1st Edition
The Shavian Playground An Exploration of the Art of George Bernard Shaw
In The Shavian Playground, originally published in 1972, Shaw’s plays are examined as self-contained imaginative structures intended for theatrical performance. Beginning with a consideration of his novels, the book covers the whole span of Shaw’s career as a dramatist playing special attention to critically and theatrically neglected plays, and offering fresh interpretations of others.
List of Illustrations. Acknowledgements. Introduction. 1. The Novels 2. Socialist Drama 3. Tales for the Nursery 4. The Virgin Mother 5. Making the Skeleton Dance 6. Man and Superman: Verbal Heroics 7. John Bull’s Other Island 8. Major Barbara 9. Problem Plays 10. The Greek Form Again: Getting Married 11. Shaw on the Tightrope: Misalliance 12. Heartbreak House: Shaw’s Dream Play 13. Back to Methuselah: The Poet and the City 14. The Histories 15. Farewell to Platonism: Too True to be Good 16. Eschatological Plays 17. Late Burlesques 18. The Shavian Muse – In Conclusion. Bibliographical Note: Shaw in the Sixties. Index.
Biography
Margery M. Morgan was, at the time of original publication, Reader in English at the University of Lancaster.
Reviews for the original edition:
‘… an intelligent study of Shaw’s plays, early and late, which brings to the texts almost for the first time a proper respect for their literary qualities …
In nearly every case Miss Morgan’s reading of individual plays is enlightening; she simply takes more into account than previous critics of Shaw have done and goes a long way to reinstating him as a great modern writer.’ – English Studies‘Overall, this is a book to be strongly recommended, one of the handful of really stimulating and solid accounts of Shaw’s plays that have appeared in recent years…’ – The Times Educational Supplement
