Individual actors Books

Book SynopsisJohn Byrne has over 25 years' experience as a working comedy writer, cartoonist and broadcaster. He is also The Stage newspaper's Entertainment Industry Career Advisor and, in addition to answering queries in his popular 'Dear John' column, has published over 40 books, many of them performance and comedy-related for adults and children.Trade ReviewJohn Byrne is the guru when it comes to advice on building a successful comedy career. Unlike many advisors, he's been there and done it himself. He knows the joys and sorrows of the comedy world and is best placed to help budding comedians make the most of their talent. * Jasmine Birtles, financial journalist, author, columnist for Independent *This is a book every comedy writer will come to value. * Ken Rock, founder member of the British Society of Comedy Writers *

Read more less

Book SynopsisBill Connington has devoted his career to helping performersincluding Broadway actors, Metropolitan Opera singers, and renowned instrumentalistsmanage their art through managing themselves. The former chairman of the board of the American Center for the Alexander Technique, Bill is currently a lecturer in acting at the Yale School of Drama and has taught performers at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, the Juilliard School, and the Actors Studio MFA Program.Trade ReviewA clear, detailed, and practical account of how the Alexander Technique can help liberate performers from habitual psychophysical tensions, allowing them to access the deepest and most creative impulses in their work. * Walton Wilson, Chair, Department of Acting, and Head of Voice and Speech, Yale School of Drama *In small, doable steps, Bill guides the actor toward a healthy, creative life as a performer—always with a supportive, encouraging tone and attention to process as opposed to results. * Kim Jessor, faculty, Tisch School of the Arts at the New York University Graduate Acting Program *Bill Connington writes with insight, clarity, and flair about a subject he loves and shares his valuable perspective on the training of actors by exploring the all-important connection between body, mind, and spirit. In a voice both friendly and knowledgeable, Physical Expression on Stage and Screen guides the actor from class to rehearsal to performance. * Jessica Wolf, Assistant Professor, Yale School of Drama; director of 'Jessica Wolf’s Art of Breathing' *Physical Expression on Stage and Screen provides new insight into the Alexander technique, which was pioneered by F. M. Alexander in the late 1800s … The best part of the book is the exercises (more than 100) that help actors explore their unique styles. Many of the exercises are also supported by free online videos created by the author. This no-nonsense explanation of the Alexander technique is accessible to untrained students and a good refresher for those knowledgeable about acting. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals -- E. C. Skiles, Lone Star College-Kingwood * CHOICE *Table of ContentsA Note on the Exercises Introduction PART ONE Preparing Yourself Chapter 1 The Alexander Technique and Theater Training Chapter 2 Sensory Awareness Chapter 3 Poise, Flow, and Choice Chapter 4 The Use of Your Self Chapter 5 Changing Your Mind-Body Chapter 6 Breathing PART TWO Organic Expression Chapter 7 Using Your Imagination Chapter 8 Conscious Imitation of Others Chapter 9 Using Voice and Movement to Stimulate the Mind-Body PART THREE Putting It All Together Chapter 10 Auditions, Rehearsals, and Performances Chapter 11 Your Psycho-Physical Health and Choice Textual References Acknowledgments Index Exercise Videos Contact

Read more less

Book SynopsisJohn Matthews is Programme Leader of BA (Hons) Acting at Theatre Royal Plymouth. He has written two books published by Bloomsbury Methuen Drama: Training for Performance (2011) and Anatomy of Performance Training (2014).Trade ReviewExtending his Training for Performance (2011), the author unpacks his thesis that the act of training is a human endeavor that everyone does because everyone is limited by “having a body.” The stories frame ethnographical, political, social, and psychological constructs to unlock aspects of the performer’s anatomy … the book is an intriguing contribution to performance studies. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty, professionals. -- J. Artman, Chapman University * CHOICE *Matthews offers an insightful, engaging, and imaginative read that urgently questions the place of training, and its attendant implications and values, in the twenty-first-century theatremaking context. -- Julie Rada, University of Utah, USA * Theatre Topics *Table of ContentsAnatomy Hand Foot Mouth Ear Heart A Body of Work

Read more less

Book Synopsis This Eisner Award nominee, a graphic novel adaptation of the award-winning Broadway play Ghetto Klown, is a 'hilarious Hollywood memoir' (Lin-Manuel Miranda, from his introduction) and 'autobiographical dynamite” (Pulitzer Prize–winning author Junot Díaz). Tony Award winner John Leguizamo lays bare his life story in this graphic novel illustrated by artists Christa Cassano and Shamus Beyale. He shares memories of his early years as an actor on stage, on television, and in major motion pictures opposite some of Hollywood’s biggest stars—including Al Pacino, Patrick Swayze, and Steven Seagal—and working for directors Baz Luhrmann and Brian De Palma. Leguizamo also opens up about his loves and marriages, while addressing self-doubt and melancholy in a way that enlightens and entertains.“[John] is a pioneer in theater and comedy, not just for Latin people, but as much as anTrade Review“Ghetto Klown is autobiographical dynamite—this is Leguizamo at his scathing, honest, moving, comedic best. Among the finest portraits of an artist as a young wounded talented man as I’ve read.” * Junot Díaz *“My main Johnny Legs has done it again. Ghetto Klown as a graphic novel? DOPENESS.” * Spike Lee *“John’s writing is a cross between hip-hop and Eugene O’Neill. His scathing and unforgiving look at his own life takes no prisoners and, best of all, sets himself—and us—free.” * Baz Luhrmann *“John’s writing has always been cutting-edge. His relationships with women, father and son stories, autobiography . . . He is a pioneer in theater and comedy, not just for Latin people, but as much as any comic or playwright I’ve ever seen or read. No one makes me laugh louder than this man. We are better because of him.” * Sophia Vergara *“The graphic novel of Ghetto Klown captures the infectious spirit of John Leguizamo’s live performances with the same surprising humor and cultural insight. These pages make John seem like the coolest super hero in New York.” * Jesse Eisenberg *“A touching and sometimes hilarious graphic novel.” * Parade online *“Though Leguizamo has matured, this insightful and engaging memoir still offers plenty of youthful edginess.” * Booklist *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAudiences everywhere fell in love with Marlee Matlin as the deaf student-turned-custodian in Children of a Lesser God, a role for which she became the youngest woman ever to win a Best Actress Oscar. Since then, she has become an inspirational force of nature - as a mother, activist and role model - in addition to playing memorable roles on popular television shows, such as Seinfeld, The West Wingand The L Word, and competing on Dancing with the Stars.Now, in I''ll Scream Later, Marlee shares the story of her life. Marlee takes readers on a journey of her life, from the frightening loss of her hearing at eighteen months old to the highs and lows of Hollywood, her battles with addiction, and the unexpected challenges of being thrust into the spotlight as an emissary for the deaf community. She candidly shares for the first time the troubles of her youth, the passionate and tumultuous two-year relationship with Oscar winner William Hurt that led to a stint in rehab, and her subse

Read more less

Book SynopsisTwo years ago Bernie Nolan was given the initial all-clear after a courageous battle with breast cancer. Over the moon, Bernie set about rebuilding her life and making plans for the future. Then in the summer of 2012, she was in her bedroom getting dressed when she found a lump just above her breast. Terrified, she immediately made a hospital appointment, where she was given the devastating news that the cancer had returned. It had spread to her brain, lungs, liver and bones and was incurable. Bernie''s first thought was of her daughter. Erin had just turned thirteen and was approaching a time when young girls need their mums more than ever. In true Bernie spirit she vowed not to let the cancer stop her from being ''Mum''. Bernie always said that her family was her greatest achievement and she wanted to be the best wife and mother she could be in the time she had left. In this book Bernie shares her struggle to become a mother - the miscarriage she suffer

Read more less

Book Synopsis''England? It seemed to be raining the whole time . . . Or maybe it was me''MARILYN MONROEIn July 1956, Marilyn Monroe arrived in London, on honeymoon with her husband Arthur Miller, to make The Sleeping Prince (later released as The Prince and the Showgirl) with Laurence Olivier. When the couple arrived at London Airport, they were looking forward to a peaceful stay. Marilyn would work during the day at Pinewood Studios, while Arthur would write. Then, in the evening, the couple would be able to relax together in their private English country cottage. It didn''t quite turn out that way.The ''cottage'' was actually a mansion, which belonged to Lord Drogheda, the managing director of the Financial Times. Raised in tiny hotel rooms and apartments, Marilyn felt herself being watched. She was, by Lord Drogheda''s servants, who were selling stories to the papers. When filming began, it was a disaster. Director Joshua Logan Trade ReviewPraise for the author's The Girl: This compelling portrait of Marilyn Monroe reveals the layers of her private self. Michelle Morgan proves that the star was much more than a decorative blonde. -- Lyndsy Spence, author and film journalistPraise for the author's The Girl: 'The Girl truly is a must-have. If I had my way, it would be on the shelf of every person in the world. -- April Vevea * Classic Blondes *Praise for the author's The Body Beneath the Flagstones, and Other Victorian Scandals: Ghoulishly entertaining. -- Jacqueline Banerjee * The Times Literary Supplement *Praise for the author's The Body Beneath the Flagstones, and Other Victorian Scandals: This is a great book for dipping into . . . the cases themselves are written engagingly and with appealing dramatization of key events. -- Kim Fleet * Crime Review *Praise for the author's Madonna: A must-have for fans of the Queen of pop, this gorgeous tome by Michelle Morgan charts the singer's career and features more than 200 photographs.Praise for the author's Madonna: If there is a book that you need to include in your Madonna collection, it is this one. * Madonna Underground *Praise for the author's Private and Undisclosed: A gorgeous collection offering a fascinating insight into Monroe's personal life. * Woman and Home *Praise for the author's Private and Undisclosed: A touching portrayal of the star in her more private moments. * Empire *Praise for the author's The Ice Cream Blonde: This was a good read, especially for anyone interested in the heyday of Hollywood with all it's dirty little secrets. -- Judith Reveal * New York Journal of Books *Praise for the author's The Ice Cream Blonde: Todd's life was an exciting one, and Morgan brings it to life very well on the page, making the book one to be devoured in just a couple of sittings. * The Motion Pictures *Praise for the author's The Ice Cream Blonde: The Ice Cream Blonde is well worth your time. It's a very enjoyable and informative read that I found hard to put down. * The Hollywood Review *Praise for the author's Carole Lombard: An entertaining and lucid biography. * We Are Cult *Praise for the author's The Little Book of Marilyn: A veritable treasure trove of all things Monroe. -- Bill Biss * Rage Magazine *Praise for When Marilyn Met the Queen: Morgan's research is impressive and the level of detail will delight fans * Daily Mirror *Praise for When Marilyn Met the Queen: This entertaining account of a brief interlude in Marilyn's helter-skelter life leaves you with fresh admiration for the way she navigated the merciless scrutiny of the world and the hefty expectations placed upon her. * Daily Express *When Marilyn Met the Queen is written in lively fashion, keeping the reader's attention with a series of snippets that are as revealing about 1950s Britain as they are about film-making. Morgan covers the familiar highlights of the stay, including Monroe's persistent tardiness, the frosty relationship with Olivier, the media circus and jostling crowds attendant on her every move, and Olivier's annoyance at Paula Strasberg's coaching of the star on set. * Times Literary Supplement *The real strength of Morgan's book is her ability to place four months in a famous woman's life under a microscope: who she met, what she wore, how she felt. Monroe's genuine excitement about meeting the Queen and her endless friendliness to the fans who loved her are endearing. What emerges is not only a close-up of Marilyn but also a picture of someone who, like many of us, romanticizes people and places only to find disappointment. * Toronto Star *

Read more less

Book SynopsisBy turns, it is riotous, deeply serious, practical and sad. Reading it is like being at her kitchen table with a glass of wine to hand. (Daily Telegraph)Lynda Bellingham was a tremendously gifted storyteller with a rich collection of tales of love, loss and laughter and this memoir brings her kind heart, courage and emotion to the page in vivid detail. There''s Something I''ve Been Dying To Tell You is a brave memoir about Lynda''s battle with cancer, facing death she found joy and shared it with millions. Her story is an affecting and at times heart-breaking one but it is so often laugh-out-loud too and ultimately the way Lynda told her life story serves as a great inspiration to us all. Woven into this very moving and brave story are extraordinary, colourful tales of her acting and family life that will enlighten and entertain as well as the journey that Lynda has taken to find the family of her birth father having already suffered heartache in her seTrade ReviewHer brilliantly titled book, There's Something I've Been Dying to Tell You, charts the unravelling of that delusion, and her determination to wrest a meaningful life out of sudden chaos. By turns, it is riotous, deeply serious, practical and sad. Reading it is like being at her kitchen table with a glass of wine to hand. Not just listening to the expletives of pain or the dawning of reality, but rooting for her when the treatment appears to be working, sharing her fears as her life expectation dwindles, and rocking with laughter at the absurdities that go with having the "least sexy" cancer of them all. Her description of the mechanics of dealing with a stoma bag in the ladies' at Buckingham Palace, when she accepted her OBE in March, reads like a comedy script. * Daily Telegraph *Bellingham has started a necessary conversation where often there is silence. The rest of us look on at these extraordinary people and wonder how we ourselves would manage. I am so grateful that such people are speaking out, now while they can. * Guardian *I laughed and I cried. The strength shines through in the whole book and the honesty. A fantastic woman. * Coleen Nolan *Touching and honest...It may be packed with heartfelt emotion, but don't expect to be wiping your eyes every time you turn the page - Lynda's cheeky humour is woven through every chapter. It's the perfect memoir from a much-missed star. * BEST Magazine *Moving and inspirational. A fitting memorial to an amazing woman. * Daily Express *Lynda's book is chirpy, positive, magnificently sane and, paradoxically reassuring. * Daily Mail *The actress bore no bones about sharing some of the most intimate details about her bowel cancer, and did so with admirable honesty. * Independent *The rawness of their situation is undeniably distressing, but what leaps from the pages is Lynda's stoicism and determination not to let sadness destroy her spirit. * Daily Mail *Praise for Lost and Found by Lynda Bellingham * : *Courageous... searingly honest * Mail on Sunday *A gripping tale of triumph over adversity * Woman's Own *Very honest -- Phillip Schofield * This Morning *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhat it takes to be a 21st century woman.Trade ReviewJessi Klein is a brilliant comedic mind and this book is a perfect reflection of that. It's like having a glass of wine with the best friend you wish you had. * Amy Schumer *Her writing is equal parts funny, strange and poetic. Think Miranda July meets Tina Fey * The Pool *Hilarious... In these 24 short pieces, her irreverent and inventive brand of humor almost seamlessly transfers to essay form. Riffs on dating, aging, marriage, infertility and childbirth have the zing-and-run rhythm of sketch comedy, but structured for the page... These pieces often have a let-me-level-with-you directness reminiscent of Ephron without being too imitative... One of the higher echelons of praise for confessional essays is that they mimic the experience of listening to your best friend. Klein's read as if you're texting with her and have been for your whole life. * New York Times *Klein shares her eccentric path to adulthood, from her tomboyish girlhood to sidesplitting dating tales and beyond in this uproarious, relatable, and irresistible memoir. * Harper's Bazaar *[Jessi Klein's] astute, hilarious essays about the perilous path to modern womanhood will have you wincing in recognition. * People *You'll Grow Out Of It does an amazing job making me understand what my life might be like if I were a woman. Or if I were Jessi Klein. I laughed. Lots. Not at what it's like to be a woman! That would be sexist. I laughed at the parts that you're supposed to. Which are plentiful. Because Jessi Klein is truly really funny. * Ira Glass *Is it really a surprise that comedian Jessi Klein, head writer and executive producer for Inside Amy Schumer, would write a book of personal essays brimming with sharp observations and insights and poignant recollections but that above all is very, very funny? ...We guarantee that this book will quickly become one of your summer favorites. * Entertainment Weekly *Chances are Jessi Klein made you ugly-laugh... laugh even harder with the comedian's essay collection * Marie Claire *Her arguments are sharp, her confessions just light enough, and-most crucially-her quips LOL-worthy on almost every page * Vulture *[Klein's] collection of mini rants strike that rare balance of honesty, brutality, and soul * Glamour *This book, her first, is the kind you dog-ear to death because there are so many good lines * New York Post *Fans of Amy Schumer (i.e., everybody?) will fall in love with funny-woman-and Emmy Award-winning Inside Amy Schumer writer-Jessi Klein's relatable collection of humor essays....Klein is a truly witty PRINZESS. * Bust *Never afraid to share insights and reveal the raw truth behind her own stories, Klein makes readers laugh while inspiring them, a feat that calls to mind the work of the late Nora Ephron. This uplifting and uproarious collection of personal essays will be repeatedly shared among friends. * Publishers Weekly *A gifted comedian turns the anxieties, obsessions, insecurities, and impossible-to-meet expectations that make up human nature into laughter. * Kirkus *Words of wisdom ... everything from breakups to pregnancy to ageing -- Abby Haglage * The Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisSimon Shepherd is Emeritus Professor of Theatre at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London, UK. He conceived and edits Palgrave's Readings in Theatre Practice series, for which his volume Direction appeared in 2012. Among his other titles are The Cambridge Introduction to Modern British Theatre, Drama/Theatre/Performance (with Mick Wallis), and Studying Plays (with Mick Wallis, Bloomsbury, 2010).Professor Peta Tait (La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia) is an academic scholar and playwright with an extensive background in theatre, dramatic literature, performance theory and creative arts practice. She has authored four scholarly books, and edited and co-edited three further books, with sixty other publications including articles in Theatre Journal, Modern Drama and Performance Research.David Barnett is Professor of Theatre at the University of York, UK. He is the author of Brecht in Practice

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Great European Stage Directors Set 2 offers an authoritative account of the work, lineage and legacy of the major European theatre directors from the second half of the twentieth century. Across the four volumes and the companion series Set 1: Pre-1950, it provides a uniquely rich study of the genealogy and development of a practice through focus on individual directors and the wider context and artform in which they worked. For professional practitioners and those developing their skills, as well as those engaged in the analysis of theatre practices, forms and history, it will prove an essential resource. Each volume provides substantial treatment of three major directors, with each director considered by two specialists, combining analysis of the director's practical craft with accounts of the historical, cultural and theoretical context of their practice. Links between the featured directors and other artists and directors from the period are traced to round out th

Read more less

Book SynopsisDavid Barnett is Professor of Theatre at the University of York, UK. He is the author of A History of the Berliner Ensemble (2015), Brecht in Practice: Theatre, Theory and Performance (Bloomsbury Methuen Drama, 2014), Rainer Werner Fassbinder and the German Theatre (2005) and a monograph on Heiner Müller (1998). He has written several articles and essays on German-, English-language, political and postdramatic theatre.

Read more less

Book SynopsisOffers a study of Chinese stars and transnational stardom focussing on the career of Jet Li who is a martial arts actor. This book explores the way in which Li has evolved from a Chinese wuxia hero to a transnational kung fu star in relation to the discourses of genre, gender, sexuality, ethnicity and national identity.

Read more less

Book SynopsisGathering together the most important new research on star studies, with case studies of stars from many different cultures, this collection looks at film stardom from new angles, challenging the received wisdom on the subject and raising important questions about image, performance, bodies, voices and fans in cultures across the globe.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis two-volume set presents detailed interpretations of singular performances by several of the most compelling actors in cinema history. This volume focuses on American cinema, including case studies of key performances from actors like Bette Davis, Irene Dunne, Whoopi Goldberg, Cary Grant, Oscar Isaac, Jack Nicholson and Al Pacino.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWith case studies of high-profile stars like Jet Li, Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen, this ground-breaking book examines transnational Chinese stardom as a Web-based phenomenon, and as an outcome of the participatory practices of cyber fans.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book presents a new reading of Pina Bausch's dance theatre, orienting it within an international legacy of performance practice.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book presents a new reading of Pina Bausch's dance theatre, orienting it within an international legacy of performance practice.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAnalyses the cinematic and social significance of the star phenomenon in Southeast Asia.

Read more less

Book SynopsisEstablishes the cultural and historical contexts for representations of female ageing in British film since the 1930s.Trade Review"Claire Mortimer's study emphasises the centrality of older women to the stories British cinema has told, despite the social marginalisation frequently visited upon them in real life. Examining familiar films with a fresh lens while also shining a light on lesser-known films, and spanning the 1930s to the present day, this book offers a spirited critical survey of the female figurations of age in British films, encompassing bluestockings and battleaxes, witches and widow-women, charladies and duchesses, spinsters and matriarchs. It also celebrates the powerful performances that brought sometimes stereotypically conceived characters to subversive life on the screen. Essential reading for scholars of both British cinema history and the cultural politics of femininity and ageing." -Melanie Williams, University of East Anglia

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe first substantial academic study on Tyrone Power

Read more less

Book SynopsisHorror cinema is a genre that is undergoing constant evolution, from the sub-genre of 'found footage,' to post-cinematic new media forms such as Youtube horror, horror video games and cinematic virtual reality horror.

Read more less

Book SynopsisExamines Diana Dors' film career, acting method, star image and enduring celebrityTrade Review"Shingler on Dors is a dream team: the doyen of Star Studies on the most warmly beloved of stars. Packed with detail, beautifully written, Shingler draws out the resonances of the Dors persona alongside demonstrating the skill of her performances, brilliantly fusing appreciation of the star as image and actor." -Richard Dyer, King's College London

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe book examinesMonty Python's enduring status as an unconventional, anti-authoritarian comedy touchstone, this book reappraises Python's comedy output from the perspective of its fifty years of cultural circulation.

Read more less

Book SynopsisOn 29 September 1981, Peter Turner received a phone call that would change his life. His former lover, Hollywood actress Gloria Grahame, had collapsed in a Lancaster hotel and was refusing medical attention. He had no choice but to take her into his chaotic and often eccentric family's home in Liverpool. Liverpool born and bred, Turner had first set eyes on Grahame when he was a young actor, living in London. Best known for her portrayal of irresistible femme fatales in films such as The Big Heat, Oklahoma and The Bad and the Beautiful, for which she won an Oscar, Grahame electrified audiences with her steely expressions and heavy lidded eyes and the heroines she bought to life were often dark and dangerous. Turner and Grahame became firm friends and remained so ever after their love affair had ended. And it was to him she turned in her final hour of need.Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool is an affectionate, moving and wryly humorous memoir of friendship, love and stardom.

Read more less

Book Synopsis"A fascinating close-up of Mr. Strasberg''s philosophy of theatre and method of working with actors."--Eliot Fremont-Smith, The New York Times Unavailable for over fifteen years, these transcripts of Strasberg''s private acting classes provide a revealing look at one of the nation''s most famous acting schools and its controversial leader.

Read more less

Book Synopsis Newly revised and expanded, Women in American Theatre is a unique resource that challenges preconceptions by exploring and celebrating the heritage of women in American theater. In this new edition, the editors have collected a series of interviews and essays that address the contributions of women to theater, the recurring patterns of their participation and the problems as well as successes they have encountered in developing their careers. Helen Krich Chinoy is professor emeritus of theater at Smith College, where she taught for over 25 years. Linda Walsh Jenkins formerly was a theater professor at Northwestern University and a dramaturg in Chicago theater.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisAfter more than five decades in Hollywood, Don Bluth, the man behind some of the most iconic animated films ever made, tells his story.Don Bluth never felt like a Donald. So people have always called him Don. A matinee of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs awakened something within him. Despite growing up in rural Texas and Utah, he practiced and worked hard to become an Hollywood animator. And after working alongside his idol Walt Disney, and on films including Sleeping Beauty, The Sword in the Stone, Robin Hood, Winne the Pooh, The Rescuers, and Pete’s Dragon, he realized that the company had changed into something he didn’t necessarily believe in. So made the industry-shocking decision to start his own animation studio. It was from that studio—Don’s studio—that came such award-winning, generation-defining films as The Secret of NIMH, An American Tail, The Land Before Time, All Dogs Go to Heaven, Anastasia, and the video game Dragon’s Lair. Now, after more than half a century in the movie business, Don is ready to tell the story of his life. How his passions for artistry, integrity, and his Mormon faith shaped him into the beloved icon whose creativity, entrepreneurship, and deeply-held beliefs entertained, enthralled, and inspired millions across the globe. Exclusive original art makes this book perfect for fans, cineasts, and anyone looking “somewhere out there” for inspiration and motivation.

Read more less

Book SynopsisExplore the creative evolution of James Cameron through this exclusive journey into his personal art archives, showcasing a range of rare and never-before-seen works from the acclaimed director’s private collection.James Cameron has blazed a trail through the cinematic landscape with a series of groundbreaking films that have each become deeply embedded in the popular imagination. But while Cameron has created and employed advanced filmmaking technologies to realize his unique vision, his process of creative ideation began with pen, pencil, and paints long before he picked up a camera.  Cameron displayed remarkable ability at an early age, filling sketchbooks with illustrations of alien creatures, faraway worlds, and technological wonders. As he grew older, his art became increasingly sophisticated, exploring major themes that would imbue his later work—from the threat of nuclear catastrophe to the dangers inherent in the development of artificial intelligence. Working in the film industry in his twenties, Cameron supported himself by illustrating theatrical posters and concept art for low-budget films before creating the visionary concept pieces that would help greenlight his first feature, The Terminator. For the first time, Tech Noir brings together a dazzling and diverse array of personal and commercial art from Cameron’s own collection, showcasing the trajectory of ideas that led to such modern classics as The Terminator, Aliens, Titanic, and Avatar. Including everything from his earliest sketches through to unrealized projects and his acclaimed later work, this book features the filmmaker’s personal commentary on his creative and artistic evolution throughout the years. A unique journey into the mind of a creative powerhouse, Tech Noir is the ultimate exploration of one of cinema’s most imaginative innovators.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe first hilarious volume of comedy writer, journalist, radio DJ and screenwriter Danny Baker's memoir, and now the inspiration for the major BBC series CRADLE TO GRAVE, starring Peter Kay.'And what was our life like in this noisy, dangerous and polluted industrial pock-mark wedged into one of the capital's toughest neighbourhoods? It was, of course, utterly magnificent and I'd give anything to climb inside it again for just one day.'In the first volume of his memoirs, Danny Baker brings his early years to life as only he knows how. With his trademark humour and eye for a killer anecdote, he takes us all the way from the council house in south-east London that he shared with his mum Betty and dad 'Spud' (played by Peter Kay) to the music-biz excesses of Los Angeles, where he famously interviewed Michael Jackson for the NME. Laugh-out-loud funny, it is also an affectionate but unsentimental hymn to a bygone era.Trade ReviewFull of warmth and laughter -- Ian Hyland * Daily Mirror *Danny Baker's passion runs deeper still as he attempts to squeeze the maximum amount of amusement from everything in his path in this hilarious first chronicle of his wonderful life. * THE OLDIE *A lively, memorable autobiography. * THE SUNDAY BUSINESS POST *

Read more less

Book SynopsisBased on new research, this profusely illustrated book draws together for the first time a group of works from public and private collections to examine the relationship that Thomas Gainsborough had with the theatrical world and the most celebrated stage artists of his day. Thomas Gainsborough (1727–88) was linked with the stage through personal friendships with James Quin, David Garrick and Sarah Siddons, the most renowned actors of the eighteenth century. He painted notable portraits of these and twenty others, including dramatists, dancers and composers. Not long after Gainsborough moved from Bath to London in 1774, the management of the Drury Lane theatre passed to the artist's friends Richard Brinsley and Thomas Linley. At this time, London's theatres were undergoing regular refurbishment to take account of technical innovations in lighting and stage machinery. At the King's Theatre in Haymarket in 1778, the 'elegant improvements' included frontispiece figures emblematic of Music and Dancing, and were painted in monochrome by Gainsborough. This publication firmly establishes the artist’s place within the theatrical worlds of Bath and London and shows why the art of ballet, and in particular Gainsborough’s sitters Gaetan Vestris, Auguste Vestris and Giovanna Baccelli, rose to prominence in 1780. It examines parallels between Gainsborough’s much admired painterly naturalism and the theatrical naturalism of David Garrick and Mrs Siddons, with whom he had personal friendships.Trade Review...the catalogue stands as an important work in its own right and will, no doubt, be useful for both theatre and art historians. * British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies *Table of ContentsForeword - Chris Stephens Gainsborough and the Theatre - Susan Sloman ‘English nature does not act much’ - Gainsborough, the Theatre and Nature - Susan Sloman Catalogue - Hugh Belsey Notes Bibliography Image Credits Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis*The Sunday Times bestseller*Fact: Did you know, over its lifespan, your sofa will witness roughly 293 arguments and 1,369 cuddles?Hiya, my name's Scarlett Moffatt and I love random facts. Almost as much as I love sitting on me sofa. You might know me best from my most famous and celebrated sit thus far on the I'm A Celebrity throne. You might also know me from all sorts of other seats, most especially my Gogglebox sofa. Well this book is my attempt at telling me life story through a whole series of them!So I'd like you right now to stop what you're doing and take a seat, whether it be in the comfort of your own home, on the top deck of the bus, on the tube (so you don't have to make eye contact with anybody) or on the throne of the house (a.k.a. the toilet). I want you to get comfortable and get ready to laugh, cry and maybe even learn a bit, as I chat to you about some of the highs and lows of me life.So grab a brew, settle down, and let's start from the very beginning...

Read more less

Book Synopsis"Ranging across the years, In Search of Jerusalem conjures up the spirited encounters of Michael Kustow's many-sided life: a tender evocation of his parents; portraits of actors, stage directors, painters, film-makers; vivid descriptions of post-war and modern Paris, Mumbai, Tel Aviv and the occupied West Bank; the early days of Channel 4 television; and new insights a moment of challenge and change. A life shaken up is re-assembled in Kustow's cavalcade of survival and renewal."Trade Review"""One of the biographies of our generation - richly layered, funny, argumentative, moving and intellectually admirable. A great achievement"" Melvyn Bragg "

Read more less

Book SynopsisIntimacy with Strangers offers a dazzlingly original, thought-provoking approach to celebrity interviewing. Ciaran Carty draws upon a career involving many of the world’s leading writers, artists, actors and directors as they explore intimate concerns, ranging from love and rejection to the smallest physical sensations of pleasure and pain, and to the great issues of politics and war, God and atheism – the big and small of the human condition. Interweaving recent cultural and social history, Carty exposes unexpected affinities shared by his eclectic cast of subjects. Through chains of happenstance and six-degrees-of-separation, Intimacy with Strangers mirrors the cinematic cuts, fades and dissolves of its author’s sensibility as film critic and writer. By creating this magical memoir, Ciaran Carty offers an idiosyncratic portrait of a kaleidoscopic Ireland in a global setting.Trade Review‘…this anthology from veteran arts journalist Ciaran Carty is a hybrid creation. He seeks to blend serious art and populism, but, it is the searing insights from his more highbrow interviewees that most command our interest.’ – Alan Murdoch, Sunday Times ‘Intimacy With Strangers is rich and rewarding; there is definitely a filmic quality to the narrative (to be expected from a writer who has devoted much of his life to the big screen) but it also has plenty of unexpected moments from an eclectic career spent talking with the greats’. – Joe O’Shea, Irish Independent

Read more less

Book SynopsisShe's Hollywood's highest-paid female star with millions of fans all over the world and she's barely out of her teens. Emma Watson's life has been an incredible story, one in which a girl whose parents divorced when she was very young ended up finding stability on a film set among the cast and crew of the Harry Potter movies. A film set that became her home for the next ten years. Like her fellow stars of the franchise, she has had to live her early years out in public. As a nine-year-old, she had never acted professionally before she was cast as Hermione Granger - the character that author JK Rowling based on herself. These days Emma Watson has grown up to be a sleek, international star dealing with being part of a global phenomenon that shows no sign of diminishing even as it reaches its story's end. As much at home at a fashion show as she is at a film premiere, Emma Watson's every utterance is news - even her hairstyle makes headlines around the world. She's already been the face of Burberry and her passion for fashion runs very deep.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBest known for her role in cult comedy TV hit, Benidorm and for playing Maggie Conlon in Ken Loach's remarkable film Ladybird Ladybird, Crissy Rock is a hugely popular actress and comedienne. But Crissy's path to success was far from easy and her life has been plagued by trauma and turmoil. Never has there been a more honest and disturbing biography ever written; never has there been so much to tell. Crissy Rock's poor but idyllic young life was plunged into darkness at the age of eight, when her grandfather began to abuse her both physically and sexually. Pregnant and married to a violent bully at sixteen it seemed that trouble and turmoil would always stalk her. Having finally escaped her violent marriage, Crissy began to turn her life around. Having firmly established herself on the comedy circuit she was then cast in Ladybird Ladybird for which she won Best Actress at the Berlin Film Festival. This is one of the most astonishing books you will ever read.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis illuminating study provides a comprehensive reassessment of Deborah Kerr's career, highlighting lesser-known aspects of her star persona. Sarah Street traces the specific qualities of Kerr's screen performances, paying close attention to facial expression, gesture, voice and costume. Covering many iconic films, including The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, Black Narcissus, From Here to Eternity, An Affair to Remember, The Innocents and Bonjour Tristesse, this book follows Kerr’s journey from her foundational image as an 'English rose' to her performances of challenging roles in which she was cast against type. Illustrated with images from Kerr’s films, this unique case study contributes to the critical understanding of film stars and screen performance.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements.- Introduction.- The Rise to Stardom.- The Height of Deborah Kerr's Career.- Deborah Kerr's Later Years.- The Stardom and Significance of Deborah Kerr.- Notes.- Select Bibliography.- Filmography.- Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen Tony Roper discovered at the age of twenty- seven that acting could be a proper job, it changed his life forever. Having drifted from occasional schooling to various adventures on the bread vans, down the mines and in the shipyards, Tony then saw an advert in the newspaper for part-time actors to star opposite glamorous actresses. He liked the sound of that, and it was to be the start of a whole new life. Now, for the first time, Tony tells his colourful life story. There's his large extended family which had more than its fair share of characters, his father's secret war record, the incident with the bread knife and his brother, his narrow escapes from death, and plenty of unexpected family revelations. Then there's his time as the legendary Jamesie Cotter in Rab C. Nesbitt , his enduring friendship (and the odd fallout) with Rikki Fulton, hilarious appearances in Only an Excuse?, Scotch & Wry and Naked Video , in-depth discussions with Billy Connolly about who really makes the best pies, how he came to write his classic play The Steamie - and why it nearly didn't make it to the stage. Tony also describes his shocking recent health scares and his agonising decision about whether to go for a life-saving operation or play one last game for Dukla Pumpherston. I'll No Tell You Again is the inspiring and hilarious autobiography of one of our funniest and best-loved actors, known to millions as Tony Roper and to his family as... well, read it and you'll find out!

Read more less

Book SynopsisA unique collection of everything that Chekhov wrote about the theatre. Chekhov started writing about theatre in newspaper articles and in his own letters even before he began writing plays. Later, he wrote in detail about his own plays to his lifelong friend and mentor Alexei Suvorin, his wife and leading actress, Olga Knipper, and to the two directors of the Moscow Art Theatre, Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko. Collected for this volume, these writings reveal Chekhov's instinctive curiosity about the way theatre works – and his concerns about how best to realise his own intentions as a playwright. Often peppery, passionate, even distraught, as he feels his plays misinterpreted or undermined, Chekhov comes over in these pages as a true man of the theatre.Trade Review'Chekhov is an acute observer who could easily have made his way as a director or dramaturg judging by his ability to spot strengths and weaknesses in not only his own writing but that of others. This book builds a strong picture of theatrical life in Moscow and St Petersburg just before and at the turn of the last century, with vast amounts of bitching seemingly a commonplace. It can also serve as a tangential autobiography since, through its pages, it is possible to learn much about its subject's life and work.' * British Theatre Guide *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA truthful, personal and insightful exploration of the state of arts funding and carrying on in the face of adversity, by the renowned founder of Out of Joint. One March morning, out of the blue, Max Stafford-Clark learned that the Arts Council had drastically cut their grant to his theatre company, Out of Joint, leaving it in danger of imminent collapse. Journal of the Plague Year is his account of what happened next, as he sets out to contest the cut, make the case for public funding of the arts, and continue producing the work for which he and his company are renowned. Max's journal often takes on an autobiographical flavour, including the unexpectedly moving story of his two fathers, his surreal encounter with the New York theatre world, and the shocking details of what it is to suffer a massively debilitating stroke. By turns funny, alarming and deeply personal, Journal of the Plague Year offers a fascinating exposé of the often Kafkaesque workings of arts subsidy in England, and the financial and artistic manoeuvrings which are a fact of life for every arts organisation today. It is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the state of our arts, from students to theatregoers, and from struggling arts workers right up to the Secretary of State for Culture.Trade Review'Fascinating... reads like an unpublished work by Franz Kafka... both horrifying and startling' * British Theatre Guide *'Eloquent... Combative, wry and stimulating throughout' * Times Literary Supplement *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn unrivalled unofficial history of the rise – and partial fall – of fringe theatre, Mike Bradwell's deadpan account of his adventures is one of the funniest and angriest books to come out of theatre today. Winner of the 2010 Theatre Book Prize awarded by the Society for Theatre Research. As he travels through a counterculture peopled by nutters, chancers, dreamers and prophets, Bradwell makes us marvel at his resilience and creativity, captured in a succession of vivid – and often laugh-out- loud – episodes such as: creating a character with Mike Leigh; enjoying the onstage mass orgasms of The Living Theatre; eating fire with Bob Hoskins; becoming an underwater escapologist (reluctantly) in the Ken Campbell Roadshow; creating Hull Truck; and doing battle with the Health and Safety brigade, the funding bodies and a Polish heavy-metal disco during his ten years running the famous Bush Theatre in West London. Bradwell is a passionate champion of the alternative as well as an admired and successful director. He makes a compelling – and urgent – case for preserving the true and subversive spirit of theatre from castration at the hands of bankers, consultants, stakeholders, cultural-diversity compliance monitors and the Arts Council. 'Towards the end of this brilliant account of his epic forty-year journey, Mike tells us, 'I don't believe that theatre is safe in the hands of grown-ups', and it is his healthy, eternal youthfulness that makes the book so inspiring' Mike Leigh, from his ForewordTrade Review'Inimitably filthy, achingly funny... Bradwell is one of the most colourful figures in theatre today' -- Ian Herbert * The Stage *'Both a history and a pointer to the future of theatre, written by one of its most courageous and effective champions' * Theatres Magazine *'Funny and rude, bloody-minded and undervalued, much like the theatre to which he has given his all' * Times Literary Supplement *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis?From the filth and the fury to the elegant extravaganza, Peter Gravelle', the many named photographer, has remained in the shadows of punk rock, low culture and high fashion, deflecting attention while steadily producing an epic body of iconic work. ?The Death of Photography' is a tour de force, a high end art book showcasing forty years of the best punk, fashion and portraiture of Gravelle's career. Heavily stylised images are woven together with Gravelle's own fascinating recollections from a live lived in technicolour.

Read more less

Book SynopsisActress and playwright Vanessa Rosenthal has been searching for her identity her whole life. Is she Jewish or not? English or not? This character, or that, on and off stage? As she explores these conflicting positions, her frank and funny findings form the basis of this fascinating memoir, bringing her to no fixed conclusion. Vanessa’s story covers her early life and family – and how her mother’s conversion to Judaism sowed the seed of being on the outside looking in. It takes the reader through her years of marriage and family, and the comic trials and successes of life as an actor, mother, wife and ‘establishment’ partner as well as her travels in Europe and Israel. Along the way she examines many taboos on Jewishness, including the deeply sensitive subject of how Judaism deals with conversion. The questions persist despite a happy and creative life, bursting at the seams but this multifaceted and moving memoir moves her closer to one answer: as an apparently insufficiently Jewish Jew, what or who should she be? This memoir will appeal to readers who enjoyed Lynn Barber’s An Education and Laura Cumming’s On Chapel Sands.Table of ContentsChapter 1: Belonging? Chapter 2: London Lights Chapter 3: Beginners on Stage Chapter 4: ‘Let Me Not Admit Impediments’ Chapter 5: All Roads Roam to Leeds Chapter 6: ‘By Indirections Find Directions Out’ Chapter 7: Eastern Europe Chapter 8: Ruth Chapter 9: New Horizons Chapter 10: Bialystok to Burnley Chapter 11: Normandy and Beyond Chapter 12: Being Earnest Chapter 13: Twilight Chapter 14: ‘Writing the Century’ Chapter 15: A New End Chapter 16: And Now Acknowledgments

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Jenaissance has arrived!Keep Coolidge and Carry On: The Wisdom of Jennifer Coolidge is a breakdown of her career, from her time as Jodi, Jerry’s girlfriend on Seinfeld, to her ascension as Tanya McQuoid on The White Lotus, which has crowned her, rightfully, as HBO and Hollywood royalty.Study her wisdom and learn how to manage a diner you inherited from your husband, plan a birthday party for your dog, bake a perfectly moist cookie, and, of course, bend and snap.Learn about behind-the-scenes details of Coolidge’s movies and life, hear how she managed to pose as Ernest Hemmingway’s daughter to get into bars, and take a quiz that will separate fans who’ve only watched The White Lotus from the stans who can spot her in the crowd of the Austin Powers football game.

Read more less