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The Magical Peppers and the Great Vanishing Act
by Sian PattendenThe third show-stopping adventure from The Magical Peppers. Don’t miss it!
The Magical Peppers and the Island of Invention
by Sian PattendenA strange old theatre at the end of the pier is the setting for the next fantastic adventure full of magic and mayhem with unbeatable double act, Esme & Monty Pepper, and their madcap Uncle Potty…
Magical Transformations on the Early Modern English Stage (Studies in Performance and Early Modern Drama)
by Lisa Hopkins Helen OstovichMagical Transformations on the Early Modern Stage furthers the debate about the cultural work performed by representations of magic on the early modern English stage. It considers the ways in which performances of magic reflect and feed into a sense of national identity, both in the form of magic contests and in its recurrent linkage to national defence; the extent to which magic can trope other concerns, and what these might be; and how magic is staged and what the representational strategies and techniques might mean. The essays range widely over both canonical plays-Macbeth, The Tempest, The Winter’s Tale, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Doctor Faustus, Bartholomew Fair-and notably less canonical ones such as The Birth of Merlin, Fedele and Fortunio, The Merry Devil of Edmonton, The Devil is an Ass, The Late Lancashire Witches and The Witch of Edmonton, putting the two groups into dialogue with each other and also exploring ways in which they can be profitably related to contemporary cases or accusations of witchcraft. Attending to the representational strategies and self-conscious intertextuality of the plays as well as to their treatment of their subject matter, the essays reveal the plays they discuss as actively intervening in contemporary debates about witchcraft and magic in ways which themselves effect transformation rather than simply discussing it. At the heart of all the essays lies an interest in the transformative power of magic, but collectively they show that the idea of transformation applies not only to the objects or even to the subjects of magic, but that the plays themselves can be seen as working to bring about change in the ways that they challenge contemporary assumptions and stereotypes.
Magical Transformations on the Early Modern English Stage (Studies in Performance and Early Modern Drama)
by Lisa Hopkins Helen OstovichMagical Transformations on the Early Modern Stage furthers the debate about the cultural work performed by representations of magic on the early modern English stage. It considers the ways in which performances of magic reflect and feed into a sense of national identity, both in the form of magic contests and in its recurrent linkage to national defence; the extent to which magic can trope other concerns, and what these might be; and how magic is staged and what the representational strategies and techniques might mean. The essays range widely over both canonical plays-Macbeth, The Tempest, The Winter’s Tale, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Doctor Faustus, Bartholomew Fair-and notably less canonical ones such as The Birth of Merlin, Fedele and Fortunio, The Merry Devil of Edmonton, The Devil is an Ass, The Late Lancashire Witches and The Witch of Edmonton, putting the two groups into dialogue with each other and also exploring ways in which they can be profitably related to contemporary cases or accusations of witchcraft. Attending to the representational strategies and self-conscious intertextuality of the plays as well as to their treatment of their subject matter, the essays reveal the plays they discuss as actively intervening in contemporary debates about witchcraft and magic in ways which themselves effect transformation rather than simply discussing it. At the heart of all the essays lies an interest in the transformative power of magic, but collectively they show that the idea of transformation applies not only to the objects or even to the subjects of magic, but that the plays themselves can be seen as working to bring about change in the ways that they challenge contemporary assumptions and stereotypes.
The Magistrate: A Farce In Three Acts (Oberon Modern Plays)
by Arthur Wing Pinero Stephen BeresfordWith his louche air and a developed taste for smoking, gambling, port and women, it’s hard to believe Cis Farringdon is only fourteen. And that’s because he isn’t. Agatha, his mother, lopped five years from her true age and his when she married the amiable Posket.Well, when I heard the new dad was a police magistrate, I was scared. Said I to myself, ‘If I don’t mind my Ps and Qs, the Guv’nor – from force of habit – will fi ne me all my pocket-money.’The imminent arrival of Cis’ godfather sends Agatha incognito to the Hôtel des Princes to warn him of her deception. But it’s also where her son has cajoled his otherwise staid stepfather into joining him for a binge. High-spirited carousing leads to a police raid and a night of outrageous mishap as the trapped guests make desperate attempts to conceal themselves from the law and from each other. Indignities escalate at court the next day where Posket, the police magistrate, must preside.
The Magna Carta Plays: Ransomed, Kingmakers, We Sell Right, Pink Gin (Oberon Modern Plays Ser.)
by Timberlake Wertenbaker Howard Brenton Anders LustgartenOn the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, four short plays inspired by the celebrated document. RANSOMED In the sleepy Cathedral City of Melchester, a crime has been committed. The Cathedral’s prize possession, a copy of the original Magna Carta, has been stolen in a daring heist. Who is responsible and what price will the British Government be prepared to pay for the document’s safe return? As the plot thickens, Detective Inspector Ellie Baxter seeks to find the truth in this brilliant new Magna Carta comedy. KINGMAKERS Ten years after the signing of Magna Carta, the barons’ takeover isn’t quite going to plan. With the peasants grumbling about enormous castles and broken promises, the threat of rebellion hangs in the air. Perhaps the solution is to distract and deflect by bringing the confused and humbled king back into the fold? What about a royal wedding? A royal baby? All at the common man’s expense, of course… A fictional story from the 13th century that may just be about now. WE SELL RIGHT In 1215, when the King of England abuses his extraordinary power, the barons take action. In 2015, when the kings of global business and finance abuse their extraordinary power, who will take action and what will confrontation look like? In the decades that follow, what will remain of the values we hold most dear? A gripping drama about the consequences of confronting power on a global scale. PINK GIN In 21st century Africa, a visionary President stands on the cusp of greatness. With international investors poised to develop large tracts of land, the financial future looks bright. But why has it been raining for 97 days, and who is leading the angry mob in the streets outside? A compelling contemporary allegory throwing light on the oft-overlooked companion to Magna Carta, The Charter of the Forest.
Magnum Opus: The Cycle Plays of Eugene O'Neill
by Zander BrietzkeAn original and provocative analysis of Eugene O'Neill's unfinished cycle play project From 1935 to 1939, Eugene O'Neill worked on a series of plays that would trace the history of an American family through several generations. He completed just two of the proposed eleven plays—A Touch of the Poet and More Stately Mansions—which Zander Brietzke argues represent the core of the entire cycle. Combining archival research, literary analysis, and theatrical imagination, Magnum Opus invites an audience to see this unusual and exciting epic as a historical drama of our time.
The Mahabharata (Modern Plays)
by Jean-Claude CarrièreA unique dramatization of India's greatest epic poem, fifteen times longer than the Bible, The Mahabharata has played to enthralled audiences throughout Europe, the Far East and America. Regarded as the culmination of Peter Brook's extraordinary research into the possibilities of theatre, the production has been hailed as the 'theatrical event of this century' (Sunday Times). British audiences encountered The Mahabharata, on stage and television, in the late eighties. This volume contains the complete script of Carriere's adaptation in Peter Brook's translation, with introductions by each of them.
Maid Marian and Her Merry Men: How the band got together
by Tony RobinsonThe peasants in Worksop village are persecuted by the Sheriff of Nottingham and his men. They clearly need someone to fight for their rights and set them free, but who can it be? If you thought it was Robin Hood, think again. You are about to meet the amazing Maid Marian.
Maids (PDF)
by Jean Genet Benedict Andrews Andrew UptonThough The Maids (translated by Bernard Frechtman) was his first book to be published in England, Jean Genet was already a legendary figure in contemporary European literature. An illegitimate child born in Paris in 1910, he was abandoned by his mother to the Assistance Publique, adopted by a peasant family in the Morvan and committed to a reformatory for stealing at the age of ten; after many years spent in this and similar institutions, he joined and deserted from the Foreign Legion; and in 1948 only escaped life imprisonment after ten convictions for theft when the President of the Republic - on the petition of a group of eminent writers and artists - granted him a pardon. His work - novels, plays, autobiography - reflects the violence and disorder of his life; but it reflects, too, high and unmistakable literary genius. The Maids is vehement and passionate; obsessed - as so much of Genet's writing is - with the problems of identity, of reality and make-believe, of the complexity of truth. It is both an exciting piece of literature in itself and an admirable introduction to Genet's work as a whole.
Mainstream (Modern Plays)
by Rosaleen McDonaghWe share a history, we share a memory and they both share my heart. It's that time of the year. A time that Eoin, Mary Anne and Jack all remember. Having grown up together in various care homes for the disabled, they now rely on each other in adulthood for support, friendship and love. But when young film-maker Eleanor arrives, struggling with hidden issues and agendas of her own, to make a documentary about their lives together, the examination and attention she brings threatens to disrupt the long-term relationships and friendships at the heart of their group. Mainstream is a complex drama about truth, lies and the mainstreaming of Travellers with disabilities. It was produced in November 2016 in a co-production between Fishamble Theatre Company and Project Arts Centre, Dublin.
Mainstream (Modern Plays)
by Rosaleen McDonaghWe share a history, we share a memory and they both share my heart. It's that time of the year. A time that Eoin, Mary Anne and Jack all remember. Having grown up together in various care homes for the disabled, they now rely on each other in adulthood for support, friendship and love. But when young film-maker Eleanor arrives, struggling with hidden issues and agendas of her own, to make a documentary about their lives together, the examination and attention she brings threatens to disrupt the long-term relationships and friendships at the heart of their group. Mainstream is a complex drama about truth, lies and the mainstreaming of Travellers with disabilities. It was produced in November 2016 in a co-production between Fishamble Theatre Company and Project Arts Centre, Dublin.
Mainstream AIDS Theatre, the Media, and Gay Civil Rights: Making the Radical Palatable (Routledge Advances in Theatre & Performance Studies)
by Jacob JuntunenThis book demonstrates the political potential of mainstream theatre in the US at the end of the twentieth century, tracing ideological change over time in the reception of US mainstream plays taking HIV/AIDS as their topic from 1985 to 2000. This is the first study to combine the topics of the politics of performance, LGBT theatre, and mainstream theatre’s political potential, a juxtaposition that shows how radical ideas become mainstream, that is, how the dominant ideology changes. Using materialist semiotics and extensive archival research, Juntunen delineates the cultural history of four pivotal productions from that period—Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart (1985), Tony Kushner’s Angels in America (1992), Jonathan Larson’s Rent (1996), and Moises Kaufman’s The Laramie Project (2000). Examining the connection between AIDS, mainstream theatre, and the media reveals key systems at work in ideological change over time during a deadly epidemic whose effects changed the nation forever. Employing media theory alongside nationalism studies and utilizing dozens of reviews for each case study, the volume demonstrates that reviews are valuable evidence of how a production was hailed by society’s ideological gatekeepers. Mixing this new use of reviews alongside textual analysis and material study—such as the theaters’ locations, architectures, merchandise, program notes, and advertising—creates an uncommonly rich description of these productions and their ideological effects. This book will be of interest to scholars and students of theatre, politics, media studies, queer theory, and US history, and to those with an interest in gay civil rights, one of the most successful social movements of the late twentieth century.
Mainstream AIDS Theatre, the Media, and Gay Civil Rights: Making the Radical Palatable (Routledge Advances in Theatre & Performance Studies)
by Jacob JuntunenThis book demonstrates the political potential of mainstream theatre in the US at the end of the twentieth century, tracing ideological change over time in the reception of US mainstream plays taking HIV/AIDS as their topic from 1985 to 2000. This is the first study to combine the topics of the politics of performance, LGBT theatre, and mainstream theatre’s political potential, a juxtaposition that shows how radical ideas become mainstream, that is, how the dominant ideology changes. Using materialist semiotics and extensive archival research, Juntunen delineates the cultural history of four pivotal productions from that period—Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart (1985), Tony Kushner’s Angels in America (1992), Jonathan Larson’s Rent (1996), and Moises Kaufman’s The Laramie Project (2000). Examining the connection between AIDS, mainstream theatre, and the media reveals key systems at work in ideological change over time during a deadly epidemic whose effects changed the nation forever. Employing media theory alongside nationalism studies and utilizing dozens of reviews for each case study, the volume demonstrates that reviews are valuable evidence of how a production was hailed by society’s ideological gatekeepers. Mixing this new use of reviews alongside textual analysis and material study—such as the theaters’ locations, architectures, merchandise, program notes, and advertising—creates an uncommonly rich description of these productions and their ideological effects. This book will be of interest to scholars and students of theatre, politics, media studies, queer theory, and US history, and to those with an interest in gay civil rights, one of the most successful social movements of the late twentieth century.
Major Barbara: Webster's German Thesaurus Edition (New Mermaids Ser. #10)
by George Bernard Shaw Dan LaurenceAndrew Undershaft, a millionaire armaments manufacturer, loves money and despises poverty. His estranged daughter Barbara, on the other hand, shows her love for the poor by throwing her energies into her work as a Major in the Salvation Army, and sees her father as another soul to be saved. But when the Army needs funds to keep going, it is Undershaft who saves the day with a large cheque - forcing Barbara to examine her moral assumptions. Are they right to accept money that has been obtained by 'Death and Destruction'? Full of lively comedy and sparkling debate, Major Barbara is one of Shaw's most forward-looking plays, brilliantly testing the tensions between religion, wealth and power, benevolence and equality, and metaphors and realities of war.
The Major Plays of Nikolai Erdman
by Nikolai ErdmanFirst Published in 1995. Russian Theatre Archive- Volume 1. Newly translated by John Freedman, Erdmans's first biographer, Nikola Erdman's two classic tragicomedies, 'The Warrant' and 'The Suicide', come to life as brilliant, eccentric and eminently performable works for the theatre as well as fascinating documents of the theatrical boom and social upheaval that took place in Russia in the 1920s. Both plays were written expressly for the great Vsevolod Meyerhold, who declared that Erdman was the heir to the rich Russian comic dramatic tradition established by Nikolai Gogol and Alexander Sukhovo-Kobylin. Meyerhold's staging of The Warrant in 1925 was one of the most innovative and successful. His attempt to stage The Suicide in 1932 eas banned by Stalin. After being exiled to Siberia in 1933, Erdman never again wrote a full-length play. But, in The Warrant and The Suicide, Erdman's themes- the failure of language as a reliable tool of communication, the degeneration of the human element brought on by the onslaught of mass culture, and the extraordinary, if not always heroic, resilience of the individual human being- remain as contemporary and universal as ever.
The Major Plays of Nikolai Erdman: The Warrant And The Suicide
by Nikolai ErdmanFirst Published in 1995. Russian Theatre Archive- Volume 1. Newly translated by John Freedman, Erdmans's first biographer, Nikola Erdman's two classic tragicomedies, 'The Warrant' and 'The Suicide', come to life as brilliant, eccentric and eminently performable works for the theatre as well as fascinating documents of the theatrical boom and social upheaval that took place in Russia in the 1920s. Both plays were written expressly for the great Vsevolod Meyerhold, who declared that Erdman was the heir to the rich Russian comic dramatic tradition established by Nikolai Gogol and Alexander Sukhovo-Kobylin. Meyerhold's staging of The Warrant in 1925 was one of the most innovative and successful. His attempt to stage The Suicide in 1932 eas banned by Stalin. After being exiled to Siberia in 1933, Erdman never again wrote a full-length play. But, in The Warrant and The Suicide, Erdman's themes- the failure of language as a reliable tool of communication, the degeneration of the human element brought on by the onslaught of mass culture, and the extraordinary, if not always heroic, resilience of the individual human being- remain as contemporary and universal as ever.
The Majority (Modern Plays)
by Rob DrummondIs morality just what the majority say? Is that all it is? If I don't vote, I'm not part of that discussion. Rob Drummond returns to the National with a new show about democracy. The Majority charts Rob's journey as he navigates the Scottish Independence Referendum, Brexit, Trump... and whatever today brings.So take your seat and push the button. Yes or No. Can you change the show with your votes? Every night will be different, depending on the majority.
The Majority (Modern Plays)
by Rob DrummondIs morality just what the majority say? Is that all it is? If I don't vote, I'm not part of that discussion. Rob Drummond returns to the National with a new show about democracy. The Majority charts Rob's journey as he navigates the Scottish Independence Referendum, Brexit, Trump... and whatever today brings.So take your seat and push the button. Yes or No. Can you change the show with your votes? Every night will be different, depending on the majority.
Makers of Modern Theatre: An Introduction (PDF)
by Robert LeachWho were the giants of the twentieth-century stage, and exactly how did they influence modern theatre? Robert Leach's Makers of Modern Theatre is the first detailed introduction to the work of the key theatre-makers who shaped the drama of the last century: Konstantin Stanislavsky, Vsevolod Meyerhold, Bertolt Brecht and Antonin Artaud.
Makers of Modern Theatre: An Introduction
by Robert LeachWho were the giants of the twentieth-century stage, and exactly how did they influence modern theatre? Robert Leach's Makers of Modern Theatre is the first detailed introduction to the work of the key theatre-makers who shaped the drama of the last century: Konstantin Stanislavsky, Vsevolod Meyerhold, Bertolt Brecht and Antonin Artaud. Leach focuses on the major issues which relate to their dominance of theatre history: *What was significant in their life and times?*What is their main legacy?*What were their dramatic philosophies and practices?*How have their ideas been adapted since their deaths?*What are the current critical perspectives on their work? Never before has so much essential information on the making of twentieth-century theatre been compiled in one brilliantly concise, beautifully illustrated book. This is a genuinely insightful volume by one of the foremost theatre historians of our age.
Makers of Modern Theatre: An Introduction
by Robert LeachWho were the giants of the twentieth-century stage, and exactly how did they influence modern theatre? Robert Leach's Makers of Modern Theatre is the first detailed introduction to the work of the key theatre-makers who shaped the drama of the last century: Konstantin Stanislavsky, Vsevolod Meyerhold, Bertolt Brecht and Antonin Artaud. Leach focuses on the major issues which relate to their dominance of theatre history: *What was significant in their life and times?*What is their main legacy?*What were their dramatic philosophies and practices?*How have their ideas been adapted since their deaths?*What are the current critical perspectives on their work? Never before has so much essential information on the making of twentieth-century theatre been compiled in one brilliantly concise, beautifully illustrated book. This is a genuinely insightful volume by one of the foremost theatre historians of our age.
Making a Drama out of a Crisis: Improving classroom behaviour through drama techniques and exercises
by Tommy DonbavandIt's every teacher's worst nightmare: starting a new school year to discover a classroom full of little demons. No matter what you try, they simply will not behave.How can this situation be resolved? The answer is through a dedicated behaviour management programme that includes the pupils, and not simply a system of tips and tricks to get pupils to quieten down for an hour or two. And there is no better way to include all pupils - no matter what their skill level or abilities - than through drama. This book contains dozens of unique drama exercises and games that can be used right across the primary age range to calm tempers, stop restlessness and regain the attention of unruly pupils. Exercises and games include The Hamster's Underpants, which is designed to stop fidgeting instantly among primary school pupils, and The Bottle Ale Rascal, which puts an end to rudeness and bad language in the classroom once and for all. Focusing on everyday areas of classroom conduct such as fighting, jealousy, concentration, bad language and lapses of attention, this book is packed with tried and tested theatre based games and exercises. Teachers are able to use these with little or no preparation time. The outcome will help modify students' behaviour using exercises which readily fit with the new UK Primary Strategy.  The revised literacy strategy has a particular focus on speaking and listening and this resource offers sound advice about where to turn for help. Issues such as more serious behavioural issues, such as ADHD, are also tackled in depth. Whether they need to manage unruly pupils or just work more effectively with their class as a whole, the exercises presented here will give teachers plenty of scope to work drama into their lessons. If your students misbehave, don't make a mountain out of a molehill - make a drama out of a crisis!  Watch Tommy Donbavand talk about his book here.
Making a Laboratory: Dynamic Configurations with Transversal Video
by Ben SpatzMaking a Laboratory defines a new audiovisual embodied research method that short-circuits experimental practice and video recording to generate new kinds of data and documents. Overturning conventional hierarchies of knowledge, “Dynamic Configurations with Transversal Video” (DCTV) grounds both discursive and audiovisual knowledges within the space of embodied practice, synthesizing insights from historical epistemologist Hans-Jörg Rheinberger and philosopher of science Karen Barad to offer the first rigorous definition of laboratoriality outside a techno-scientific paradigm. In this concise book, nonbinary practitioner-researcher Ben Spatz situates the DCTV method in the context of artistic research and alongside emerging audiovisual methods in other fields, while highlighting its unique characteristics. Across six focused chapters, Making a Laboratory introduces DCTV as a queer feminist adaptation of Jerzy Grotowski’s “poor” theater laboratory and defines its core elements, drawing on a range of thinkers including Giorgio Agamben, Rebecca Schneider, and Hito Steyerl, in order to examine power, identity, and documentation in lab practice. Drawing from the ethical consent practices of the BDSM community, it lays the groundwork for a radical reinvention of audiovisuality from the perspective of embodiment — the audiovisual body.