Books in the The Fourth Wall series

This book offers an introduction to one of Stephen Sondheim¿s most beloved shows, Into the Woods (1987), a musical that combines traditional fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel and Cinderella to form a funny and heartfelt exploration of what it means to act responsibly as a member of society, both as a parent and as a child. After situating the musical in the Broadway canon, the author proceeds with a detailed reading of the show itself, before discussing key productions of the show in New York and London , whose radically different approaches to staging are testament to how open the musical is to re-interpretation.

Brian Granger¿s book explores the inherent achievements (and failures) of The Book of Mormon--one of the most ambitious, and problematic, musicals to achieve widespread success.

Georg Büchner¿s Woyzeck was left unfinished at the time of its author¿s death in 1837, but the play is now widely recognised as the first `modern¿ drama of European theatre. In this fresh engagement, Gritzner examines the revolutionary dimensions of Büchner¿s political and creative practice, and modern approaches to the play in performance.

Edward Albee¿s Whös Afraid of Virginia Woolf? shocked audiences and critics alike with its assault on decorum. At base though, the play is simply a love story: an examination of a long wedded life, filled with the hopes, dreams, disappointments, and pain that accompany the passing of many years together.

Lucie Sutherland examines how, and why, J.M. Barrie's play Peter Pan became so popular, why the trans-Atlantic collaboration of Barrie and Charles Frohman was vital to the success of the 1904 production, and how key versions in England and America have created an iconic narrative that remains popular today.

Sweeney Todd, the gruesome tale of a murderous barber and his pastry chef accomplice, is unquestionably strange subject matter for the musical theatre ¿ and yet its eight Tony awards and enormous successes on Broadway and the West End testify to an enduring popularity with audiences. Written by Hugh Wheeler, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, the musical premiered in 1979 and has seen numerous revivals, including Tim Burton's 2007 film version. Aaron C. Thomas addresses this darkly funny piece with fitting humour, taking on Sweeney Todd¿s chequered history and genre; its treatment of violence and cannibalism; and its sexual politics.

Often dismissed as kitsch sentimentalism, The Sound of Music has proven an enduringly popular and surprisingly influential cultural icon. In this series of short essays, Julian Woolford re-examines the musical from seven different perspectives, revealing the ways in which it continues to impact the twenty first century.