Genuine laugh-out-loud moments' * Whatsonstage.com *

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Book SynopsisA startling and darkly comic drama about childhood, family and fantasy. Winner of the Bruntwood Prize 2011. Siblings Tiana, Tionne and Tanika have found themselves home alone. Tiana's keeping it all together by taking charge of housework and homework. But Tionne's experiments are getting stranger and Tanika's starting to act up. As the outside world begins to press in, the three will do anything to keep their secret safe from the adults who come to call. Janice Okoh's play Three Birds was first performed at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, in February 2013 before transferring to the Bush Theatre, London, in March. 'A play that is as humane as it is savage... as funny as it is alarming. It is written with as much warmth as it is with truth. It's funny and theatrical and alert and alive. It's terrific.' Simon Stephens, playwright and Chair of the Judges for the 2011 Bruntwood Prize for PlaywritingTrade Review'Deals in harsh realism but hovers, brilliantly suspended, between dark comedy, thriller and an expressive human sympathy worthy of Tennessee Williams' * The Times *'Like a Pitchfork Disney for the Beiber / Primark generation' * A Younger Theatre *

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Book SynopsisA chillingly Kafkaesque world where nothing is quite as it seems, and where office politics can lead to unlawful questioning, torture and even murder… Afra has decided to make a complaint. She is certain that her grievance is legitimate: she is perfectly clear about her rights. And she has no intention of giving up until she has some satisfaction. Nick Whitby's play The Complaint was first performed at Hampstead Theatre, London, in May 2012.Trade Review'Some great lines, surprising twists and turns... packs a punch' * The Guardian blog (reader reviews) *'Scarily plausible… a thought-provoking ninety minutes of witty drama' * Monkey Matters Theatre Reviews *

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Book SynopsisOn a moonless night in August when the sea trout are ready to run, a man brings his new girlfriend to the remote family cabin where he has come for the fly-fishing since he was a boy. But she's not the only woman he has brought here – or indeed the last. A bewitching story from the author of global smash hit Jerusalem, Jez Butterworth's play The River was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in October 2012.Trade Review'Bewitchingly strange - watery and wild but deftly crafted' * Evening Standard *'Strange, eerie, tense... Butterworth possesses a singular talent' * Guardian *'Teasing, haunting and hushed... this subtle, troubling piece is likely to nag away in the memory' * Telegraph *'As taut as a wire and as tense as a thriller' * Whatsonstage.com *'One of the best productions of the year... a magnetically eerie, luminously beautiful psychodrama' * Time Out *'A delicately unfolding puzzle... all of it is wrapped in marvellous language... extraordinary' * The Times *

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Book SynopsisOne bathroom. Two people. One day. A relationship witnessed in minute, devastating detail. A story of intimacy, fragility and the darker side of love, Jack Thorne's play Mydidae exposes the private and disturbing moments a couple share, and explores what becomes of a relationship when it is held together not only by love, but by fear, guilt and despair. Mydidae was commissioned by DryWrite theatre company and first performed at Soho Theatre, London, in December 2012, in a production featuring Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Keir Charles.Trade Review'Like a punch in the gut... what makes all of this not only bearable but completely transfixing is the unmistakeable honesty of the writing' * Whatsonstage.com *'A two-hander full of unexpected menace that probes and chips at its characters, peeling back layers of skin... a potent piece of writing' * Exeunt Magazine *'Thorne has an uncanny ear for naturalistic dialogue... cannily ratchets up the tension' * Time Out *'Moves with a disarming stealth to a show-down that forces [the characters] to strip one another naked emotionally to the point of flaying' * Independent *'A particularly deep and thought-provoking look at contemporary lives' * British Theatre Guide *

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Book SynopsisA collection of short plays by exciting new Irish writers, selected and introduced by the literary manager of the Abbey Theatre. These eight short plays by some of the most exciting new Irish playwrights around were commissioned and staged by the Abbey Theatre, Dublin. All of the plays are written for one man and one woman - with one exception, which is written for two men - and are ideal for performance in studio theatres, one-act play festivals, and as duologues. Together, the plays showcase the Abbey's commitment to nurturing and introducing the very best new Irish writing. Includes the plays: Stop/Over by Gary Duggan When Cows Go Boom by Stacey Gregg Love in a Glass Jar by Nancy Harris Meeting Miss Ireland by Rosemary Jenkinson Salad Day by Deirdre Kinahan Nineteen Ninety-Two by Lisa McGee Investment Potential by Phillip McMahon Ribbons by Elaine Murphy

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Book SynopsisA funny and insightful glimpse into the power of female friendship. Five women with five different stories on a girls' night in to remember. It's Breda's birthday, but life's not been going according to plan of late and she's in no mood to celebrate. Her friends, however, have other ideas... Elaine Murphy's play Shush was first staged at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, in 2013.Trade Review'A truly gorgeous paean to the power of female friendship... bittersweet, poignant, and side-splittingly funny' * Entertainment.ie *

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Book SynopsisA funny and touching new version of Pirandello's high-spirited drama, set at the heart of a rural community where property and family unleash fierce passions. Sicily, summer 1916. The women gather to harvest old Simone's almond crop. He's the richest landowner in the district but he has no heir. Local lad Liolà, untroubled by convention, has fathered three boys, each with a different mother. When another of the girls falls pregnant, Simone is persuaded he might recognize the baby as his own, much to his young wife, Mita's, despair. But he underestimates the power of Liolà, who has his own unusual sense of what's right and wrong - and a way with women to make your hair curl. Tanya Ronder's version of Luigi Pirandello's 1916 play Liolà was first performed at the National Theatre, London, in 2013.Trade Review'Earthy, exuberant and fecund with symbolism and superstition... it leaves behind a delicious, golden glow' * The Times *'Winning... touching and entertaining, it glows with the warmth of summer' * Telegraph *'Wonderfully warm... thoroughly entertaining' * Exeunt Magazine *

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Book SynopsisA smart and provocative thriller about spies, double agents, and the opaqueness of the human soul. A young woman is found dead. Her sister sets out to find out what happened - and stumbles into a world of secrets and subterfuge that makes her question who Justine really was. How well can you ever know someone who lies for a living? Dawn King's play Ciphers was premiered at the Exeter Northcott Theatre in October 2013, in a co-production by Out of Joint, the Bush Theatre and Exeter Northcott Theatre, directed by Blanche McIntyre, before embarking on a UK tour.Trade Review'An ingenious spy thriller... echoes of le Carré... the work of a natural dramatist who knows how to generate suspense' * Guardian *'Intelligent and stylish... absorbing' * The Times *

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Book SynopsisA witty, tender, and occasionally surreal exploration of one family's experience of the NHS. A month after stating "we will stop the top-down reorganisation of the NHS that has got in the way of patient care", the government launched the biggest top-down reorganisation the service had seen in its 65-year history. Stella Feehily's play explores one family's journey through the digestive system of the NHS, and asks: what is the prognosis for this much-loved institution? This May Hurt A Bit premiered in March 2014, on a UK tour co-produced by Out of Joint and Octagon Theatre, Bolton.Trade Review'Urgent, clever, anarchic... I defy anyone to leave without a renewed sense of pride in our greatest institution, and some serious concerns about its future.' * Time Out *'Surreal, hilarious and hard-hitting… as theatrically entertaining as it is politically committed' * Observer *'Urgently topical… a passionate defence of nationalised medicine and a call to fight for its preservation * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisA captivating, darkly comic play that questions what it means to be human. In a world where using technology to erase people's imperfections and disabilities is increasingly normal, one couple is going back to basics. Far from the city, Mark and Violet are looking forward to the natural birth of their first baby. But one of them has a secret that threatens to undermine their perfect world. Stacey Gregg’s Override was first performed at Watford Palace Theatre in October 2013 as part of the theatre's Ideal World Season.Trade Review'Richly comic, but dark and sometimes sinister too' * Guardian *'A sci-fi nightmare and a moral maze... engages with troubling subjects such as what constitutes normality and how far we should intervene when nature comes up short' * Financial Times *'Gregg's dialogue carries conviction... brilliant' * WhatsOnStage *

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Book SynopsisA frank and funny new play about friendship, feminism and what it means to be successful. Jane and Bella are best friends. They're starting a revolution. But they're falling out of step. Toby dreams of babies, buggies, and home improvement. But he can't even father his cat. And that boy keeps telling Jane to take what she wants. But what is that, exactly? Three young people in their late twenties attempt to make sense of their own uncertain worlds. Even if it means losing sight of each other in the process. Elinor Cook's The Girl's Guide to Saving the World was premiered as part of the HighTide Festival in April 2014.

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Book SynopsisA searing thriller about paranoia, social divisions, and the creeping threat of the intruder, by the Bruntwood Prize-winning playwright. Alex has his flat. His home. He's building a life with Clare. Nothing can derail his happiness - he just wishes those kids would stop hanging round outside his house. But they're just kids, with nothing to do. They're not dangerous, right? Matt Hartley's play Microcosm was first performed at Soho Theatre, London, in May 2014.Trade Review'Builds suspense marvellously... chilling and ominous' * The Upcoming *'Compelling... Hartley is particularly perceptive in capturing the sweet strangeness of people, their moments of agreement and rapture, hilarity and repugnance' * Exeunt Magazine *'Hitchcockian... an intelligent and considered piece of theatre' * Huffington Post *

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Book SynopsisA violent tragedy, regarded as one of the great works of Jacobean theatre. Duke Bracciano is besotted by the beautiful Vittoria. When he makes her an indecent proposal she can't refuse, she enlists the help of Flaminio to fool her husband, and begins an illicit affair. But Vittoria and Flaminio soon find themselves snared in a web of corruption, passion and retribution as their single-minded pursuit of personal gain reaches an epic and bloody conclusion. This Prompt Book edition of The White Devil was published alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company's revival of the play in 2014, and features the text edited for the RSC production, and introductions by key members of its creative team.Trade Review'Strong and compelling... a heightened and visceral re-envisioning of Webster's bloody tragedy' * WhatsOnStage *'Impressive... not only gives every plot-twist a gripping, edge-of-your-seat clarity, but also forces you to wrestle with how much, and how little, has changed over the last 400 years' * Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisIn the village of Edmonton, Elizabeth Sawyer is shunned by her neighbours. A poor and lonely old woman, she is harassed and accused of being a witch. In her abject misery, she wishes that she really were bewitched and so able to have her revenge. Unluckily for Elizabeth and the villagers of Edmonton, someone with the power to grant that wish is listening. First performed in 1621, The Witch of Edmonton was based by its authors Thomas Dekker, John Ford and William Rowley on a real-life case of a woman accused of witchcraft. The play was revived by the Royal Shakespeare Company as part of its 2014 Roaring Girls season, in the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, directed by RSC Artistic Director Gregory Doran and with Eileen Atkins as Elizabeth Sawyer. This Prompt Book edition of the play features the text edited for the RSC production, and introductions by key members of its creative team, including Doran.Trade Review'Strange but spellbinding... I've never seen anything quite like The Witch of Edmonton... darkly seductive' * Times *'Darkly comic' * Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisA hilarious city comedy by the authors of A Mad World, My Masters and The Shoemaker's Holiday. Sebastian has a problem. He's in love with a girl but his father won't agree to their marriage. In desperation he turns to the one person who can help him, the fearless and feisty 'roaring girl' Moll Cutpurse. In a London fuelled by greed and desire, the charismatic, cross-dressing heroine Moll has the world wrapped around her little finger, and she has a plan. Cutting a joyously independent path through the underhand scheming and petty vendettas of the London underworld, Moll proves more than a match for any man. This Prompt Book edition of The Roaring Girl was published alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company's revival of the play in 2014, and features the text edited for the RSC production, and introductions by key members of its creative team.

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Book SynopsisThree plays based on George Eliot's classic novel, which can be performed as a trilogy or as standalone pieces. George Eliot's Middlemarch is peopled with some of literature's most memorable characters. In Geoffrey Beevers' dramatisation, all three interconnected plays can be performed as a trilogy, but each play can also stand on its own, telling the story of Middlemarch from the perspective of a different set of characters: from county, town and countryside. In Dorothea's Story, set among the big houses of the local aristocracy of Middlemarch, young, intelligent Dorothea is so enamoured of the pedantic Reverend Casaubon that she marries him, much to everyone's disbelief. But her friendship with Casaubon's young cousin Will Ladislaw arouses suspicions in her new husband, who will do anything to thwart their mutual affection. In The Doctor's Story, set in the town of Middlemarch itself, where everyone wants to know each other's business, idealistic Dr Lydgate arrives in Middlemarch determined to achieve great things. He catches the eye of the Mayor's beautiful, self-centred daughter Rosamond but is torn between ambition and loyalty as he is drawn into an alliance with a corrupt banker. In the poignant but light-hearted Fred and Mary's Story, set amongst hard-working countryfolk, Fred is trying to please his parents and become a country gentleman, but his childhood sweetheart Mary will have none of it. The Middlemarch Trilogy premiered at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, in October 2013.Trade Review'A delight from beginning to end... one of the most captivating literary dramatisations I've ever encountered, as rich as a Christmas pudding' * Telegraph *'It has an elegance and wit, and, above all, it's eminently digestible' * The Times *'[A] skilful, shrewd and dashing adaptation... a phenomenal achievement' * Observer *'A terrific achievement' * Evening Standard *'As ingenious as it is entertaining' * The Stage *

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Book SynopsisCharles Pooter of Upper Holloway, a middle-class clerk with social aspirations far beyond his status, has decided the world deserves to hear his diary. He has one night, a troupe of actors and an empty stage to impart the woes of his humdrum existence to anyone who will listen. Adapted by Hugh Osborne from the Victorian comedy of manners, Diary of a Nobody features a small cast uproariously recreating the trials and tribulations of Pooter’s daily grind in Victorian London. Premiered at Royal & Derngate Theatre, Northampton, in March 2011, this highly energetic adaptation is also ideal for amateur theatre companies wanting to stage a freewheeling version of a classic novel.Trade Review'Sensational... It's a rare ability to render an audience helpless with laughter and crying with emotion at the same moment. Hugh Osborne's new adaptation of the Victorian comic classic The Diary of a Nobody has this ability in spades' * WhatsOnStage *'Gloriously funny... possesses heaps of irreverent originality' * Telegraph *'This madcap show is inventive and funny' * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisWhen Josie dies in an old people's home, her grandchildren gather to share their memories of her, and her fellow residents feel the effects of her death as her funeral takes place. Is the gulf between the young and old as wide as it feels, or are we fundamentally the same inside whatever age we are? Deborah Bruce's play Same was commissioned as part of the 2014 National Theatre Connections Festival and premiered by youth theatres across the UK. Originally written for young actors, but with roles from teens to eighties, Same can be performed by groups of any age.

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Book SynopsisAn epic, hilarious and moving play that takes a sideways look at the First World War. 1915. Jack Twigg, twenty-one years old, enlists in the London Regiment and goes on a journey he never imagined - nor did the rest of the world. On his way, he meets the pioneering medic Harold Gillies, who saves his life and his sanity. And who is the mysterious Doctor Scroggy who appears at night in Gillies' hospital dispensing champagne to the patients? Doctor Scroggy's War premiered at Shakespeare's Globe, London, in September 2014. Howard Brenton is a prolific playwright whose plays have been staged at the Royal Court Theatre, National Theatre, RSC and Shakespeare's Globe among others. Other writing work includes collaborations with David Hare and thirteen episodes of the BBC1 drama series Spooks. 'sharp and entertaining... strikes a chord with our own intensified concern for the returning veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq' - WhatsOnStage 'appealing and engaging... one of the very finest of this year's glut of First World War dramas' - Evening Standard 'Howard Brenton's fine new play... hits you in the heart' - Guardian 'compelling... [a] big, warm, perceptive play' - TelegraphTrade Review'Sharp and entertaining... strikes a chord with our own intensified concern for the returning veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq' * WhatsOnStage *'Appealing and engaging... one of the very finest of this year’s glut of First World War dramas' * Evening Standard *'Howard Brenton’s fine new play... hits you in the heart' * Guardian *'Compelling... [a] big, warm, perceptive play' * Telegraph *

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