{"product_id":"9781350134911","title":"Top Girls 60 Years of Modern Plays","description":"\u003ch3\u003eModern Plays\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ch1\u003eTop Girls\u003c\/h1\u003e\u003ch2\u003e60 Years of Modern Plays\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ch3\u003eCaryl Churchill\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cb\u003ePerforming Arts \/ Theater \/ Playwriting\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eI believe in the individual. Look at me.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSet in the early Thatcher years, \u003ci\u003eTop Girls\u003c\/i\u003e is a seminal play of the modern theatre, revealing a world of women's experience at a pivotal moment in British history. Told by an eclectic group of historical and modern characters in a continuous conversation across ages and generations it was described by \u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e as 'the best British play ever from a woman dramatist'. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe play opens with an anachronistic dinner party hosted by Marlene, the newly-promoted manager of the 'Top Girls' employment agency. Her guests are five women from the past: a female Pope, a courtesan-cum-nun, a tireless adventurer, an obedient wife from Chaucer and the leader of a charge into hell from a Bruegel painting. The feminist themes introduced by this cacophonous scene echo throughout the more contemporary action of the play, as Churchill uses the setting of the 'Top Girls' agency to allow a glimpse into the lives of several very different working women.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe play presents complex questions about a feminism which mimics aggressive, oppressive behaviour, and success which can only be achieved by abandoning family ties to force a way to the top. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eTop Girls\u003c\/i\u003e premiered in 1982 at the Royal Court Theatre, London.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMethuen Drama's iconic Modern Plays series began in 1959 with the publication of Shelagh Delaney's \u003ci\u003eA Taste of Honey\u003c\/i\u003e and has grown over six decades to now include more than 1000 plays by some of the best writers from around the world. This new special edition hardback of \u003ci\u003eTop Girls\u003c\/i\u003e was published to celebrate 60 years of Methuen Drama's Modern Plays in 2019, chosen by a public vote and features a foreword by critic and journalist Ann McFerran.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eCaryl Churchill\u003c\/b\u003e is an award-winning playwright, whose plays are renowned for their striking influence upon contemporary British theatre practices. Indicative of her enduring impression upon the theatrical landscape, Churchill has won Obie Awards for her widely celebrated plays \u003ci\u003eCloud 9\u003c\/i\u003e (1979), \u003ci\u003eTop Girls\u003c\/i\u003e(1982), \u003ci\u003eSerious Money \u003c\/i\u003e(1987) and \u003ci\u003eA Number\u003c\/i\u003e (2002). Further cementing her reputation as an outstanding playwright, in 2002 Churchill won an Obie Award for Lifetime Achievement and in 2010 was placed in the American Theatre Hall of Fame. She continues to produce innovative and provocative work, such as\u003ci\u003e Seven Jewish Children - a play for Gaza\u003c\/i\u003e (2009) and \u003ci\u003eLove and Information\u003c\/i\u003e (2012), and in January 2016 her latest full-length play, \u003ci\u003eEscaped Alone\u003c\/i\u003e, opened at the Royal Court Theatre to great acclaim. With an illustrious theatre career that transcends four decades, Caryl Churchill is arguably more than just one of Britain's most revered female playwrights; she is one of Britain's most respected and groundbreaking working today.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePublication Date: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e04 November 2019\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePublisher: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBloomsbury Academic\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eImprint: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMethuen Drama\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eISBN-13: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9781350134911\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFormat: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHardback\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePage Count: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e120\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWeight (oz): \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e8.64\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Bloomsbury Academic","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51332740513932,"sku":"9781350134911","price":21.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/9545\/1788\/files\/getimage_5a9ef856-d79a-471e-8497-e13d48beae2e.jpg?v=1783605387","url":"https:\/\/fh90cf-fv.myshopify.com\/products\/9781350134911","provider":"Late Knight Books and Services, LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}