Brecht is one of the most important dramatists of the twentieth century whose work is studied on every Theatre Studies course. A trusted translation of one of Brecht's most popular plays plus Brecht's own notes on the play and all the important textual variants. The play frequently appears on Theatre Studies and English Literature courses.

Brecht's famous parable, written in exile in 1939-41, shows that in an unjust society good can only survive by means of evil. In it, the gods come to earth in search of enough good people to justify their existence. They find Shen Teh, a good-hearted but penniless prostitute, and make her a gift that enables her to set up her own business. But her goodness brings ruin and she must disguise herself as a man in order to muster sufficient ruthlessness to survive. Published in Methuen Drama's Modern Classics series, this edition features an introduction and extensive notes and textual variants.