Jenny Stevens – författare

'In its revelation of mother-daughter emotions over the years, the play is without rivals. It is a classic' The Times 'This is a landmark play. The theatrical equivalent of breaking the four-minute mile; like Caryl Churchill's Top Girls, pointing the way for the next generation of playwrights in form and content' Guardian Charlotte Keatley's first main stage play My Mother Said I Never Should was premiered in 1987 at Contact, Manchester, and in 1989 at the Royal Court Theatre, London. It has been translated into twenty-two languages and is performed across the world. The play moves back and forth through the lives of four women, and sets the enormous social changes of the twentieth century against the desire to love and to be loved. In 2000 it was chosen by the Royal National Theatre as one of the hundred Significant Plays of the Twentieth Century. Commentary and notes by Charlotte Keatley.

Shopping and F***ing is...Falling in love with your best friend - if you can get the right mix of Es and whizz...Passion buried beneath layers of bubble and wrap and cellophane A world where microwaves are the only source of heat A place where Shopping is sexy and F***ing is a job...And if you killed someone what would it feel like? Or maybe there are no feelings left...Shopping and F***ing is a witty and shocking look at a corrosive disposable world whose values have been determined by a disinherited generation.SHOPPING AND FUCKING: "is a darkly humorous play for today's twenty-somethings ...a real coup de theatre" - Nicholas de Jongh, Evening Standard

"In celebrating the spirit of optimism that shines through the thoughts and dreams of one extraordinary thirteen-year-old during the darkest of times, Bernard Kops has created a dramatic masterpiece" (Time Out) "This play has been a catalyst in stimulating young people not only to question the past but also to confront the very real issues of racism today." (Jenny Culank, Artistic Director of Classworks Theatre, Cambridge) In 1942 Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl, was forced into hiding with seven others in a secret annexe in Amsterdam. Dreams of Anne Frank vividly brings her story to life in a poignant and highly charged drama. Using actors, movement and song Bernard Kops re-imagines and explores Anne Frank's hidden world, a world in which she lived, fell in love and dreamed of freedom. Dreams of Anne Frank won the 1993 Time Out award for best children's production and has been performed around the world. Commentary and notes by Bernard Kops

A Methuen Student Edition of Chekhov's classic play in Michael Frayn's acclaimed translation 'The play has been flooded with light, like a room with the curtains drawn back' John Peter, Sunday Times'The direct simplicity of this new translation ...uncovers not only the nerve endings of Chekhov's restless malcontents but also their comic absurdities. It is, as he always intended, actually funny ...' Jack Tinker, Daily MailWhen it opened in St Petersburg in 1896, The Seagull survived only five performances after a disastrous first night. Two years later it was revived by Nemirovich-Danchenko at the newly-founded Moscow Art Theatre with Stanslasky as Trigorin and was an immediate success. Checkhov's description of the play was characteristically self-mocking: "A comedy - 3F, 6M, four acts, rural scenery (a view over a lake); much talk of literature, little action, five bushels of love".Michael Frayn's translation was commissioned by the Oxford Playhouse Company.

"A breathless, exhilarating crash course in the low morality of high finance" Independent Serious Money is perhaps Caryl Churchill's most notorious play. A satirical study of the effects of the Big Bang, it premiered at the Royal Court in 1987 and transferred to the West End. Since then, it has prompted city financiers the world over to applaud and decry its presentation of their lives. British Telecom refused to provide telephones for the Wyndham's production, writing to say that "This is a production with which no public company would wish to be associated". This student edition contains a chronology of the playwright's life and work; an introduction giving the background to the play, a discussion of the various interpretations and notes on individual words and phrases in the text.

Chekhov's widely performed classic study of provincial life explores the irony of hope and the inadequacy of consolation.Michael Frayn's hugely popular translation is an AQA recommended text. For this Student Edition Nick Worrall provides expert commentary and notes.

A masterpiece of Russian drama, now in a student edition Along with Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard, Uncle Vanya is credited as one of Chekhov's masterpieces and a significant precursor of modern drama. Set on a country estate in late nineteenth century Russia, Uncle Vanya is in part a study of the enervation of Russian middle-class provincial life. The major dynamics between the characters themselves are centred on two obsessive love affairs that lead nowhere and a flirtation that brings disaster. Mixing the tragic and the absurd and dealing with a form that allows for ambiguity and contradiction, Uncle Vanya has been deemed "the first modernist play". (David Lan) "It is the element of might-have-been in Chekhov's characters that makes their sense of waste so tragic ...I know of no more moving climax in world drama." Guardian Definitive translation by acclaimed playwright Michael FraynMethuen Student Editions are expertly annotated texts of a wide range of plays.Contains the complete text of the play, the volume contains a chronology of the playwright's life and work; an introduction giving the background to the play; a discussion of various interpretations; and notes on individual words and phrases in the text

Blood Wedding is set in a village community in Lorca's Andalusia, and tells the story of a couple drawn irresistibly together in the face of an arranged marriage. This tragic and poetic play is the work on which his international reputation was founded. Like many of Lorca's passionate and intensely lyrical plays that focus on peasant life and the forces of nature, Blood Wedding combines innovatory dramatic technique with Spanish popular tradition. Methuen Drama Student Editions are expertly annotated texts of a wide range of plays from the modern and classic repertoires. As well as the complete text of the play itself, the volume contains a chronology of the playwright's life and work; an introduction giving the background to the play; a discussion of the various interpretations; notes on individual words and phrases in the text; and questions for further study.

This volume captures the diverse ways in which Shakespeare interacts with educational theory and practice. It explores the depiction of learning and education in the plays, the role of Shakespeare as pedagogue, and ways in which the teaching of Shakespeare can facilitate discussion of some of the urgent questions of modern times. The book offers a wide range of perspectives – historical, theoretical, theatrical. The Renaissance humanist learning underpinning Shakespeare’s own work is explored in essays that consider how the complexity of Shakespeare’s drama challenges early-modern pedagogical orthodoxies. From close analysis of individual, solitary reflection on Shakespeare’s writing, the book moves outward to engage with contemporary social issues around inclusivity, society, and the planet, demonstrating the many educational contexts in which Shakespeare is currently appropriated. Engaging with current questions of the value of literary study, the book testifies to the potentialities of an empowering Shakespearean pedagogy. Bringing together voices from a variety of institutions and from a wide range of educational perspectives, this volume will be essential reading for academics, researchers and post-graduate students of Shakespeare, literature in education, pedagogy and literary theory.

This volume captures the diverse ways in which Shakespeare interacts with educational theory and practice. It explores the depiction of learning and education in the plays, the role of Shakespeare as pedagogue, and ways in which the teaching of Shakespeare can facilitate discussion of some of the urgent questions of modern times. The book offers a wide range of perspectives – historical, theoretical, theatrical. The Renaissance humanist learning underpinning Shakespeare’s own work is explored in essays that consider how the complexity of Shakespeare’s drama challenges early-modern pedagogical orthodoxies. From close analysis of individual, solitary reflection on Shakespeare’s writing, the book moves outward to engage with contemporary social issues around inclusivity, society, and the planet, demonstrating the many educational contexts in which Shakespeare is currently appropriated. Engaging with current questions of the value of literary study, the book testifies to the potentialities of an empowering Shakespearean pedagogy. Bringing together voices from a variety of institutions and from a wide range of educational perspectives, this volume will be essential reading for academics, researchers and post-graduate students of Shakespeare, literature in education, pedagogy and literary theory.

Shakespeare’s plays have long been open to reimagining and reinterpretation, from John Fletcher’s riposte to The Taming of the Shrew in 1611 to present day spin-offs in a whole range of media, including YouTube videos and Manga comics. This book offers a clear route map through the world of adaptation, selecting examples from film, drama, prose fiction, ballet, the visual arts and poetry, and exploring their respective political and cultural interactions with Shakespeare's plays. 36 specific case studies are discussed, three for each of the 12 plays covered, offering additional guidance for readers new to this important area of Shakespeare studies.The introduction signals key adaptation issues that are subsequently explored through the chapters on individual plays, including Shakespeare’s own adaptive art and its Renaissance context, production and performance as adaptation, and generic expectation and transmedial practice. Organized chronologically, the chapters cover the most commonly studied plays, allowing readers to dip in to read about specific plays or trace how technological developments have fundamentally changed ways in which Shakespeare is experienced. With examples encompassing British, North American, South and East Asian, European and Middle Eastern adaptations of Shakespeare's plays, the volume offers readers a wealth of insights drawn from different ages, territories and media.

Shakespeare’s plays have long been open to reimagining and reinterpretation, from John Fletcher’s riposte to The Taming of the Shrew in 1611 to present day spin-offs in a whole range of media, including YouTube videos and Manga comics. This book offers a clear route map through the world of adaptation, selecting examples from film, drama, prose fiction, ballet, the visual arts and poetry, and exploring their respective political and cultural interactions with Shakespeare's plays. 36 specific case studies are discussed, three for each of the 12 plays covered, offering additional guidance for readers new to this important area of Shakespeare studies.The introduction signals key adaptation issues that are subsequently explored through the chapters on individual plays, including Shakespeare’s own adaptive art and its Renaissance context, production and performance as adaptation, and generic expectation and transmedial practice. Organized chronologically, the chapters cover the most commonly studied plays, allowing readers to dip in to read about specific plays or trace how technological developments have fundamentally changed ways in which Shakespeare is experienced. With examples encompassing British, North American, South and East Asian, European and Middle Eastern adaptations of Shakespeare's plays, the volume offers readers a wealth of insights drawn from different ages, territories and media.

I think I’d sleep a lot easier if I knew none of us would wake up tomorrow.Ollie’s sister is missing. Searching Manchester in desperation, she finds all roads lead to Pomona - an abandoned concrete island at the heart of the city.Here at the centre of everything, journeys end and nightmares are born.Pomona premiered in 2014 and has subsequently become a much-produced and widely studied drama text. It is published here as a Student Edition alongside commentary and notes by Dan Rebellato. The ancillary material is geared at students and includes:- an introduction outlining the play's plot, character, themes context and performance history- the full text of the play- a chronology of the playwright's life and work- extensive textual notes- questions for further studyThis play includes some strong language.

No, Alice, I don't want to become a man, I just want to stop trying to be a woman.It’s New Year in Rotterdam, and Alice has finally plucked up the courage to email her parents and tell them she’s gay. But before she can hit send, her girlfriend reveals that he has always identified as a man and now wants to start living as one.Now Alice must face a question she never thought she’d ask . . . does this mean she's straight?A bittersweet comedy about gender, sexuality and being a long way from home.Rotterdam received its world premiere at Theatre503, London, in October 2015, before transferring to Trafalgar Studios, London, in May 2016. This volume contains introductory commentary and notes by Stephen Farrier from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London. METHUEN DRAMA STUDENT EDITIONS are expertly annotated texts of a wide range of plays from the modern and classic repertoires. As well as the complete text of the play itself, this volume contains:- an introduction outlining the plays themes, context and performance history- the full text of the play- extensive textual notes- questions for further study.

Written in 1836, Woyzeck is often considered to be the first truly modern play.The story of a soldier driven mad by inhuman military discipline and acute social deprivation is told in splintered dialogue and jagged episodes, which are as shocking and telling today as they were when first performed, almost a century after the author's death, in Munich 1913.This edition contains introductory commentary and notes by Laura Martin from the University of Glasgow. METHUEN DRAMA STUDENT EDITIONS are expertly annotated texts of a wide range of plays from the modern and classic repertoires. A well as the complete text of the play itself, this volume contains:· A chronology of the play and the playwright’s life and work· an introductory discussion of the social, political, cultural and economic context in which the play was originally conceived and created· a succinct overview of the creation processes followed and subsequent performance history of the piece· an analysis of, and commentary on, some of the major themes and specific issues addressed by the text· a bibliography of suggested primary and secondary materials for further study.

This new Student Edition, featuring the classic John Willett translation of the play, includes an introduction by Katherine Hollander, which explores the following:* Contexts (Thirty Years War, 1618-1648; World War II and exile; sources; influential figures such as Brecht, Margarete Steffin, Helene Weigel and Karin Michaelis)* Themes (war; nature; capitalism)* Dramatic devices (epic theatre)* Production history and critical reception* Academic debate (Marxist, feminist and postmodernist)* Further studyWidely regarded as Brecht's best work, Mother Courage and her Children was written in 1938-9 and received its premiere in Zurich in 1941. Mother Courage - a canteen woman serving with the Swedish Army during the Thirty Years War (1618-48) - follows the armies, selling provisions and liquor to the troops. Both her sons die in the war and her dumb daughter, Kattrin, is mortally wounded as she beats a drum to warn the town of Halle of an impending attack. Yet, all the while, Mother Courage continues her travels with her wagon, indomitably businesslike, calculating how she can make material profit from the war and turn conflict into capital.

The Mountaintop is published here as a Methuen Drama Student Edition, featuring notes and commentary by Harvey Young, Dean of the College of Fine Arts, Boston University, USA. The introduction offers a discussion of key themes including race, identity, politics, magical realism, one-act plays, historical figures and martyrs.The night before his assassination, Martin Luther King, Jr. retires to room 306 in the now-famous Lorraine Motel after giving an acclaimed speech to a massive church congregation. When a mysterious young maid visits him to deliver a cup of coffee, King is forced to confront his past and the future of his people.Portraying rhetoric, hope and ideals of social change, The Mountaintop also explores being human in the face of inevitable death. The play is a dramatic feat of daring originality, historical narration and triumphant compassion.

A fierce and excoriating portrait of British racism, Roy William's Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads premiered in 2002 at the National Theatre.Set in a south-west London pub during the 2000 England vs. Germany match, tempers are running high. As England lose again, their supporters in The King George lose it too – at full time, patriotism has become unapologetic racism.This Methuen Drama Student Edition of the play includes commentary and notes by Gemma Edwards, University of Manchester, UK, which explore the production history of the play as well as the historical, social and cultural contexts that surround it, such as the rise of Nationalism and far-right groups in the UK. Also featuring an interview with Roy Williams about the play and its relevance 20 years on, this edition is a must-have resource for any student exploring Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads.

Through a series of arresting vignettes and a collection of nameless characters, Alice Birch examines the language, behaviour and forces that shape women in the 21st century. The play asks what's stopping us from doing something truly radical to change them?Written in response to the provocation that well-behaved women seldom make history, the play is an assault on the language that has fueled violence against women throughout history. Problematic language frequently attached to women is interrogated, from lazy sexist clichés to the conventions around a marriage proposal. Through doing so, the play rails against the conventions of work, sex, motherhood, aging and love. Revolt. She said. Revolt again was first performed at the 2014 Midsummer Mischief Festival in Stratford-upon-Avon. It transferred to the Royal Court Upstairs and was more recently produced at New York's Soho Rep.It is published here in a Student Edition alongside commentary and notes by Marissia Fragkou, who locates the play in our contemporary political and cultural context (including second- and third-wave feminism, and the #MeToo movement).

There's no decent way to say an indecent thingAn industrial port of a war-torn city. Women survivors wait to be shipped abroad. Officials come and go. A grandmother, once queen, watches as her remaining family are taken from her one by one. The city burns around them. First performed in 415BC, the play focuses on the human cost of war and the impact of loss.This new Student Edition of The Women of Troy includes a commentary and notes by Emma Cole, which looks at the Trojan War as represented in Greek literature and myth; the context in which Euripides was writing and within which the play was first performed; how it would have been originally staged and dramaturgical challenges met; as well as recent performance history of the play, including Katie Mitchell's iconic 2007 production at the National Theatre. Euripides' great anti-war play is published here in Don Taylor's classic translation.

seven methods of killing kylie jenner combines theatre with gifs, memes and emojis to explore stereotypes of Black womanhood, white capitalist exploitation and the politics of social media activism.This Student Edition of Jasmine Lee-Jones's 2019 play features a commentary by Nadine Deller that delves into the following aspects of the play:* the notion of cultural appropriation* the idea that Blackness can be used in western culture to gain economic and cultural capital when mediated through white bodies* the 19th century figure of Saartjie Baartman, who epitomises the historic fetishization of the Black female body* the significance of colourism* Black British womxn’s theatre – with reference to the work of debbie tucker green, Chino Odimba, Jackie Kay and Winsome Pinnock* the ‘digital age’ on stageIt also features a Notes section at the back of the edition, helping students to understand particular references in the play.

A Student Edition of Lucy Prebble's acclaimed 2012 play, which looks at two people on a clinical drugs trial and investigates questions around sanity, neurology, physical attraction and the possibilities of medicine. The edition includes commentary and notes by Paulette Marty, which look at the context around depression and anti-depressant medication; as well as delving into major questions posed by the play, such as "is love real?" and "what is chemistry when applied to human beings?". Her commentary also looks at the play in production, the implications of the playwright having written the roles for particular actors, and the opportunities that arise from the playwright encouraging future actors to "mould the text around themselves".

Willy Russell’s 1983 play with music tells the story of twin brothers separated at birth because their mother cannot afford to keep them both. One of them is given away to wealthy Mrs Lyons and they grow up as friends in ignorance of their fraternity until the inevitable quarrel unleashes a bloodbath.After its premiere at the Liverpool Playhouse, the musical has gone on to receive productions around the world and ran for decades in London’s West End, as well as extensively touring the UK.This revised Student Edition includes a commentary by Rebecca Hillman, which offers accessible and vivid insights into the play and the context in which it was written through a 21st-century lens. As well as helping us appreciate the play today, it also conveys how how ground-breaking Blood Brothers was at the time in representing working-class lives on stage, as well as explicitly exposing the flaws of the British class system.

Iphigenia in Splott is a one-woman play, first seen in 2015, loosely adapted from the ancient Greek tragedy by Euripides' Iphigenia in Aulis. The title character, Iphigenia (or "Effie"), finds escape from the harsh reality of her life in drink, drugs and one-night stands. The ancient Greek play is re-told against the backdrop of a crumbling welfare state and reveals the impact of austerity and social injustice on those who have little to lose.The play has enjoyed international acclaim, having been performed in Cardiff (Sherman Cymru ), London (Lyric Hammersmith & National Theatre), Berlin (Schaubühne) and in New York (59E59 Theatres). In the UK, it won Best New Play at the UK Theatre Awards, 2015. This Student Edition of Gary Owen's critically celebrated play includes a commentary by Lucy Jackson, which considers:* The rules of Greek drama and how they inform this play;* Its basis in the Greek myth of Iphigenia and the Euripidean play Iphigenia at Aulis;* The context that unites a 21st-century audience with an audience in ancient Greece;* Modern and ancient notions of tragedy;* Owen's use of poetic verse compared with that used in ancient drama;* Various modern interpretations of the Iphigenia myth in theatre and literature; * Owen's representation of marginalised voices in the play and his portrait of working-class lives;* The notion of female sacrifice * Key productions of the play to date and notable staging choicesNotes to the play are included at the back of the edition to help students de-code some of the play's references.

Laura Wade's play is about grief, loss, family and the environment, and how we deal with the inevitability of death.This Student Edition contains a commentary by Sophie Bush, Principal Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University, UK, which explores the following themes in relation to the play:* environmentalism* changing attitudes towards death and grief* family conflict* motherhoodIn addition, it looks at the production history (including major productions in the UK, US, Europe and Mexico) and the critical reception. The edition includes an exclusive interview with Laura Wade.

Addressing the transition from pre-university to undergraduate Shakespeare studies, this introductory critical guide examines 16 key plays. Each chapter focuses on modern theoretical methods, close reading skills, early modern contexts, and productions from stage and screen spanning several decades. You will gain insights into each play, develop skills of analysis and be introduced to a diverse range of critical approaches that are central to the study of English today. Suggestions for further reading are included at the end of each chapter, together with examples of Shakespearean adaptation across genres, media and time.New to the second edition:* A revised and expanded introduction* Two additional plays and further critical approaches are covered: As You Like It and Titus Andronicus * Revised chapters on Othello and Twelfth Night* Updates to each chapter with wider reading and extended Afterlives sections* New links between chapters to aid study* A preface to the revised edition* An appendix featuring recommended open access online resources* Glossary of critical terms used in this book

Addressing the transition from pre-university to undergraduate Shakespeare studies, this introductory critical guide examines 16 key plays. Each chapter focuses on modern theoretical methods, close reading skills, early modern contexts, and productions from stage and screen spanning several decades. You will gain insights into each play, develop skills of analysis and be introduced to a diverse range of critical approaches that are central to the study of English today. Suggestions for further reading are included at the end of each chapter, together with examples of Shakespearean adaptation across genres, media and time.New to the second edition:* A revised and expanded introduction* Two additional plays and further critical approaches are covered: As You Like It and Titus Andronicus * Revised chapters on Othello and Twelfth Night* Updates to each chapter with wider reading and extended Afterlives sections* New links between chapters to aid study* A preface to the revised edition* An appendix featuring recommended open access online resources* Glossary of critical terms used in this book

Owerri, Nigeria, 1967, on the brink of the Biafran Civil War. Sisters Lolo, Nne Chukwu and Udo are grieving the loss of their father. Months before, two ruthless military coups plunged the country into chaos. Fuelled by foreign intervention, the conflict encroaches on their provincial village, and the sisters long to return to their former home in Lagos.This Student Edition of Inua Ellams’s adaptation looks at how Anton Chekhov’s original play has been transposed to an African context, the background to the Biafran War and how its politics and people’s experiences are represented in the play.