The Methuen Drama Guide to Contemporary Irish Playwrights is a ground-breaking study of twenty-five writers whose work during the past fifty years has helped to shape and define Irish theatre. Written by a team of international scholars, it provides an authoritative survey and analysis of each writer's plays and considers their contribution to the contemporary theatrical scene and the narrative of a nation.<BR><BR>The playwrights examined range from John B. Keane, whose debut play premiered in 1959, to the crop of writers who emerged in the 1990s and who include Martin McDonagh, Marina Carr, Emma Donoghue and Mark O'Rowe. Along the way it takes in writers such as Brian Friel and Tom Murphy, whose oeuvres span five decades, and the work of Northern Irish writers such as Anne Devlin, Gary Mitchell and Christina Reid.<BR><BR>With a total of 190 plays discussed in detail, over half of which were written during the 1990s and 2000s, The Methuen Drama Guide to Contemporary Irish Playwrights is unrivalled in its coverage of recent work and writers. It will prove an invaluable companion to anyone interested in the Irish dramatic scene of the past half-century.