Theodor Adorno is the foremost thinker of the Frankfurt School, the extraordinarily influential group of German thinkers that fled to the US in the 1930s. This book is his classic discussion of the sublime, the ugly and the beautiful 'Art is the sedimentation of human misery'.

An account of Greek tragedy, it demonstrates how the elements of plot, character and spectacle combine to produce 'pity and fear' - and why we derive pleasure from this painful process. It introduces the crucial concepts of mimesis ('imitation'), hamartia ('error') and katharsis, which have informed serious thinking about drama ever since.

Explores the issues facing theatrical performances. This work describes important developments in theatre from the last century, as well as smaller scale events, from productions by Stanislavsky to the rise of Method Acting. It also shows how theatre defies rules, builds and shatters illusions and creates lasting memories for its audiences.

A study of the playwrights who have dramatised the absurdity of the human condition. Esslin seeks to show how Beckett; Ionesco; Genet; Pinter and others have confronted a world in which there is no communication and where man flounders in a void; cut off from his roots and shorn of all certaintie

Mother Courage and Her Children is widely regarded as Brecht's best work, a theatrical landmark and one of the most powerful anti-war plays in history. This new translation by Michael Hofmann was published to coincide with the national tour by English Touring Theatre in 2006.