Webster The White Devil

This introductory guide to one of Webster's most widely-studied plays offers a scene-by-scene commentary of the play in performance, a brief history of the text and first performances, case studies of key productions, a wide sampling of critical opinion and further reading. The White Devil is one of the great plays of the Jacobean era. In this vibrant Handbook, Stephen Purcell offers an in-depth, performance-focused exploration of John Webster's thrilling, unsettling and darkly comic tragedy. The Handbook includes: • a scene-by-scene commentary on the play as it unfolds on stage • an overview of the play's cultural context • excerpts from historical sources • case studies of four modern productions, featuring interviews with directors • an outline of key critical writings on the play, from the seventeenth century through to today.