Modern Monologue

Originally issued in 1994, this anthology follows on from Michael Earley's earlier volume, The Classical Monologue. Its starting point is 1892, the point where modern drama begins, and it gathers speeches from the plays that have done most to form contemporary theatre and the many styles of acting that grew out of them.

The selection draws on a wide range of playwrights, among them Brecht, Genet, Beckett, Ionesco, Pinter, Shepard, Guare, Nichols and Churchill. What links their work is a view of the play and its characters as flexible and constantly changing, with abrupt shifts of mood, odd behaviour and sudden outbursts forming much of the appeal of modern theatre.