An essential, refreshingly accessible guide to Greek and Roman drama containing entries for forty plays by all the major dramatists in the classical world - Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, Menander, Plautus, Terence and Seneca. Features include: · Playwright biographies · Synopses and detailed commentary · Advice on the best translations available · A survey of the ancient theatre and its social and political background. Written by John Burgess, freelance director and former Head of New Writing at the National Theatre, this book is an indispensable resource for the theatregoer, student and general reader.