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  A Midsummer Night's Dream

  William Shakespeare

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  A Midsummer Night's Dream is a comedy written by William Shakespeare.    It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of Theseus, the Duke of Athens, to Hippolyta, the former queen of the Amazons. These include the adventures of four young Athenian lovers and a group of six amateur actors (the mechanicals) who are controlled and manipulated by the fairies who inhabit the forest in which most of the play is set. The play is one of Shakespeare's most popular works for the stage and is widely performed across the world.    The play consists of four interconnecting plots, connected by a celebration of the wedding of Duke Theseus of Athens and the Amazon queen, Hippolyta, which is set simultaneously in the woodland and in the realm of Fairyland, under the light of the moon.    The play opens with Hermia, who is in love with Lysander, resistant to her father Egeus' demand that she wed Demetrius, whom he has arranged for her to marry. Helena meanwhile pines unrequitedly for Demetrius. Enraged, Egeus invokes an ancient Athenian law before Duke Theseus, whereby a daughter must marry the suitor chosen by her father, or else face death. Theseus offers her another choice: lifelong chastity while worshipping the goddess Artemis as a nun.    Peter Quince and his fellow players Nick Bottom, Francis Flute, Robin Starveling, Tom Snout, and Snug plan to put on a play for the wedding of the Duke and the Queen, "the most lamentable comedy and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisbe". Quince reads the names of characters and bestows them to the players. Nick Bottom, who is playing the main role of Pyramus, is over-enthusiastic and wants to dominate others by suggesting himself for the characters of Thisbe, the Lion, and Pyramus at the same time. He would also rather be a tyrant and recites some lines of Ercles. Bottom is told by Quince that he would do the Lion so terribly as to frighten the duchess and ladies enough for the Duke and Lords to have the players hanged. Quince ends the meeting with "at the Duke's oak we meet."

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  The Tempest

  William Shakespeare

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  Banished from his own lands by a usurping brother, Prospero and his daughter Miranda have been living on a deserted island for years, until fate brings the brother within the range of Prospero's powers. Will he seek revenge, or reconcilement? (Summary by Karen Savage)  
  Cast:Narrator – Great Plains Alonso, King of Naples – hefyd Sebastian, his brother – Nathan Markham Prospero, the right Duke of Milan – Bruce Pirie Antonio, his brother, the usurping Duke of Milan – Jason Mills Ferdinand, son to the King of Naples – mb Gonzalo, an honest old Counsellor – Lorelle Anderson Adrian, a Lord – EricJFrancisco, a Lord – Aaron Elliott Caliban, a savage and deformed Slave – Jason Mills Trinculo, a Jester – Ryan Dressler Stephano, a drunken Butler – Arielle Lipshaw Master of a Ship – Annoying Twit Boatswain – Jennifer Stearns Mariners – Miriam Esther Goldman Miranda, daughter to Prospero – Elizabeth Klett Ariel, an airy Spirit – Karen Savage Iris, a Spirit – Abigail Bartels Ceres, a Spirit – Jessamie Juno, a Spirit – Lucy Perry

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  I Am Nobody's Nigger

  Dean Atta

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  Revolutionary, reflective and romantic, I Am Nobody's Nigger is the powerful debut collection by one of the UK's finest emerging poets. Exploring race, identity and sexuality, Dean Atta shares his perspective on family, friendship, relationships and London life, from riots to one-night stands. Longlisted for the Polari First Book Prize 2014'Go Dean Atta. Speak the truth. Tweet the truth. Upload it. Let it ring out over the digital domain and strike at the heart of the offline wireless and disconnected.' Lemn Sissay 'Dean Atta's poetry is as honest as truth itself. He follows no trend; he seeks no favours … Beyond black, beyond white, beyond straight, beyond gay, so I say. Love your eyes over these words of truth. You will be uplifted.' Benjamin Zephaniah 'Righteous and forceful' Peter Tatchell'I can do nothing but take my hat off to Dean Atta for speaking out, saying what he believed, and doing it so effectively and powerfully that countless people heard it who would never normally have done so. Poetry is a powerful tool, and I Am Nobody's Nigger is a perfect example of when that tool shows its full strength.' Huffington Post' Huffington Post 'Raconteur Dean Atta doing what he does best; articulating London's dark, deep-rooted social cancers through a beautiful and intricately personal narrative.' Clash

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  Wild Notes (NHB Modern Plays)

  Deirdre Kinahan

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  A play exploring the impact of colonialism through a meeting between Frederick Douglass, the escaped slave and abolitionist who visited Ireland in the 1840s, and a young Irishwoman hoping to emigrate to the country he's running from.
  Deirdre Kinahan's short play Wild Notes was first staged by Solas Nua in Washington D.C. in 2018.
  The play is also available in the collection Deirdre Kinahan: Shorts.

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  The Midnight Court - And Other...

  Frank O'Connor

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  Irish literary heavyweight Frank O’Connor translates the ribald and raucous Gaelic masterpiece in a work originally banned by the Irish government.  As a teacher and translator of Irish verse, Frank O’Connor brought to the world’s attention many fine poems from his native land, few as enduring—and none as controversial—as Brian Merriman’s The Midnight Court. An eighteenth-century masterpiece widely recognized as the greatest comic poem in Irish literature, The Midnight Court is a hilarious and insightful take on the battle of the sexes. In the court of a fairy queen, the men and women of Ireland air their grievances with one another. The competing lists of complaints are as long as they are uproarious, and when the queen rules in favor of the women, all young Irish bachelors are doomed to a terrible fate: marriage.The Midnight Court has now taken its rightful place in the Irish literary canon, but when O’Connor’s English translation was first published in 1945, the Irish government banned it as obscene. In a delicious irony that might have been lifted from one of O’Connor’s short stories, the Gaelic original met with no censure. Here, as it first appeared, is Frank O’Connor’s faithful, funny, and eloquent translation of one of the most important works in Irish literature.

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  The Prophet

  Kahlil Gibran

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  Embark on a captivating journey through the timeless wisdom of Khalil Gibran's masterpiece, "The Prophet," brought to life in a mesmerizing audiobook experience. Renowned narrator Dennis Logan lends his rich and emotive voice to Gibran's poetic prose, weaving a tapestry of profound insights that resonate across generations. 
  Dennis Logan's skillful narration adds a layer of depth to Gibran's philosophical exploration of life, love, freedom, and the human spirit. As Logan breathes life into each word, listeners are transported to the enchanting world of Almustafa, a wise and compassionate prophet, as he imparts his profound teachings to the people of the fictional city of Orphalese. 
  But this audiobook is not just a narration; it's an immersive auditory experience enhanced by carefully curated music. The ethereal melodies and harmonies chosen by Dennis Logan complement the poetic beauty of Gibran's words, creating an atmosphere that deepens the emotional impact of the timeless lessons contained within "The Prophet."

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