How Plays Work by David Edgar

How Plays Work by David Edgar

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, character 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? David Edgar's How Plays Work is a masterclass for playwrights and playmakers and a fascinating guide to the anatomy of drama. 'Lucid, deeply intelligent... combines theoretical acumen with the assured know-how of a working dramatist' Terry Eagleton, TLS 'Fascinating... Read it. You will learn a lot' The Stage

'Fascinating.. read it. You will learn a lot'

* The Stage *

'Lucid, deeply intelligent... combines theoretical acumen with the assured know-how of a working dramatist'

* Terry Eagleton, TLS *

David Edgar pioneered the teaching of playwriting in the UK, founding the Playwriting Studies course at Birmingham University in 1989. He is also a leading playwright, best known for his political plays and for his adaptation of Nicholas Nickleby for the RSC.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781854593719
ISBN 10	1854593714
Title	How Plays Work
Author	David Edgar
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Nick Hern Books
Year published	2009-06-25
Number of pages	240
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable