9 February 2026
89 new Methuen Drama plays in translation are now live in the Global Plays Collection 2 on Drama Online.
The collection offers work by dramatists spanning 5 continents and 14 countries, including Iraq, Spain, South Africa, Cuba, and Japan and more, with the majority being translated into English for the first time. It showcases the work of both established and emerging global playwrights with each volume masterfully translated by leading practitioners in the field. The volumes include pedagogical material, in addition to academic introductions which address the work of the writers and the themes within their work.
This collection offers 13 volumes of plays including:
- Selected Plays by Cuban Playwright Abel González Melo: These six plays follow the playwright’s eclectic two-decade career: from exploring the pulsing underworld of early-2000s Havana in Chamaco and Nevada, through an examination of political turning points in Weathered and Outside the Game, to his most recent takes on theatre and its intersection with contemporary issues in Tell Me the Whole Thing Again and Abyss.
- Contemporary Plays from Iraq: Volume II: Eleven plays that respond to the aftermath of the American-led invasion, providing a window into Iraq’s cultural and theatrical landscape during a time of profound change. Each work includes a personal introduction by its playwright, shedding light on their creative motivations and the historical backdrop that inspired these powerful pieces.
- Until I Return: The Selected Plays of Ismail Khalidi: Discover the complex histories and experiences of the Palestinian people through the work of Ismail Khalidi, an influential figure on an international scale. This collection spans the playwright’s career, featuring both his early monodramas and never-before-published new plays.
- Staging Black, Queer South Africa: Plays for the Gods!: Delving into African mythology to uncover a rich tapestry of history, spirit, and ancestry, this volume offers profound insights into the contemporary Black queer experience, shedding light on the complex interplay between identity and tradition in modern South Africa.
- Golden Tongues: Adapting Hispanic Classical Theater in Los Angeles: A first-of-its-kind anthology that explores adaptations of 17th-century Hispanic comedia within contemporary Los Angeles theater. Performed outdoors for audiences of all classes and genders, comedias questioned orthodox ideologies and power systems; 400 years later, these stories are still being used to call for change, but within modern-day America.
- The Oberon Anthology of Contemporary Spanish Plays: From a colonial past to a precarious European present, this selection of works by contemporary writers challenges the accepted vision of Spain to explore the national themes, historical legacies and modern-day concerns of a country of great geographical and cultural diversity.
Drama Online is an award-winning digital library from Bloomsbury, the world’s leading drama publisher. It offers over 5,000 playtexts, more than 800 hours of video, 450 audio plays, over 1,000 scholarly books and over 30 volumes of major reference works.