How do we analyse a play? How do we take into account that a play is usually written to be performed? What influence does the performance orientation of a play have on aspects such as characters, time, space, dialogue, didascalies and the structure of the play? These questions and more are answered in a simple and accessible manner in The play: a manual. Both lecturers and students will find The play useful as it gives a basic introduction to modern drama theory as well as practical guidelines on how to analyse a play. The theory is constantly explained and illustrated by means of examples taken from more than thirty well know English South African plays.