100 Great Plays for Women

This comprehensive guide from National Theatre Associate director Lucy Kerbel outlines 100 varied plays for (entirely or predominantly) female casts. Aiming to debunk the myth that "there just aren't any good plays for women", the guide aims to present plays where female characters drive the action and includes titles from ancient times to the present day. Each entry has a synopsis, cast breakdown and a short essay about the play.

Any director will find this of interest, covering as it does both familiar and less well-known plays. The book is the culmination of a project by Lucy's company Tonic Theatre and the National Theatre Studio to help achieve greater gender equality in companies and their repertoires. It is certainly a personal selection which means that each entry has been carefully thought-through and is well worth considering for production.

There are plays to whet your appetite from 400 years BC (Aristophanes and Euripides) through to 2013 - although most are from the twentieth century onwards, including Rachel Corrie, Moira Buffini, Maxim Gorky, Samuel Beckett, Anthony Minghella and Abi Morgan. Whether you are looking for a thought-provoking play to liven up the amateur repertoire, a play for a room above a pub or one to fill a provincial stage, this book will ensure that you are spoilt for choice.