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The Shakespeare North Playhouse: Replica Theatres and Their Uses (ISSN)
By Tim Keenan. 2024
This collection celebrates the opening of the Shakespeare North Playhouse (SNP). After discussion of its genesis and development by four…
people pivotal to its progress at different stages of the project, this book explores different aspects of the SNP’s purpose and functions across three broad categories: buildings and spaces, practices and performance, and community arts and education. Various chapters offer answers to fundamental questions about replica theatres, including: Why do we build them? What do they do? How do we use them? In the course of these discussions, the purposes, potential, and programming of the SNP are discussed in relation to other Globe-type replicas in the UK and beyond. Contributors to this collection analyse key academic and practice-based concerns within their fields of expertise connected to the use (and misuse) of replica theatres to suggest the ways in which they can be used to drive research and practice in contemporary Shakespearean performance, connect with young people, and serve local communities.This book will appeal to academics, students, and practitioners interested in historical and contemporary approaches to Shakespeare in the fields covered. It should also appeal to general readers with an interest in the topics, particularly in Merseyside and the North-West region.The Scroll of Seduction: A Novel
By Gioconda Belli. 2006
Manuel is a man of many talents; an art historian and professor, he is also an exquisite storyteller. When he…
meets 16-year-old Lucía on an outing from her boarding school, he offers to narrate a story of dire consequences—that of the Spanish Queen Juana of Castile and her legendary love for her husband, Philippe the Handsome.Promised to Prince Philippe the Handsome to solidify ties between the Flemish and Spanish crowns, Queen Juana immediately fell in love with her betrothed with all the abandon and passion of her fiery personality. Theirs was one of the most tumultuous love stories of all time. But Juana, who was also one of the most learned princesses of the Renaissance, was forced to pay a high price for being headstrong and daring to be herself. Those at court who could not fathom Juana as heir to the throne of the most important empire of its day conspired against her and began to question her sanity. Eventually she came to be known as Juana the Mad. But was she really insane, or just a victim of her impetuosity and unbridled passion?As the novel unfolds, Lucía and Manuel become enmeshed in a complex psychological web that seduces and incites them to relive Juana and Philippe's story, and eventually leads them to a mysterious manuscript that may hold the key to Juana's alleged madness.A Woman of No Importance
By Oscar Wilde. 2007
Oscar Wilde's audacious drama of social scandal centres around the revelation of Mrs Arbuthnot's long-concealed secret. A house party is…
in full swing at Lady Hunstanton's country home, when it is announced that Gerald Arbuthnot has been appointed secretary to the sophisticated, witty Lord Illingworth. Gerald's mother stands in the way of his appointment, but fears to tell him why, for who will believe Lord Illingworth to be a man of no importance?Writing Game: A Comedy
By David Lodge. 1991
David Lodge’s first full-length play examines that curious fixture in the writing game where the amateurs meet the professionals –…
on a course in creative writing. Maude, author of nine bestsellers, and Simon, with one sensational success to his name, are veterans of this particular course: Leo, a campus-based American novelist astounded by the dilettante approach of the English, is the odd man out.The idea is to put the students under pressure, but in the converted barn that houses the tutors, professional and sexual tensions, past slights and current rivalries rapidly build to a fierce head of steam. Out of these pressures, David Lodge distils a sharply observed comedy of the problems and preoccupations of the writer as the professionals, striving to explain to enthusiastic beginners how to do it, are forced to confront an altogether trickier question: why on earth do they themselves write in the first place? Delicately probing, nimbly parodic, uncomfortably on target, Lodge’s incisive study of writers at work and at odds will bring the pleasure of recognition to all readers of fiction – and to most of those in the game.Deadly Thought: Hamlet And The Human Soul (Applications Of Political Theory Ser.)
By Jan H. Blits. 2001
The Winter's Tale
By William Shakespeare. 1986
'The work of Shakespeare is virtually infinite' Jorge Luis BorgesA jealous king, convinced that his wife has been unfaithful and…
is having another man's baby, imprisons her and puts her on trial. The child is abandoned to die, but when she is found and raised by a shepherd, it seems redemption may be possible. A bravura blend of tragedy, comedy and romance, Shakespeare's emotionally potent late play explores artifice and nature, mortality and renewal, and the destructive and consoling effects of time.Used and Recommended by the National TheatreGeneral Editor Stanley Wells Edited by Ernest Schanzer Introduction by Russ McDonaldThe Way of the World and Other Plays
By William Congreve. 1985
With piercing accuracy William ongreve depicted the shallow, brittle world of 'society' where the right artifice in manners, fashion and…
conversation--and money--eased the passage to success. Through sparkling, witty dialogue and brilliant characterisation--Lady Plyant, Valentine, Lady Touchwood, Mirabell and Millamant--Congreve exposed the follies and vanities of that world, and suggested that behind the glinting mirror lay something more brutal. 'The language is everywhere that of Men of Honour, but their Actions are those of Knaves; a proof that he was perfectly well acquainted with human Nature, and frequented what we call polite company.' --Voltaire 'Congreve quitted the stage in disdain, and comedy left it with him.' --A contemporaryVolpone and Other Plays
By Ben Jonson. 1966
The three plays collected in this volume depict the faults, errors and foibles of ordinary people with exuberant humour, savage…
satire and acute observations. Volpone portrays a rich Venetian who pretends to be dying so that his despised acquaintances will flock to his bedside with extravagant gifts in hope of an inheritance. The Alchemist also deals with greed and gullibility, as a rascally trio of confidence tricksters, claiming to have the legendary Philosopher's Stone, fool a series of victims who are hoping to make some easy money. And in a wonderfully energetic portrait of Jacobean life, Bartholomew Fair shows a diverse group of Londoners sampling the delights and temptations of the Fair - and the traders, prostitutes and cutpurses who set out to exploit them.Under Milk Wood: A Play for Voices
By Dylan Thomas. 2010
'It is spring, moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black...'Under Milk Wood tells the story of a Welsh…
village during one spring day. It is populated by some of the best-loved characters in British literature. Lyrical, funny, moving, it is rooted in place but with a universality that has spoken to generations of readers. A Welsh epic, a work of poetic genius, a modern classic.'A tour de force of oral poetry which oozes word pictures and onomatopoeic musicality' GuardianThe Two Noble Kinsmen
By William Shakespeare. 1613
Considered by Thomas de Quincey to be 'perhaps the most superb work in the language', The Two Noble Kinsmen is…
set in Athens and was co-written by Shakespeare with John Fletcher. This Penguin Shakespeare edition is edited by N. W. Bawcutt with an introduction by Peter Swaab.'Once, he kissed me. I loved my lips the better ten days after'When Theseus, Duke of Athens, learns that the ruler of Thebes has killed three noble kings he swears to take revenge. But after Athens triumphs over the rival city, Theseus is struck by the bravery of two Theban cousins and orders his surgeons to attend to them. Soon, the cousins' lifelong friendship is threatened, as both become overwhelmed with love for the duke's beautiful sister.This book contains a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre, a separate introduction to the play, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary.The Two Gentlemen of Verona
By William Shakespeare. 1968
Leaving behind both home and beloved, a young man travels to Milan to meet his closest friend. Once there, however,…
he falls in love with his friend's new sweetheart and resolves to seduce her. Love-crazed and desperate, he is soon moved to commit cynical acts of betrayal. And comic scenes involving a servant and his dog enhance the play's exploration how passion can prove more powerful than even the strongest loyalty owed to a friend.Twelfth Night
By William Shakespeare. 1968
'If music be the food of love, play on,Give me excess of it'Separated from her twin brother Sebastian after a…
shipwreck, Viola disguises herself as a boy to serve the Duke Orsino. Wooing a countess on his behalf, she is stunned to find herself the object of her affections. Amorous intrigues, practical jokes, sexual confusion and riotous disorder ensue in this lyrical, hugely popular romantic comedy, which shows both the delights and the perils of desire. Used and Recommended by the National TheatreGeneral Editor Stanley WellsEdited by M. M. MahoodIntroduction by Michael DobsonTroilus and Cressida
By William Shakespeare. 1987
It is the seventh year of the Trojan War. The Greek army is camped outside Troy and Achilles - their…
military hero - refuses to fight. Inside the city Troilus, the Trojan King's son, falls in love with Cressida, whose father has defected to the Greek camp. In an exchange of prisoners the couple are split - they believe forever. The honour of lovers and soldiers is tested as a fierce battle begins and heroes must prove their worth.Top Tips for Breast Feeding
By Clare Byam-Cook. 2008
More and more mothers are choosing to breast-feed their babies. But while some women take to breast-feeding like a duck…
to water, others find it more difficult and need help to get started.The invaluable advice from Clare Byam-Cook's excellent guide What To Expect When You're Breast-feeding...and What If Your Can't? is now available in a handy and concise book of tips. Top Tips for Breast-feeding offers simple, reassuring advice that will make the experience easier and more enjoyable for both you and your baby. With handy tips on:- How to prepare for breast-feeding- What to expect in the early stages- How to overcome common problemsTo Be or Not to Be: Shakespeare's Soliloquies
By William Shakespeare. 2002
A unique collection of Shakespeare's soliloquies, each introduced by concise and informative editorial notes. This is an edition to complement…
the highly successful SHAKESPEARE'S SONNETS and is published in commemoration of Shakespeare's birthday. Aperfect book for Shakespeare lovers and enthusiasts.Titus Andronicus
By William Shakespeare. 2001
'This is tragedy naked, godless and unredeemed' Kenneth TynanAn embittered Roman general returns from war, having captured the Queen of…
the Goths and her three sons. Sacrificing the eldest in memory of his own sons killed in battle, he provokes the queen's unending hatred. And when she gains power by her marriage to the new emperor of Rome, she quickly begins to plot a murderous revenge of barely conceivable cruelty, in Shakespeare's first and most savagely bloody tragedy. Used and Recommended by the National TheatreGeneral Editor Stanley WellsEdited by Sonia MassaiIntroduction by Jacques BerthoudTimon of Athens
By William Shakespeare. 1970
After squandering his wealth with prodigal generosity, a rich Athenian gentleman finds himself deep in debt. Unshaken by the prospect…
of bankruptcy, he is certain that the friends he has helped so often will come to his aid. But when they learn his wealth is gone, he quickly finds that their promises fall away to nothing in this tragic exploration of power, greed, and loyalty betrayed.Three Revenge Tragedies
By Cyril Tourneur, John Webster, Thomas Middleton. 1965
Following the end of Queen Elizabeth's reign in the early seventeenth century, the new court of King James was beset…
by political instability and moral corruption. This atmosphere provided fertile ground for the dramatists of the age, whose plays explore the ways in which social decadence and the abuse of power breed resentment and lead inexorably to violence and bloody retribution. In Tourneur's The Revenger's Tragedy, the debauched son of an Italian Duke attempts to rape the virtuous Gloriana - a veiled reference to Elizabeth I. Webster's The White Devil depicts a sinister world of intrigue and murderous infidelity, while The Changeling, perhaps Middleton's supreme achievement, powerfully portrays a woman bringing about her own unwitting destruction. All three are masterpieces of brooding intensity, dominated by images of decay, disillusionment and death.Three Restoration Comedies
By George Etherege, William Congreve, William Wycherley. 1968
After the restoration of King Charles II to the British throne in 1660, dramatists experienced new freedom in an age…
that broke from the strict morality of puritan rule and in which elegance and wit became the chief virtues. Irreverent, licentious and cynical, the three plays collected here hold up a mirror to this dazzling era and satirize the gulf between appearances and reality. In Etherege's The Man of Mode (1676), the womanizing Dorimant meets his match when he falls in love with the unpretentious Harriet, while Wycherley's The Country Wife (c. 1675) depicts the rakish Horner who fakes impotence to fool trusting husbands into giving him easy access to their wives. And in Congreve's Love for Love (1695), the extravagant Valentine can only win his beloved Angelica if he loses his inheritance.Three Plays for Puritans
By George Bernard Shaw. 1930
Shaw believed that theatre audiences of the 1890s deserved more than the hollow spectacle and sham he saw displayed on…
the London stage. But he also recognized that people wanted to be entertained while educated, and to see purpose mixed with pleasure. In these three plays of ideas, Shaw employed traditional dramatic forms - Victorian melodrama, the history play and the adventure story - to turn received wisdom upside down. Set during the American War of Independence, The Devil's Disciple exposes fake Puritanism and piety, while Caesar and Cleopatra, a cheeky riposte to Shakespeare, redefines heroism in the character of the ageing Roman leader. And in Captain Brassbound's Conversion, an expedition in Morocco is saved from disaster by a lady explorer's skilful manipulation of the truth.