This presentation looks at the history of the English Language in Ireland through the drama of Brian Friel. It contains several extracts for close scene analysis and discusses the play in relation to its major theme: the colonisation and dominance of the English Language (tradition vs modernity). The slides also cover the history of the Abbey Theatre and several quotes from the playwright himself (Brian Friel), the poet Seamus Heaney, and critics such as Desmond Rushe. The last two slides outline Claude Lévi-Strauss’ ‘hot and cold societies’ theory and then look towards Welsh identity, mentioning the play Mother Tongue by Roger Williams.

This presentation on Shakespeare’s Hamlet explores the main themes - revenge, death, madness, power, corruption - of this play. It refers to Aristotle’s writings on tragedy to explore what makes the play a revenge tragedy. It then explores Ophelia’s madness and death in detail, referring to scholarship and close scene analysis. This powerpoint is useful for GCSE, A Level, and undergraduate university students focusing on Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

This presentation explores Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. With clear character discussions, analysis of themes, quotes, and contextual information, it is an ideal teaching and study resource for anyone studying The Merchant of Venice. It contains: a plot summary; contextual information about Shakespeare’s decision to set the play in Venice; a discussion of racial prejudice (especially from Antonio towards Shylock); character studies of Shylock, Jessica, and Portia; a discussion on the idea of value, and details from three notable performances of the play. The last slide contains a quiz with 10 questions focused on details from the play.

This PowerPoint presentation on **Shakespeare’s King Lear **is a great introductory lesson that includes: A brief plot summary Historical context (referring to James I of England) Why Shakespeare is relevant today (drawing on Coleridge) A close textual analysis of Lear’s reconciliation with Cordelia King Lear’s **‘madness / enlightenment’ ** Scholarship on major concepts in King Lear: religion and psychoanalysis Actors’ commentary on playing King Lear and Edmund *** Essay questions ** ‘Thinking Further’ activities that focus on Lear’s famous quote: ‘nothing will come of nothing’ **Fact File ** Quick Quotes Recommended Research References This research is great for exam revision. It also provides useful context for writing an essay on Shakespeare’s King Lear.

This document contains a sample answer aimed at GCSE students looking at Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth. It focuses on Shakespeare’s presentation of Lady Macbeth’s guilt in Act 5 Scene 1 of Macbeth. This is a great revision aid for students studying Macbeth and will also help students to work on their essay writing. It makes use of literary terminology and contains close textual analysis.

Handout for students discussing Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. Includes quotes from the play to discuss as well as an extract from Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own. The handout focuses on themes of gender and patriarchal society in A Doll’s House. Perfect for A Level students studying Ibsen and naturalism in theatre. Also useful for university seminars working on A Doll’s House.

This presentation outlines the shift in drama from Realist to Symbolist to Modernist forms of theatre. It uses work by Chekhov, Maeterlink, and Beckett to illustrate the differences between representational and Avant-Garde playwrighting and scenography. The explanation of Ferdinand de Saussure’s semiotics is supported by examples form Luigi Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author. The presentation also covers the work of Ionesco and Tom Stoppard when discussing the Theatre of the Absurd (a term coined by Martin Esslin).

This handout covers the key concepts explored in The Homecoming by Harold Pinter. It outlines the premiere of The Homecoming in London’s Aldwych Theatre in 1965, exploring aspects of the set, audience reaction, as well as outlining the characters and plot. The handout also covers: Harold Pinter’s life, writing, themes, and contribution to theatre The influence of Samuel Beckett on Harold Pinter Questions that The Homecoming raises Important extracts from scholarship on The Homecoming A key scene between Lenny and Ruth Discussion of the significance of staging at the end of The Homecoming Final thinking point for further discussion Great resource to aid in understanding of one of Harold Pinter’s most well-known plays. Suitable for university students, seminars, and in-depth A Level discussions.

This presentation is about Sarah Kane’s exploration of National Identity in her infamous play Blasted. Each slide contains quotes, images, factual information, and videos about Sarah Kane and In-Yer-Face Theatre. The powerpoint focuses on extracts from Blasted that examine human frailty, compassion, brutality, and powerlessness. It asks how Kane manages to evoke compassion through violence and uses the theory of Susan Sontag and the history of the Bosnian War (1992-1995) to unpick the relationship between the Soldier, Ian and Kate in the play. There are also many ‘thinking points’, including a video discussion of the (un)ethical nature of Kane’s drama and theorist Hanna Arendt’s ‘Reflections on Violence’.

M. Butterfly , a play by David Henry Hwang is the focus of this presentation and handout. M Butterfly is explored alongside themes of gender, sexuality, Orientalism, representations of East/West. The powerpoint and handout include: Quotes from the playwright, David Henry Hwang Quotes from the play, M Butterfly Tasks, discussion questions, and thinking points Extracts from Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble Extracts from Edward Saïd’s Orientalism (and other texts) Academic criticism with questions for students Recommended reading This is a very useful interactive powerpoint and accompanying handout for any course that covers M Butterfly and drama concerned with gender, performativity, race and ethnicity. Suitable for A Level and undergraduate students.

Bertolt Brecht’s famous play Mother Courage and All Her Children is the focus of this handout. It includes: Carefully selected extracts from Mother Courage to discuss An explanation of Brecht’s Verfremdungseffekt or ‘Alienation effect’ Some scholarly quotes on Brecht’s playwriting to discuss in relation to Mother Courage This handout is ideal for university seminars and A Level classes. It will help with in-class discussions and essay writing.

This handout is designed for students studying **Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s **Emilia. It discusses the life and poetry of Aemilia Lanyer and includes carefully selected quotes from the play for discussion and analysis. The handout includes questions that help students understand the play’s concern with gender inequality during the time of Shakespeare and today. The handout is aimed at students at any level.

This presentation explains how to interpret a performance. It provides useful quotes about performance analysis and illustrates how thinking about drama is different to thinking about poems or novels. The presentation explores the impact art has on the world around us and considers what makes a performance a work of art. It also focuses on the role the audience has on the interpretation of a play.

This presentation focuses on theatre during the 1960s and Postmodernism. It is useful for anyone interested in the artistic trends and socio-political events of the '60s. It refers to the work of Patrice Pavis to discuss the shift of focus from the actor to the spectator and then looks at ‘Off-Off Broadway’ performances. Jerzy Grotowski’s ‘Poor Theatre’, The Living Theatre, The Open Theatre, and Robert Wilson’s productions are looked at in turn. The Wooster Group moves the presentation forward to explain Postmodernism with reference to the ideas of Jacques Lacan, Jean-François Lyotard, Fredric Jameson, and Baudrillard.

This presentation highlights some of the major shifts in recent theatre history that have become significant moments for the recognition of women’s playwrighting and theatre making. With examples from Judy Chicago’s Feminist Art Program, the first Women’s Theatre Conference, critic Michelene Wandor’s influential study of sexual politics in the theatre, and women’s theatre groups from the 1970s, the slides trace the history of women’s playwriting. The powerpoint then focuses on the work and influence of Caryl Churchill, especially her play Vinegar Tom. Critics like Janelle Reinelt and Elin Diamond are also quoted in a clear, easy to follow manner. A final slide contains some recommended reading suggestions.

This presentation explores Postdramatic Theatre. It begins by defining ‘drama’, ‘theatre’, and ‘performance’, before giving a clear and detailed explanation of the Postdramatic. Hans-Thies Lehmann’s theoretical writings are quoted from and explained in relation to the work of Robert LePage, Robert Wilson, and Forced Entertainment. The presentation contains video clips, photographs of performances, helpful quotations from practitioners and critics as well as tasks for students to expand their learning. The Postdramatic is broken down into easy to follow slides that look at the aspects of the Postdramatic including textscapes, the visual, time, repetition, and the body. The final slide offers quotations from Tim Etchells about the notion of risk in the work of the Postdramatic.

This presentation looks at theatre and nation, specifically the Irish Theatre tradition. It looks at the history of Irish theatre and focuses on comments by W. B. Yeats and the Abbey Theatre. Concepts such as gender politics and the mother nation are explored in relation to Marina Carr’s play The Bog of Cats… The powerpoint includes close analysis of scenes from the play, quotes from notable scholars, and comparisons between Carr’s work and that of John Keats and Samuel Beckett. This powerpoint is useful for anyone studying nation and theatre, Irish theatre, and Marina Carr’s drama.

Ideal handout for university and A Level students working on Caryl Churchill’s Cloud Nine. The handout offers: Questions to encourage discussion and analysis of Cloud Nine An explanation of Mikhail Bakhtin’s Carnivalesque **Carefully selected extracts from Cloud Nine ** **Scholarly readings of Churchill’s play ** Perfect for students writing an essay or preparing for a class/seminar on Caryl Churchill’s Cloud Nine.

This presentation looks at Ibsen’s drama focusing on his major play: Hedda Gabler. The sildes offer detailed information on and colourful examples of the historical context, gender politics, and themes of Ibsen’s drama. The powerpoint then examines Hedda’s character with links to short videos of performers such as Ruth Wilson discussing playing the role and what makes Hedda tick. This presentation is useful for anyone interested in Ibsen’s drama, feminism in his work, and performing his tragic heroine: Hedda Gabler.

Handout aimed at A Level and University students focusing on race in British Theatre. Includes quotes from Kwame Kwei-Armah’s play Elmina’s Kitchen and scholarship discussing race in the theatrical landscape across the UK.