Table of Contents

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.

Promotional Information

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.

About the Author

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.