'A magnificently readable tour of theatrical history conducted by our best-informed living critic.' - Michael Billington'Benedict Nightingale's characteristically witty, insightful and enthusiastic reports make you wish you'd been sitting next to him during his greatest moments in the theatre.' - Ian McKellen Starting with the first performance of Aeschylus' The Oresteia in 458 BC, ending with the premiere of Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem in London of 2009 AD, Benedict Nightingale collects in one volume what he believes to be the greatest moments in theatre.Each informative and entertaining entry is between 650 and 850 words in length, covering a remarkable diversity of theatrical openings and events, many of historical interest and importance, and many more witnessed by Nightingale himself during his 50-year reviewing career. The plays and shows that Nightingale crisply, authoritatively and readably brings alive range from Sheridan's School for Scandal to Tom Stoppard's Arcadia, from Gogol's Government Inspector to the Ian McKellen Macbeth, from Synge's Playboy of the Western World, which provoked serious riots in the Dublin of 1907, to Lionel Bart's Twang!! in 1965, possibly the most disastrous musical ever.Throughout the book Nightingale celebrates leading dramatists and performers, directors and composers. Everywhere he shares the fulfilment and fun he has found in the art-form he loves.

Renowned critic Benedict Nightingale collects what he considers the greatest moments from the past 2,500 years of theatre.

HAMLET ADELPHI THEATRE, LONDON, JUNE 10 1899 61 PETER PAN DUKE OF YORK'S THEATRE, LONDON, DECEMBER 27 1904 63 THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD ABBEY THEATRE, DUBLIN, JANUARY 28 1907 65 JUSTICE DUKE OF YORK'S THEATRE, LONDON, FEBRUARY 21 1910 67 PYGMALION HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE, LONDON, APRIL 11 1914 69 LA RONDE DEUTSCHE VOLKSTHEATER, VIENNA, FEBRUARY 1 1921 71 THE PLOUGH AND THE STARS ABBEY THEATRE, DUBLIN, FEBRUARY 10 1926 74 THE WHITE GUARD MOSCOW ART THEATRE, OCTOBER 5 1926 77 JOURNEY'S END APOLLO THEATRE, LONDON, DECEMBER 9 1928 80 PRIVATE LIVES PHOENIX THEATRE, LONDON, SEPTEMBER 24 1930 82 BLOOD WEDDING TEATRO BEATRIZ, MADRID, MARCH 8 1933 84 WAITING FOR LEFTY CIVIC REPERTORY THEATRE, NEW YORK, JANUARY 6 1935 86 MURDER IN THE CATHEDRAL CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL, JUNE 15 1935 88 OKLAHOMA! ST JAMES THEATER, NEW YORK, MARCH 31 1943 91 THE GLASS MENAGERIE CIVIC THEATRE, CHICAGO, DECEMBER 26 1944 94 MOTHER COURAGE DEUTSCHES THEATRE, BERLIN, JANUARY 11 1949 96 THE DEEP BLUE SEA DUCHESS THEATRE, LONDON, MARCH 6 1952 98 THE CRUCIBLE MARTIN BECK THEATRE, NEW YORK, JANUARY 22 1953 101 WAITING FOR GODOT ARTS THEATRE, LONDON, AUGUST 3 1955 103 LOOK BACK IN ANGER ROYAL COURT, LONDON, MAY 8 1956 105 THE QUARE FELLOW THEATRE ROYAL STRATFORD EAST, LONDON, MAY 24 1956 108 LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT HELEN HAYES THEATRE, NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 7 1956 110 THE BIRTHDAY PARTY LYRIC HAMMERSMITH, LONDON, MAY 19 1958 113 A RAISIN IN THE SUN ETHEL BARRYMORE THEATRE, NEW YORK, MARCH 11 1959 115 BEYOND THE FRINGE FORTUNE THEATRE, LONDON, MAY 10 1961 118 KING LEAR ROYAL SHAKESPEARE THEATRE, STRATFORD, NOVEMBER 6 1962 120 OTHELLO OLD VIC, LONDON, APRIL 21 1964 122 THE HOMECOMING NEW THEATRE, CARDIFF, MARCH 26 1965 124 TWANG!! PALACE THEATRE, MANCHESTER, NOVEMBER 3 1965 126 SAVED ROYAL COURT, LONDON, NOVEMBER 3 1965 128 LOOT COCHRANE THEATRE, LONDON, SEPTEMBER 27 1966 130 ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD OLD VIC, LONDON, APRIL 11 1967 133 A DAY IN THE DEATH OF JOE EGG CITIZENS THEATRE, GLASGOW, MAY 9 1967 136 THE LAWRENCE TRILOGY ROYAL COURT, LONDON, MARCH 14 1968 139 HAIR SHAFTESBURY THEATRE, LONDON, SEPTEMBER 27 1968 142 PARADISE NOW ROUNDHOUSE , LONDON, JUNE 6 1969 144 THE CONTRACTOR ROYAL COURT, LONDON, OCTOBER 20 1969 147 OH! CALCUTTA! ROUNDHOUSE, LONDON, JULY 27 1970 149 A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM ROYAL SHAKESPEARE THEATRE, STRATFORD, AUGUST 27 1970 151 ABSURD PERSON SINGULAR CRITERION THEATRE, LONDON, JULY 6 1972 153 JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOUR DREAMCOAT ASSEMBLY HALL, EDINBURGH, AUGUST 25 1972 155 NOT I ROYAL COURT, LONDON, JANUARY 18 1973 158 THE MISANTHROPE OLD VIC, LONDON, FEBRUARY 22 1973 160 SIZWE BANSI IS DEAD ST STEPHEN'S HALL, NEW BRIGHTON, SEPTEMBER 1974 162 COMEDIANS NOTTINGHAM PLAYHOUSE, FEBRUARY 20 1975 165 NO MAN'S LAND OLD VIC, LONDON, APRIL 23 1975 167 MACBETH OTHER PLACE, STRATFORD, SEPTEMBER 9 1976 169 THE PASSION COTTESLOE, NATIONAL THEATRE, LONDON, APRIL 19 1977 171 PLENTY LYTTELTON, NATIONAL THEATRE, LONDON, APRIL 7 1978 173 SWEENEY TODD URIS THEATRE, NEW YORK, MARCH 1 1979 175 NICHOLAS NICKLEBY ALDWYCH THEATRE, LONDON, JUNE 21 1980 177 MACBETH OLD VIC, LONDON, SEPTEMBER 4 1980 179 THE ROMANS IN BRITAIN OLIVIER, NATIONAL THEATRE, LONDON, OCTOBER 16 1980 181 QUARTERMAINE'S TERMS QUEEN'S THEATRE, LONDON, JULY 30 1981 183 GOOD DONMAR WAREHOUSE, LONDON, SEPTEMBER 2 1981 186 NOISES OFF LYRIC HAMMERSMITH, LONDON, FEBRUARY 23 1982 188 TOP GIRLS ROYAL COURT, LONDON, AUGUST 28 1982 190 FOOL FOR LOVE CIRCLE REPERTORY THEATRE, NEW YORK, MAY 23 1983 192 GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS COTTESLOE, NATIONAL THEATRE, LONDON, SEPTEMBER 21 1983 194 DEATH OF A SALESMAN BROADHURST THEATRE, NEW YORK, MARCH 31 1984 196 LES MISERABLES BARBICAN THEATRE, LONDON, OCTOBER 8 1985 198 ENTERTAINING STRANGERS ST MARY'S CHURCH, DORCHESTER, NOVEMBER 18 1985 200 DANCING AT LUGHNASA LYTTELTON, NATIONAL THEATRE, LONDON, OCTOBER 15 1990 202 DEATH AND THE MAIDEN ROYAL COURT, THEATRE UPSTAIRS, LONDON, JULY 4 1991 204 THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA LYTTELTON, NATIONAL THEATRE, LONDON, FEBRUARY 6, 1992 207 AN INSPECTOR CALLS LYTTELTON, NATIONAL THEATRE, LONDON, SEPTEMBER 11 1992 209 THE WEXFORD TRILOGY OPERA HOUSE, WEXFORD, JANUARY 18 1993 211 ARCADIA LYTTELTON, NATIONAL THEATRE, LONDON, APRIL 13 1993 213 OLEANNA ROYAL COURT, LONDON, JUNE 30 1993 215 ANGELS IN AMERICA COTTESLOE, NATIONAL THEATRE, LONDON, NOVEMBER 20 1993 217 A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY ALBERY THEATRE, LONDON, MARCH 29 1994 219 MOSCOW STATIONS TRAVERSE THEATRE, EDINBURGH, AUGUST 20 1994 221 ART WYNDHAM'S THEATRE, LONDON, OCTOBER 15 1996 223 THE ICEMAN COMETH ALMEIDA THEATRE, LONDON, APRIL 14 1998 225 MNEMONIC STADTKINO, SALZBURG, AUGUST 22, 1999 227 THE LADY IN THE VAN QUEEN'S THEATRE, LONDON, DECEMBER 7 1999 229 HAMLET LYTTELTON, NATIONAL THEATRE, LONDON, SEPTEMBER 5 2000 231 THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOON NEWCASTLE PLAYHOUSE, APRIL 12 2001 233 THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE OTHER PLACE, STRATFORD, MAY 11 2001 235 IPHIGENIA IN AULIS LYTTELTON, NATIONAL THEATRE, LONDON, JUNE 23 2004 237 JERUSALEM ROYAL COURT, LONDON, JULY 15 2009 240 Further Reading 242 Index 252