Both an invaluable reference source and an excellent book for browsers, this dictionary contains a blend of facts and anecdotes that will be of absorbing fascination to anyone with an interest in the theatre and its history. Its scope is impressively wide, with coverage ranging from biographies of writers, performers and directors; to plot summaries of major plays and descriptions of famous first performances; to definitions of theatrical jargon; to articles on the development of the theatre, from ancient Greek times to the present. Attention is also focused on the many aspects of popular and folk drama, and to the different forms that the theatre takes in different parts of the world. With an approach that manages to be both informed and entertaining, this is a book that captures all the variety - and the excitement - of the theatre and its history.