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  Much Ado About Nothing

  William Shakespeare

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  Shakespeare wrote Much Ado About Nothing towards the middle of his career, sometime between 1598 and 1599. It was first published in quarto in 1600 and later collected into Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies in 1623. The earliest recorded performance of Much Ado About Nothing was performed for the newly-married Princess Elizabeth and Frederick the Fifth, Elector Palatine in 1613.
  Shakespeare's sources of inspiration for this play can be found in Italian culture and popular texts published in the sixteenth century. Gossip involving lovers deceived into believing each other false was often spread throughout Northern Italy. Works like Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso and Edmund Spencer's Fearie Queene also feature tricked lovers like Claudio and Hero. Besides these similarities, the idea of tricking a couple like Benedick and Beatrice into falling in love was an original and unusual idea at the time.
  The play focuses on two couples: upon the noblemen's return to Messina, Claudio and Hero quickly fall in love and wish to marry in a week; on the contrary, Benedick and Beatrice resume their verbal war, exchanging insults with each other. To pass the time prior to the marriage a plot to trick Benedick and Beatrice into falling in love has been set in motion. Unbeknownst to both our couples, a fouler plot to crush the love and happiness between Hero and Claudio has also begun to unfold.

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  Harvey

  Mary Chase

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  "Harvey" by Mary Chase is a whimsical and heartwarming tale that follows the life of Elwood P. Dowd, an amiable eccentric who claims to have a peculiar friend—an invisible six-foot-tall rabbit named Harvey. Set against the backdrop of 1940s America, the play explores the consequences of Elwood's unconventional friendship on his relationships with his family and society. As Elwood's sister, Veta, attempts to have him committed to a mental institution, misunderstandings and comedic chaos ensue, challenging the perceptions of what is real and the importance of embracing life's enchanting mysteries. Mary Chase skillfully weaves humor, warmth, and a touch of the fantastical to create a timeless story that delves into the acceptance of uniqueness and the transformative power of unconventional connections. "Harvey" is a delightful exploration of the human spirit and the unexpected sources of joy that can enrich our lives.

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  The Unlikely Event of Flying:...

  Julie O'Gorman

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  Poetry Ireland Introductions / Céadlínte 2025 offers poets in the early stages of their careers the opportunity to showcase their work through workshops, an e-publication and performance. This year's poets were selected by adjudicators Jessica Traynor and Aifric Mac Aodha in partnership with Poetry Ireland, the national poetry organisation. For the anthology, each poet has provided a pair of poems and a short, personal prose piece exploring topics from music and travel to more personal reflections, establishing a dynamic collection of work.

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  The Affirmations

  Luke Hathaway

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  ”...a trans-mystical work of love and change...”—Ali Blythe, author of Hymnswitch
  		 
  The mystics who coined the phrase ‘the way of affirmation’ understood the apocalyptic nature of the word yes, the way it can lead out of one life and into another. Moving among the languages of Christian conversion, Classical metamorphosis, seasonal transformation, and gender transition, Luke Hathaway tells the story of the love that rewired his being, asking each of us to experience the transfiguration that can follow upon saying yes—with all one’s heart, with all one’s soul, with all one’s mind, with all one’s strength ... and with all one’s body, too.

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  Scissors (NHB Modern Plays)

  Chris Bush

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  The apprenticeships are only meant to last a year - there were never any guarantees beyond that. For Ava, Liv, Mason and Trent, they're just trying to get through the day. They don't know why there's an endless stream of strangers passing through, but no-one ever tells them anything. In a couple of months they'll be kicked out anyway, and God knows what happens after that. Who's looking out for them?
  Scissors is a play about family, heritage and legacy, and is part of Chris Bush's trilogy of plays about a Sheffield manufacturing family, Rock / Paper / Scissors. The three plays were first performed simultaneously with the same cast moving between three theatres in Sheffield – the Crucible, the Lyceum and the Studio – as part of Sheffield Theatres' fiftieth birthday celebrations in 2022.

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  Queen of the Cosmos

  Janice Connell

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  " The Blessed Mother has been permitted by God to come here [because] she knows what is coming in the future. She is calling all God´ s children back on the path to Heaven." – Ivan Dragicevic, a visionary
  
  
  Over twenty years ago, in the tiny mountain village of Medjugorje, Bosnia, six young people began to report seeing visions of the Virgin Mary. Since then, the beauty of Heaven and the importance of prayer, conversion, and reconciliation have been revealed to them through Mary´ s appearances. Queen of the Cosmos provides an opportunity to hear the messages of the mother of Christ through in-depth interviews with the six visionaries of Medjugorje. Their experiences have changed the lives of thousands of people who have found truth, encouragement, and solace in the words of the Blessed Mother. This new edition includes an afterword by the author, giving an update on both the lives of the visionaries and the visions they receive.

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