Written specifically for GCSE students by academics in the field, the Methuen Drama GCSE Student Editions provide in-depth explanatory material alongside the play texts frequently studied at Key Stage 4.
Whether for use in the classroom or independent study, these editions offer a fully comprehensive and lightly glossed play text with accompanying notes specifically directed towards readers of this age, which unravel essential topics and challenge all students to delve further into literary analysis.
Shelagh Delaneys modern classic A Taste of Honey is a comic and poignant exploration of class, feminism, race, sexual orientation and optimism in post-war Britain. Fifty years after its hit premiere, working-class Lancashire lass Jos story continues to engage new generations of audiences.
In addition to some on-page explanatory notes and the play text itself, this edition contains sub-headed analyses of themes, characters, context and dramatic devices, as well as background information on the playwright.
The Methuen Drama GCSE Student Editions never lose sight of their readership, and offer students the confidence to engage with the material, explore their own interpretations, and improve their understanding of the works.
Muu info
Shelagh Delaney's play A Taste of Honey, first seen in 1958 from a then unknown writer, immediately became a theatrical sensation. This GCSE Student Edition, with commentary and notes, looks at the play through a 21st-century lens.
Principle areas of focus include: Historical, socio-cultural and
theatrical context Information the playwright and other work by her
Detailed analyses of ideas, themes, characters, narrative and dramatic
techniques Analysis of characterisation Key literary, linguistic and
theatrical/dramaturgical features of the text, including style, form,
structure, plot, narrative, character, dialogue, theme and symbolism)
Production histories and adaptations, including up-to-date reflections on key
productions A variety of activities, designed to allow students to reflect
upon their learning and understanding in both the classroom and at home
Suggestions for related and wider reading This material is frequently
underpinned by: - references to critical/scholarly perspectives on the play
and playwright - pedagogical 'checkpoints' that will comprise opportunities
for students to reflect upon, and assess, their knowledge and understanding
of the text in relation to drama, literature, language This edition makes
critical use of existing scholarship about the play and certain 'schools'
and trajectories in which it has been read, including feminist theatre and
post-war British realism. In interconnecting clear, engaging and scholarly
information and readings with a variety of activities for students, this
guide features a genuinely interactive and dynamic quality. It is designed
to give the student reader confidence in developing their own responses and
analysis of the play.
Shelagh Delaney was born in Salford, Lancashire. She won multiple awards for her play A Taste of Honey, for which she later wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation. She has also written for television, radio and has published a collection of short stories. She died in 2011.
Kate Whittaker is a former English and Drama teacher who has worked in a variety of UK secondary schools. She is now Lecturer in Drama at Birmingham City University, specialising in post-war British and North American theatre.
