Summer of the Seventeenth Doll by Ray Lawler

$23.99 AUD

Category: Plays

Every summer Roo and Barney have come down from their work in the Queensland canefields to the Carlton house they share with Olive and Nancy for an annual celebration of love and laughter. But this year Nancy has deserted the house to get married, and Pearl has taken her place... Ray Lawler's brawny can ecutters, and their long-standing seasonal romance with two Melbourne barmaids, are now part of Australian legend. Summer of the Seventeenth Doll is one of the pillars of our national theatre; with its premi re in 1955, it is said Australian playwriting came of age. In this new edition it's clear The Doll still speaks to us today. Coming through in print and on stage as what it has been always-one of our works of literature most closely identified with the Australian character. ...Show more

Cosi by Louis Nowra

$23.99 AUD

Category: Plays | Series: Current Theatre

Lewis arrives fresh from university to direct a play at a mental institution. Roy demands Cosi Fan Tutte. An affectionate look at madness and mayhem (3 acts, 5 men, 3 women).

Cloud Nine by Caryl Churchill

$21.99 AUD

Category: Plays | Series: NHB Modern Plays Ser.

A landmark play about sexual politics in colonial Africa and modern-day Britain, in which all our assumptions about sex and gender are stunningly exploded. Set in both colonial Africa and modern-day Britain, Cloud Nine is about relationships - between women and men, men and men, women and women. It is about sex, work, mothers, Africa, power, children, grandmothers, politics, and money. Caryl Churchill's play Cloud Nine was first staged by Joint Stock and premiered in London at the Royal Court Theatre in 1979. It has since been staged all over the world. ...Show more

The Merchant of Venice : The Oxford Shakespeare by William Shakespeare

$16.95 AUD

Category: Plays | Series: Oxford World's Classics

What was Shakespeare's attitude to Semitism? The Introduction to this edition of The Merchant of Venice opens by addressing this vital issue raised by the play, and goes on to study the sources, background, and date, includuing a discussion of Sigmund Freud's essay on 'The Three Caskets'. Professor Hal io interprets the play's contradictions, inconsistencies, and complementarities, especially as these relate to the overarching theme of bonds and bondage. A survey of the play's stage history ranges from discussions of its early staging to important twentieth-century productions and performances outside England, particularly in Israel. The text, based on a fresh examination of the early editions, is presented in modernized spelling and punctuation. Unfailingly lucid and helpful, this is an ideal edition for students, actors, and the general reader. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more. ...Show more

The Theban Plays: King Oedipus, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone by Sophocles; E. F. Watling (Translator, Introduction by)

$14.99 AUD

Category: Plays | Series: Classics Ser.

The legends surrounding Oedipus of Thebes and his ill-fated offspring provide the subject matter for Sophocles' three greatest plays, which together represent Greek drama at the pinnacle of its achievement. Oedipus the King, the most famous of the three, has been characterized by critics from Aristotle to Coleridge as the perfect exemplar of the art of tragedy, in its unforgettable portrayal of a man's failed attempt to escape his fate. In Oedipus at Colonus, the blind king finds his final release from the sufferings the gods have brought upon him, and Antigone completes the downfall of the House of Cadmus through the actions of Oedipus's magnificent and uncompromising daughter defending her ideals to the death. All three of The Theban Plays, while separate, self-contained dramas, draw from the same rich well of myth and showcase Sophocles' enduring power. Translated by David Grene. (Book Jacket Status: Jacketed) ...Show more

Henry V - No Fear Shakespeare by William Shakespeare; John Crowther, ed.

$11.99 AUD

Category: Plays | Series: No Fear Shakespeare

No Fear Shakespeare gives you the complete text of Henry V on the left-hand page, side-by-side with an easy-to-understand translation on the right. Each No Fear Shakespeare contains •The complete text of the original play •A line-by-line translation that puts Shakespeare into everyday language •A comple te list of characters with descriptions •Plenty of helpful commentary ...Show more

Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose

$29.99 AUD

Category: Plays | Series: Methuen Modern Plays Ser.

'New York, summer 1954 Criminal Courts Building A man is dead The life of another is at stake A guilty verdict seems a foregone conclusion. But one member of the jury has the will to probe more deeply into the evidence and the courage to confront the ignorance and the prejudice of some of his fellow jur ors. The conflict which follows is fierce and passionate, cutting straight to the heart of the issues of civil liberties and social justice. This edition was published to coincide with the new production directed by Harold Pinter which opened in the West End in 1996.' ...Show more

Shakespeare's Tragedies by William Shakespeare

$29.99 AUD

Category: Plays

The Merchant of Venice (No Fear Shakespeare) by William Shakespeare; John Crowther (Editor); SparkNotes Staff

$11.99 AUD

Category: Plays | Series: No Fear Shakespeare Ser.

Written around the middle of his career, Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare's great festive comedies. The men are back from the war, and everyone is ready for romance. The dashing young Claudio falls for Hero, the daughter of Leonato, governor of Messina, and his friend Don Pedro helps him sec ure her affection. These youthful lovers are contrasted with the more experienced (and more cynical) Benedick and Beatrice, who have to be tricked into falling in love. Don Pedro's bastard brother, Don John, provides the intrigue, and the dimwitted constable Dogberry provides the laughs. ...Show more

Romeo and Juliet (No Fear Shakespeare) - Alliance by William Shakespeare; John Crowther (Editor); SparkNotes Staff

$12.99 AUD

Category: Plays | Series: No Fear Shakespeare Ser.

This Scholastic Classics edition of Shakespeare's well-known tragi-comedy is perfect for students and Shakespeare enthusiasts alike. These violent delights have violent ends... When Romeoand Julietmeet during a chance encounter, they have no idea what lies ahead - for these star-crossed loversbelong t o feuding families, and their lovewill neverbe accepted by those around them. Set within a beleaguered city, plagued by gang warfare, Romeo and Julietmixes comedy and tragedy in what is widely regarded as Shakespeare's most successfulplay of all. ...Show more

How Plays Work by David Edgar

$21.95 AUD

Category: Plays

Distinguished playwright David Edgar examines the mechanisms and techniques which dramatists throughout the ages have employed to structure their plays and to express their meaning. Written for playwrights and playgoers alike, Edgar's analysis starts with the building blocks of whole plays - plot, chara cter creation, genre and structure - and moves on to scenes and devices. He shows how plays share a common architecture without which the uniqueness of their authors' vision would be invisible. What does King Lear have in common with Cinderella? What does Jaws owe to Ibsen? From Aeschylus to Alan Ayckbourn, from Chekhov to Caryl Churchill, are there common principles by which all plays work? "How Plays Work" is a masterclass for playwrights and playmakers and a fascinating guide to the anatomy of drama. ...Show more

King Lear by William Shakespeare

$7.99 AUD

Category: Plays | Series: Wordsworth Classics

Edited, introduced and annotated by Cedric Watts, Research Professor of English, University of Sussex. The Wordsworth Classics' Shakespeare Series presents a newly-edited sequence of William Shakespeare's works. The textual editing takes account of recent scholarship while giving the material a careful reappraisal. King Lear has been widely acclaimed as Shakespeare's most powerful tragedy. Elemental and passionate, it encompasses the horrific and the heart-rending. Love and hate, loyalty and treachery, cruelty and self-sacrifice: all these contend in a tempestuous drama which has become an enduring classic of the world's literature. In the theatre and on screen King Lear continues to challenge and enthral. This Wordsworth edition of King Lear provides a comprehensive, integrated text of the play. ...Show more