British theatre has a greater tradition than any other; having started all the way back in 1311 and still going strong today. But that is too much for one book to cover; so this volume deals with early theatre and has a cut-off date in 1899. Still; this is almost six centuries; centuries during which British theatre not only developed but produced some of the greatest playwrights of all time and anywhere; including obviously Shakespeare but also Marlowe and Shaw. And they wrote some of the finest plays ever; which are known around the world. So there is plenty for this book to cover; just with the playwrights; plays and actors; but it also has information on stagecraft and theatres; as well as the historical and political background.This book has over 1;183 entries in the dictionary section; these being mainly on playwrights and plays; but others as well including managers and critics; and also on specific theatres; legislative acts and some technical jargon. Then there are entries on the different genres; from comedy to tragedy and everything in between. Inevitably; the chronology is quite long as it has a long period to cover and the introduction provides the necessary overview. The Historical Dictionary of Early British Theatre concludes with a pretty massive bibliography. That will be of use to particularly assiduous researchers; but this book itself is a good place to start any research since it covers periods that are far less well-known and documented; and ordinary theatre-goers will also find useful information.
#709267 in eBooks 2013-10-29 2013-10-29File Name: B00G0J7MNS
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