Drama

Auden often said that metre and rhyme led him down unexpected paths to thoughts he wouldn't otherwise have had, and in this respect versification and fornication are not so different. Benjamin Britten, sailing uncomfortably close to the wind with his new opera, "Death in Venice", seeks advice from his former collaborator and friend, W H Auden. During this imagined meeting, their first for twenty-five years, they are observed and interrupted by amongst others their future biographer and a young man from the local bus station. You ar... read more

Sophocles' Theban plays: "Antigone", "Oedipus the King" and "Oedipus at Colonus". They depict Oedipus's fierce heroic encounter with his gods, and reveal Sophocles' masterful characterizations, dramatic speech and use of irony. Bernard Knox introduces each play.

Fading southern belle Blanche Dubois depends on the kindness of strangers and is adrift in the modern world. When she arrives to stay with her sister Stella in a crowded, boisterous corner of New Orleans, her delusions of grandeur bring her into conflict with Stella's crude, brutish husband Stanley. Eventually their violent collision course causes Blanche's fragile sense of identity to crumble, threatening to destroy her sanity and her one chance of happiness.

'Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, it's awful.' This line, from the play, was adopted by Jean Anouilh, to characterize the first production of "Waiting For Godot" at the Theatre de Babylone, in 1953. He went on to predict that the play would, in time, represent the most important premiere to be staged in Paris for forty years. Nobody acquainted with Beckett's masterly black comedy would now question this prescient recognition of a classic of twentieth-century literature.

* Fully updated to meet the needs of the 2010 GCSE specifications. * Exclusive awarding-body specific support to help students realise their full potential. * The most accessible texts with supportive notes, activities and advice to engage students. * Reamins the best value for money available.

The epic tale of Odysseus and his 10-year journey home after the Trojan War forms one of the earliest and greatest works of Western literature. Confronted by natural and supernatural threats, Odysseus must test his bravery and native cunning to the full if he is to reach his homeland safely and overcome the obstacles that, even there, await him.

"Caligula" reveals some aspects of the existential notion of the absurd' by portraying an emperor so mighty and so desperate in his search for freedom that he inevitably destroys gods, men and himself. The dramatic impetus of "Cross Purpose", however, comes from the tension between consent to and refusal of man's absurdity; it is the tragedy of a man who returns home to his mother and sister without revealing his identity to them. By the time of "The Just" and "The Possessed", refusal and rebellion have taken over, and in these ove... read more

This is a collection of four of Ibsen's major plays: "A Doll's House"; "Ghosts"; "Hedda Gabler"; and "The Master Builder".

Authoritative and wide-ranging, this absorbing account of the history of theatre draws on the latest scholarly research to describe and celebrate theatre's greatest achievemenst over 4,500 years, from festival performances in ancient Egypt to international multicultural theatre in the late twentieth century. Written by a team of distinguished authors and illustrated throughout, this is an essential source of reference for students, teachers, theatre professionals, and the theatre-goer alike.

Two minor characters from "Hamlet" offer a novel view of the melancholy Dane.

Murder in the Cathedral, written for the Canterbury Festival on 1935, was the first high point on T. S. Eliot's dramatic achievement. It remains one of the great plays of the century. Like Greek drama, its theme and form are rooted in religion and ritual purgation and renewal, and it was this return to the earliest sources of drama that brought poetry triumphantly back to the English stage.

A writer of short stories is in police custody. He doesn't know why he is being held but assumes it must be something to do with the fact that many of his stories involve children being killed and tortured. As the play unfolds, the police tell him that someone is enacting his stories.

IN

CALLING ALL GLEEKS! Get more of your favourite characters in this official Glee prequel! All great performances deserve a warm-up! Enroll early at McKinley High to find out what went on before New Directions was even a glimmer in Mr Schuester's eye. When did Rachel first decide Finn was more than just a jock? When did Puck and Quinn start their secret romance? And how did the fledgling Glee Club function without a fearless leader? Hint: It wasn't exactly a perfect melody. Break out the gold stars and refill the slushies: it's time ... read more

Before disappearing over the Pacific Ocean in 1937, famed aviator Amelia Earhart was a national treasure. A noted author, publisher, fashion designer, public speaker, and businesswoman, she traveled in all circles of life, from the Midwest farmlands of her youth to the New York society, which embraced her as one of their own. Her determination and adventurous spirit earned her a place in history, becoming a symbol of freedom and success for women. Amelia, directed by Mira Nair (The Namesake, Vanity Fair, Monsoon Wedding), chronicle... read more

Harold Pinter is one of our most profound poers and playwrights, with work ranging from his plays The Caretaker, The Homecoming, and Betrayal to such poems as "The Bombs" and "Death." A writer known for his searing exploration of power, Pinter gives us an electrifying look into the often uncomfortable relationships between people--whether family members or political opponents. The Essential Pinter, which includes key plays, poetry, essays, and screenplays, is an indispensable companion for anyone wishing to delve into the astonishi... read more

This edition of "Shakespeare's Complete Works" contains all the plays and poems. The plays are arranged in the chronological order of their composition rather than gathered into comedies, histories and tragedies, the traditional method dating from the first folio; the volume also contains a sketch of Shakespeare's life, a biography of Sir John Gilbert, and an extensive glossary. The book is bound in real cloth, with head and tail bands, a ribbon marker, top edge gilt with a gold-blocked jacket, and has been completely reset. It is ... read more