Everything you need to know about plays and playwrights on one handy guide by leading expert Maureen Hughes who has had one of her 8 musicals produced in the West End and teaches musical theatre. Covering everything from the top playwrights through the centuries to a comprehensive A-Z listing of plays from around the world. Accessibility is a key selling point with fact boxes highlighting key or curious facts about the subject. This informative book will be compulsory reading for anyone interested in literature or theatre and its size makes it the perfect stocking filler for the Christmas market or fro anyone intending to go to the theatre at nay time of year and who wants to discover as much about the topic as possible in a handy, pocket sized guide. AUTHOR: Maureen Hughes has written 8 musicals, one of which was produced in London's West End. Maureen teaches musical theatre in the South of England and is working to ensure that this book is a must fro anyone studying plays or the theatre generally or who is passionate about the topic. SELLING POINTS: Brief A-Z synopsis of plays with symbols to show common themes e.g. romance, murder etc Biography of top playwrights, inc. Shakespeare and Terence Rattigan Timeline of plays Essays about the theatre and the important influences and themes Plays which define their time e.g. Shakespeare's histories with their political influences Fact boxes to show interesting facts so accessible but informative copy Directory of Theatres, with maps of the West End and Broadway Second in the series of Pocket Guides by expert Maureen Hughes 40 b/w illustrations