A Midsummer Night's Dream

by Martin White

Published 25 November 2008
This introductory guide to one Shakespeare's most read and performed plays offers a scene-by-scene theatrically aware commentary, a brief history of the text and first performances, case studies of key performances and productions, a survey of film and TV adaptations, and a wide sampling of critical opinion and annotated further reading.

'Tis Pity She's a Whore is one of the most controversial plays ever staged in the English theatre. In this illuminating Handbook, Martin White:
• offers an in-depth, moment-by-moment analysis of the play, looking at how it might be performed on stage
• provides vital contextual material on John Ford's social and literary influences
• reconstructs the play's performances in Ford's own time and examines later stage, television and film productions
• guides the reader through the often heated critical and theatrical responses to the dramatic work.