Anton Chekhov's popularity in the west is without parallel for a foreign writer. He has been absorbed into our culture & accepted as one of our own. His plays lend themselves easily to the stage calling for actors with intelligence & common sense rather than a dramatic voice or histrionic skills. He takes from everyday life themes of frustration which apply to us all
- the difficulty of carving out a happy existence the problems of love the fading of hope the universal feeling that time passes & we never quite get things right. This seems pessimistic & yet Chekhov claimed he was writing comedy. Readers actors & directors must decide for themselves which way to play these pieces. They are full of sadness but a sadness described as the 'darkness of the last hour before the dawn'. Whether tragic or comic however they are works of the first importance. The Cherry Orchard has been described as 'the best play since Shakespeare' Three Sisters as 'the best play in the world'.
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Menander (c. 341 291 BC) was the foremost innovator of Greek New Comedy a dramatic style that moved away from the fantastical to focus upon the problems of ordinary Athenians. This collection contains the full text of Old Cantankerous (Dyskolos) the only surviving complete example of New Comedy as well as fragments from works including The Girl from Samos & The Rape of the Locks all of which are concerned with domestic catastrophes the hazards of love & the trials of family life. Written in a poetic style regarded by the ancients as second only to Homer these polished works profoundly influential upon both Roman playwrights such as Plautus & Terence & the wider Western tradition may be regarded as the first true comedies of manners. ...

Oscar Wilde took London by storm with his first comedy Lady Windermere's Fan. The combination of dazzling wit subtle social criticism sumptuous settings & the theme of a guilty secret proved a winner both here & in his next three plays A Woman of No Importance An Ideal Husband & his undisputed masterpiece The Importance of Being Earnest. This volume

Includes:: all Wilde's plays from his early tragedy Vera to the controversial Salome & the little known fragments La Sainte Courtisane & A Florentine Tragedy. The edition affords a rare chance to see Wilde's best known work in the context of his entire dramatic output & to appreciate plays which have hitherto received scant critical attention.

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Teach your baby all about playtime with touch & feel textures. Stroke tickle & touch the textures together with your baby & help them discover all about playtime. Let their little hands roam & feel how cuddly the teddies are but how shiny & smooth the toy train feels. Theyll learn as you play. Twinkly bumpy scaly silky sandy sticky & shiny textures in a chunky package: perfect for encouraging tiny fingers to explore & tiny minds to develop. ...

When Ellie names her puppy Rascal she doesnt realize how right she is! Its School Sports Day & Ellie is worried shell come last at everything. But then she comes up with an excellent idea
- she can practise racing with Rascal! Will Rascal save the day? From best-selling author Holly Webb comes the latest book in her hugely successful My Naughty Little Puppy series.
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This collection of forty popular action rhymes

Includes:: firm favourites such as Tinker Tailor & The Wheels

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This is the second in our Snuggle Books series
- youve met Snuggle Bunny now heres Playtime Teddy
- a cheery little bear who

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The defendant
- David Marquette. Devoted husband & father. The victims
- His own family. The plea
- Not Guilty by Reason


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A social comedy by the author of Just for the Summer". The illegal activities of unemployed teenagers on a London suburban council estate are giving cause for concern. There is also illegal activity among the residents of the desirable street nearby
- but these crimes are more socially-acceptable."
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This is the second children's book from academy award nominee Spike Lee & the award-winning illustrator Kadir Nelson. Filmmaker Spike Lee & wife Tonya Lee Lewis join the ranks of other celebrity kids' book writers with their sweet rhythmic read-along about the endless energy of a toddler blasting through a busy day. From moments fussy to fond Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Spike Lee & his wife present a behind-the-scenes look at the chills spills & unequivocal thrills of bringing up baby. Vivid illustrations from Kadir Nelson evoke toddlerhood & families everywhere will delight in this simple but highly effective children's tale about a little tyke that is always looking for trouble. ...