The book by Phyllis Hartnoll, a British poet and theatre researcher, and the author of the first theatre encyclopedias in English, is considered a classic overview of the history of performing arts from ancient times to the present day. Its lively and detailed presentation of key information on the development of playwriting, directing, acting, and theatre architecture makes it an indispensable resource for theatre students.

The text is accompanied by numerous illustrations that provide a visual representation of the topics covered, as well as a reference apparatus.