When so much writing, creating and performing is going on in the UK to make accessible and original work of excellent artistic quality specifically for the young, the literature on theatre for children is surprisingly sparse. This exciting book illuminates children's theatre today and presents an analysis of the best and most innovative work,whether it follows the tradition of adapting children's literature into performances which incorporate puppetry, dance and live music or whether it represents the rich cultural influences in the UK.

The contributors consider issues of ownership, active spectatorship and audience interaction. They analyse creative methods such as using `child's play'; making theatre for specific audiences such as profoundly disabled young people; connecting teenagers with Shakespeare; engaging children with the global multicultural society; the work of TiE today and much else.

The contributors are Gill Brigg, David Broster, Dominic Hingorani, Jeanne Klein, Geoffrey Readman, Matthew Reason, James Reynolds, Karian Schuitema, Tom Maguire, Peter Wynne-Wilson, Jan Wozniak and Oily Cart's Tim Webb. Together they have created a compendium of theatre for young people that will be invaluable for academics,students and theatre practitioners and will appeal to anyone who is interested in theatre and how it can widen young people's horizons.