List of illustrations; Notes on contributors; Preface; Acknowledgements; Chronology; Part I. The Social and Cultural Context: 1. Shaw's life: a feminist in spite of himself Sally Peters; 2. Imprinting the stage: Shaw and the publishing trade, 1893-1903 Katherine E. Kelly; 3. New theatres for old Charles A. Berst; 4. New women, new plays and Shaw in the 1890s Kerry Powell; Part II. Shaw the Dramatist: 5. Shaw's early plays Frederick J. Marker; 6. Shavian comedy and the shadow of Wilde David J. Gordon; 7. Paradox and parable: structure and philosophy in Man and Superman and Major Barbara Fredric Berg; 8. 'Nothing but talk, talk, talk - Shaw talk': discussion plays and the making of modern drama Christopher Innes; 9. The road to Heartbreak House Ronald Bryden; 10. Reinventing the history play: Caesar and Cleopatra, Saint Joan, 'In Good King Charles's Golden Days' Matthew H. Wikander; 11. Shaw's interstices of Empire: decolonizing at home and abroad Tracy C. Davis; 12. The later Shaw T. F. Evans; Part III. Theatre Work and Influence: 13. Shaw and the court theatre Jan McDonald; 14. Shaw's plays as music drama J. L. Wisenthal; 15. Shaw and the popular context Robert G. Everding; Index.