Theatre studies Books
Insights Wicked Deluxe Stationery Set
£40.50
Insights Paper Magic Wicked
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£21.98
Profile Books Ltd Hard Streets
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£21.25
Insight Editions Wicked Deluxe Bookmark Set Set of 3
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£12.95
Manchester University Press Whats in a Name
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£18.04
HarperCollins Publishers Out of Character
Book Synopsis
£10.44
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC A Streetcar Named Desire
Book SynopsisThis revised Student Edition includes an introduction by Bess Rowen, Visiting Assistant Professor at Villanova University, US, which looks in particular at the play''s treatment of rape, vulnerable people, mental institutions (especially in connection to Williams''s own family), sexuality and sexual desire.A Streetcar Named Desire shows a turbulent confrontation between traditional values in the American South - an old-world graciousness and beauty running decoratively to seed - set against the rough-edged, aggressive materialism of the new world. Through the vividly characterised figures of Southern belle Blanche Dubois, seeking refuge from physical ugliness in decayed gentility, and her brutal brother-in-law Stanley Kowalski, Tennessee Williams dramatises his sense of the South''s past as still active and often destructive in modern America.METHUEN DRAMA STUDENT EDITIONS are expertly annotated texts of a wide range of plays from the modern and classic repertoires. A well as thTable of ContentsChronology Introduction Cultural Context: The United States in the 1940s The Glass Menagerie and the Beginning of an Era Williams and the Writing Process Realism, Naturalism, and Expressionism Method Acting and Elia Kazan Depicting Rape and Vulnerability Sex and Sexuality Production History and Adaptations Further Reading A Streetcar Named Desire Notes
£9.99
Little, Brown Book Group Hamilton The Revolution
Book SynopsisWinner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for DramaNow a major motion picture, available on Disney Plus.Goodreads best non-fiction book of 2016From Tony Award-winning composer-lyricist-star Lin-Manuel Miranda comes a backstage pass to his groundbreaking, hit musical Hamilton.Lin-Manuel Miranda''s groundbreaking musical Hamilton is as revolutionary as its subject, the poor kid from the Caribbean who fought the British, defended the Constitution, and helped to found the United States. Fusing hip-hop, pop, R&B, and the best traditions of theater, this once-in-a-generation show broadens the sound of Broadway, reveals the storytelling power of rap, and claims the origins of the United States for a diverse new generation.HAMILTON: THE REVOLUTION gives readers an unprecedented view of both revolutions, from the only two writers able to provide it. Miranda, along with Jeremy McCarter, a cultural critic and theater artTrade ReviewIt is a magnificent book, unlike any previous book about a play * Chicago Tribune *The best piece of art in any form that I have ever seen in my life -- Michelle Obama, on Hamilton
£36.00
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Importance of Being Earnest
Book SynopsisAfter all, who has the right to cast a stone against one who has suffered? Cannot repentance wipe out an act of folly? Why should there be one law for me and another for women?Wilde''s ''trivial play for serious people'', a sparkling comedy of manners, is the epitome of wit and style. This brilliantly constructed satire with its celebrated characters and much-quoted dialogue turns accepted ideas inside out and is generally regarded as Wilde''s masterpiece. This Methuen Drama Student Edition of the play includes commentary and notes by Lucie Sutherland, Assistant Professor in Drama at the University of Nottingham, UK, which investigate the play through a contemporary lens, bringing in the contributions from queer scholarship and discussions of recent productions of the play.Trade ReviewComes as close to perfection as any comedy I can think of. * Daily Telegraph *Oscar Wilde's best-known work always had a claim to be the wittiest play in the English language. * Financial Times *There is a real need for an updated, student-focused edition of this much taught play. * Jenny Stevens, author and series editor *A fresh new edition of a theatrical favourite that fully evinces the contemporary appeal of Wildean theatre. * Chris Megson, Reader in Drama, Royal Holloway, University of London *The play isn’t going anywhere, and Lucie’s expertise and proposed coverage look ideally suited to ‘free up’ the play from the grip of English Literature study and debate, and give something that Drama teachers can meaningfully engage with. * Matthew Nichols, Head of Drama at Manchester Grammar School, UK *Table of ContentsCHRONOLOGY COMMENTARY Context Themes Dramatic Devices Structure Language Performance History Behind-the-Scenes: Practitioner Interview Critical Reception and Academic Debate Suggestions for Further Study THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST NOTES
£9.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC A Dolls House
Book SynopsisThis revised Student Edition of Ibsen's popular play contains introductory commentary and notes by Sophie Duncan, which offer a contemporary lens on the play's gender politics and consider seminal productions and adaptations of the play into the 21st century. As well as the complete text of the play itself, this new Methuen Drama Student Edition includes a: Chronology of the play and Ibsen's life and work Discussion of the social, political, cultural and economic context in which the play was originally conceived and created Overview of the creation processes followed and performance history of the play, including recent performances such as a 2012 short film adaptation and a stage adaptation set in colonial Calcutta. Analysis of some of the major themes and specific issues addressed by the play, such as whether it's a feminist play and its author a feminist Bibliography of suggested primary and secondary materials for further study IbseTrade ReviewIbsen's great feminist drama * Daily Telegraph *Many a husband reeled back in horror after the premiere of Ibsen's marriage-shaking play in 1879. The fellow was actually challenging the sacred values of family life by suggesting a woman could break free of the marital gilded cage. What next? They will want the vote. * Daily Express *Ibsen's drama is a powerful statement of his radical beliefs about gender, the folly of idealism and the nature of modern love. In essence, it is the story of woman who wakes up to reality. * Evening Standard *Ibsen caused a storm with the notion that women were as entitled as men to think and live for themselves. * Jewish Chronicle *Table of ContentsThe introduction and commentary to the play covers: Cultural and theatrical contexts Themes Dramatic devices Performance history Trends in scholarly and popular debate
£10.99
Penguin Books Ltd Shakespeare
Book SynopsisA LOVE LETTER TO 67 YEARS OF ACTING ON STAGE - THE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERA witty, insightful journey through the plays and tales of our beloved ShakespeareWonderfully inspiring. A delightful spell in the company of one of our greatest actresses' Daily Mail, Books of the YearGloriously entertaining. Reading it feels like a chat with an old friend' ObserverA magical love letter to Shakespeare' Kenneth Branagh----For the very first time, Judi Dench opens up about every Shakespearean role she has played in her seven-decade career, from Lady Macbeth and Titania to Ophelia and Cleopatra.Here, she reveals her behind the scenes secrets; inviting us to share in her triumphs, disasters, and backstage shenanigans, all brightened by her mischievous sense of humour and striking honesty.This is Judi''s love letter to William Shakespeare the man who pays the rent.----Praise for The Man Who Pays the Rent''This book is pure enchantment' Daily Mail''This is a gloriously entertaining tour through the canon in the company of perhaps the most experienced living Shakespearean actor'' Observer''An utterly delightful book. An unstoppable stream of anecdotes, recollections and asides'' TelegraphCompanionable and compelling, mischievous and convivial it genuinely feels like you're sitting at her kitchen table with Judi Dench' GuardianGorgeous' Literary ReviewA wonderful mixture of appreciation and anecdote' Financial Times, Books of the YearInstant Sunday Times bestseller, November 2023
£10.44
Manderley Press Ltd Underfoot in Show Business
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£16.99
Manchester University Press Shakespeares Borrowed Feathers
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£12.99
Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) A A Raisin in the Sun
Book SynopsisLorraine Hansberry was born in 1930 in Southside, Chicago. A Raisin in the Sun was her first play and opened in March 1959, making history by being the first play written by a female Black author to be staged on Broadway and winning the New York Critics' Circle Award. Her career was cut tragically short by her death in 1965, aged 34.Isaiah Matthew Wooden is Assistant Professor at Swarthmore College, US, and a director, dramaturg, and critic. His research and teaching focuses on 20th and 21st century African-American art, drama and performance. Wooden is the author of Reclaiming Time: Race, Temporality, and Black Expressive Culture (2025) and co-editor of August Wilson in Context (2025) and Tarell Alvin McCraney: Theater, Performance and Collaboration (2020).
£10.99
Oxford University Press National Theatre Playscripts War Horse
Book SynopsisWar Horse is the story of Joey, young Albert's beloved horse. Joey is sold to the cavalry during the First World War and sent to France to fight on the frontline. Albert is desperate to be reunited with Joey and he too enlists and faces the tragedy of war in his attempts to rescue Joey. Nick Stafford transforms Michael Morpurgo's novel for stage.
£16.79
404 Ink Victor and Barrys Kelvinside Compendium
Book SynopsisIn Victor and Barry's Kelvinside Compendium, Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson reminisce about their hectic years as Victor and Barry through both beloved and never-before-seen photos, songs and musings in a scrapbook style compendium, including a foreword from former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
£11.69
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Conversations in Color
Book SynopsisStep into a world where the brightest creative minds of contemporary musical theatre share their insights and inspirations.Conversations in Color unveils the untold stories and perspectives of remarkable artists of color shaping the stage today. Delve into captivating interviews with visionaries like André De Shields, Alex Lacamoire, Baayork Lee, and many more, as they discuss the intricate artistry behind crafting unforgettable musical experiences.Unlike any other, this groundbreaking book offers an indispensable resource for the theatre industry. Explore the multifaceted process of musical creation through conversations with directors, choreographers, music directors, orchestrators, stage managers, writers, librettists, artistic directors, and fight directors. Discover the secrets of their craft, from project preparation to rehearsal techniques, career insights, and personal anecdotes. Drawing from Broadway and regional productions across North America, these exclusive Table of ContentsForeword from André De Shields Introduction Zhailon Levingston Baayork Lee Beverly Jenkins Linda Twine Stafford Arima Alex Lacamoire Jason Michael Webb Schele Williams Kimberley Rampersad Rick Sordelet Masi Asare
£16.14
Penguin Putnam Inc Working on a Song
Book Synopsis
£11.69
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Refugee Boy
Book SynopsisAn eye for an eye. It's very simple. You choose your homeland like a hyena picking and choosing where he steals his next meal from. Scavenger. Yes you grovel to the feet of Mengistu and when his people spit at you and kick you from the bowl you scuttle across the border. Scavenger.As a violent civil war rages back home in Ethiopia, teenager Alem and his father are in a bed and breakfast in Berkshire. It''s his best holiday ever. The next morning his father is gone and has left a note explaining that he and his mother want to protect Alem from the war. This strange grey country of England is now his home. On his own, and in the hands of the social services and the Refugee Council, Alem lives from letter to letter, waiting to hear something from his father. Then he meets car-obsessed Mustapha, the lovely ''out-of-your-league'' Ruth and dangerous Sweeney three unexpected allies who spur him on in his fight to be seen as more than just the Refugee Boy. Lemn Sissay''s remarkable staTrade ReviewFine and humane ... Sissay weaves in poetry, laughter [and] moments of awe * The Times *The playful, obstinate and courageously humorous tone of Zephaniah's writing shines through ... Hilarious and later heartbreaking. * Guardian *The content of the play speaks directly to contemporary issues around immigration and asylum, the plight of refugees fleeing warfare, the traumatic legal process of applying for asylum, the contribution of refugees to life in Britain, and the treatment of children in the judicial/asylum process ... Lynette Goddard is the leading UK scholar on Black British theatre and performance. She has published widely in this field and is expertly placed to write the introduction for Refugee Boy. * Chris Megson, Reader in Drama, Royal Holloway, University of London *The text is likely to be a welcome addition to Edexcel’s set text list * Jenny Stevens, author and series editor *Table of ContentsCHRONOLOGY CONTEXT & THEMES Cultural and Theatrical Contexts Themes Dramatic Devices Performance History Trends in Scholarly and Popular Debate ADDITIONAL READING REFUGEE BOY NOTES
£10.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The RSC Shakespeare The Complete Works
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThere may never be an absolutely definitive collection of Shakespeare’s plays, but this may be as close as we ever come. Clear, user-friendly and meticulous, this is the edition we all need. * David Tennant *All of humanity in all of its complexity is contained within these plays, so much so that it’s hard to imagine that Shakespeare will ever be surpassed as the world’s greatest and most beloved playwright. It’s therefore fitting to have this edition that displays his continuing relevance and resonances to his ongoing audience. * David Oyelowo *This is a glorious edition of one of the world’s most important books. It’s the essential reference book for anyone who’s ever been in love, felt jealousy, fear, hatred or desire. All human life is here – and every home should have one. * Dame Judi Dench, in praise of the first edition *Timely, original, and beautifully conceived, the RSC edition makes Shakespeare’s extraordinary accomplishment more vivid than ever. * James Shapiro, Professor, Columbia University, in praise of the first edition *Table of ContentsPreface to Shakespeare: A Second Edition, Jonathan Bate The First Folio after 400 years The ‘Second Folio’ of the RSC Shakespeare General Introduction, Jonathan Bate Shakespeare our Perennial Contemporary Shakespeare’s Debut: The ‘Upstart Crow’ The Back Story: Shakespeare of Stratford The Playhouses Plague and Poetry The Lord Chamberlain’s Man The Ensemble at Work Dangerous Matter: Politics and Religion The King’s Man Cult and Heresy The Great Feast of Languages The First Folio Restored User’s Guide Preliminary pages of the First Folio Foreword, Greg Doran, Artistic Director Emeritus, Royal Shakespeare Company PLATES WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: COMPLETE WORKS with Introductions and Key Facts, Jonathan Bate COMEDIES The Tempest The Two Gentlemen of Verona The Merry Wives of Windsor Measure for Measure The Comedy of Errors Much Ado about Nothing Love’s Labour’s Lost A Midsummer Night’s Dream The Merchant of Venice As You Like It The Taming of the Shrew All’s Well that Ends Well Twelfth Night, or What You Will The Winter’s Tale HISTORIES The Life and Death of King John The Life and Death of King Richard the Second The First Part of Henry the Fourth, with the Life and Death of Henry surnamed Hotspur The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, containing his Death and the Coronation of King Henry the Fifth The Life of Henry the Fifth The First Part of Henry the Sixth The Second Part of Henry the Sixth, with the Death of the Good Duke Humphrey The Third Part of Henry the Sixth, with the Death of the Duke of York The Tragedy of Richard the Third, with the Landing of Earl Richmond and the Battle at Bosworth Field The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eighth TRAGEDIES The Tragedy of Troilus and Cressida The Tragedy of Coriolanus The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet The Life of Timon of Athens The Tragedy of Julius Caesar The Tragedy of Macbeth The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark The Tragedy of King Lear The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra The Tragedy of Cymbeline PLAYS NOT IN THE FIRST FOLIO Pericles, Prince of Tyre, William Shakespeare and George Wilkins The Two Noble Kinsmen, William Shakespeare and John Fletcher POEMS AND SONNETS Venus and Adonis The Rape of Lucrece The Passionate Pilgrim ‘To the Queen’ ‘Let the Bird of Loudest Lay’ (also known as ‘The Phoenix and Turtle’) Shakespeare’s Sonnets ‘A Lover’s Complaint’ A Scene for Sir Thomas More (introduction, transcription and modernized text by Eric Rasmussen) CHARTS Shakespeare’s Works: A Conjectural Chronology The Houses of Lancaster and York: A Genealogy Kings and Queens of England: From the History Plays to Shakespeare’s Lifetime The History behind the Histories: A Chronology The History behind the Tragedies: A Chronology
£36.00
Union Square & Co. The Periodic Table of Broadway Musicals
£26.60
Canongate Books Not My Father's Son: A Family Memoir
Book SynopsisDISCOVER THE NEW MEMOIR FROM ALAN CUMMING. BAGGAGE: TALES FROM A FULLY PACKED LIFE PUBLISHES 28 OCT '21'One of the most memorable, heart-stopping autobiographies I have ever read' STEPHEN FRYWINNER OF THE SLIGHTLY FOXED BEST FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZE 2015THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERATTITUDE MAGAZINE'S BOOK OF THE YEARA beloved star of stage and screen, Alan Cumming's life and career have been shaped by a complex and dark family past - full of troubled memories, kept buried away. But then an unexpected phone call from his long-estranged father brought the pain of the past hurtling back into the present, and unravelled everything he thought he knew about himself. Not My Father's Son is the story of his journey of discovery, both a memoir of his childhood in Scotland, and an investigation into his family history which would change him forever.'Equal parts memoir, whodunnit and manual for living . . . beautifully written, honest . . . I was completely sucked in' NEIL GAIMANTrade ReviewEqual parts memoir, whodunnit and manual for living, Not My Father's Son is a beautifully written, honest look at the forces of blood and bone that make us what we are, and how we make ourselves. I was completely sucked in -- NEIL GAIMANWhat a shattering, compelling and extraordinary story Alan Cumming has to tell. And he does so with such style and grace . . . Beautifully and cunningly structured, Not My Father's Son is one of the most memorable, heart-stopping autobiographies I have ever read -- STEPHEN FRYDo you know the old line "I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me"? Alan Cumming's moving memoir Not My Father's Son is all that and more. This is a beautiful book-sad, funny, haunting, surprising, suspenseful, gut-wrenching, endearing. It will linger inside of you long after you turn the final page -- HARLAN COBEN * * author of New York Times bestsellers MISSING YOU and SIX YEARS * *In beautiful, honest, arresting prose, he offers a tale you'll never forget. A real diamond of a book. -- ANDREW O'HAGANIncredibly affecting -- DAMIAN BARR, Books of the Year * * Herald * *A poignant chronicle of damage sustained in youth and his recovery -- MARIELLA FROSTRUP * * Observer * *Powerful . . . the result is both heart-breaking and brave . . . A thoroughly gripping read, one that keeps its biggest revelation until the very end * * Sunday Times * *Moving * * Observer * *You'll like him a lot . . . Compelling * * Evening Standard * *A clear-eyed, often moving account of both his terrifying childhood and his recent attempts to come to terms with his past [. . .] Not My Father's Son moves elegantly and with an occasional dash of humour between Cumming's childhood and the revelations of the more recent past [. . .] memorable * * Chicago Tribune * *One of the most fun people in show business * * Time * *Cumming's eccentric style and assured voice shine brightly on every page, while escorting readers and fans on a memorable journey that is simultaneously insightful, brave, moving, and witty * * Book List * *Not My Father's Son shows Cumming to be a particularly skilled storyteller. His personal story is spun out in a thrillingly mysterious way . . . in this deeply touching memoir, Cumming has certainly marked himself out as one of our bravest and most perceptive writers, and an unexpected literary talent * * The List * *Powerful and shocking . . . That he can write isn't a surprise . . . He delves into his own history and leaves no stone unturned, no dark corner unprodded . . . What Cumming knows better than most is that you can never tell from the surface what's going on beneath * * Scotland on Sunday * *An open and honest memoir with some extraordinary twists * * Easyjet Traveller * *Powerful * * Big Issue * *Compelling . . . a frank, twisting book . . . a page-turner * * Metro * *A brave and thoughtful book * * Spectator * *Cumming's bravery is breathtaking . . . this is a brave book, airing fundamental agonies of the human condition with as light a touch as is possibly possible * * Sunday Express * *Best of all, [Not My Father's Son's] emotional intelligence is high * * Glasgow Sunday Herald * *Cumming is a good writer and keeps us guessing . . . the book grips like a neo-noir thriller . . . He knits together the various strands of his life with remarkable assurance. The occasional flashes of lightness in the dark, the few, very few, happy times with his father glow like embers, only to be extinguished by the overwhelming memory of the dark beast that kept him in a constant state of terror . . . What might have been a misery memoir is anything but. The bracing honesty and humour plus the fact that there is not a scintilla of self-pity makes this a tremendously encouraging book * * Daily Express * *This year's best memoir * * The List * *A haunting family history woven with empathy for his soldier grandfather but without a trace of self-pity about his abusive father * * Independent on Sunday, Best Memoirs of 2014 * *A brilliantly vivid and heartrending account of Cumming's early life, interspersed with some well-observed, comic and intriguing scenes from his more recent past * * Sunday Business Post * *A great read * * Connaught Telegraph * *Cumming's unsurprising gift for drama never overwhelms the realities of the damage done, nor his joyous determination to crush bad memories by living a good life * * Guardian * *With a completely captivating style, Cumming cleverly interfaces events from his past with the present * * Broadway World * *Gripping, well-composed and moving, this memoir is impossible to put down and remains with you well beyond the last page * * Pride Life * *This is such a great book: a memoir written with style and depth * * Sunday Business Post * *I very seldom cry but Alan Cumming's Not My Father's Son took me pretty close . . . Reads with the intensity of great fiction even though it's true -- IAN RANKIN * * Mail on Sunday * *Alan's powerful story is one which stays with the reader long after the final page has been read * * Attitude * *
£999.99
Insights Wicked Embroidered Journal
£22.49
Penguin Books Ltd This Is Shakespeare
Book SynopsisA THE TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019''The best introduction to the plays I''ve read, perhaps the best book on Shakespeare, full stop'' Alex Preston, Observer''It makes you impatient to see or re-read the plays at once'' Hilary MantelA genius and prophet whose timeless works encapsulate the human condition like no others. A writer who surpassed his contemporaries in vision, originality and literary mastery. Who wrote like an angel, putting it all so much better than anyone else.Is this Shakespeare? Well, sort of.But it doesn''t really tell us the whole truth. So much of what we say about Shakespeare is either not true, or just not relevant, deflecting us from investigating the challenges of his inconsistencies and flaws. This electrifying new book thrives on revealing, not resolving, the ambiguities of Shakespeare''s plays and their changing topicality. It introduces an intellectually, theatrically and ethically exciting writer who engages with intersectionality as much as with Ovid, with economics as much as poetry: who writes in strikingly modern ways about individual agency, privacy, politics, celebrity and sex. It takes us into a world of politicking and copy-catting, as we watch him emulating the blockbusters of Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Kyd, the Spielberg and Tarantino of their day; flirting with and skirting round the cut-throat issues of succession politics, religious upheaval and technological change. The Shakespeare in this book poses awkward questions rather than offering bland answers, always implicating us in working out what it might mean.This is Shakespeare. And he needs your attention.Trade ReviewThe best introduction to the plays I've read, perhaps the best book on Shakespeare, full stop. This is a model of unpretentious, deeply researched, profoundly approachable criticism. It's a book to give to anyone who loves Shakespeare, but particularly to those who think they don't ... What This Is Shakespeare gives the reader most of all, though, is a licence to enjoy the plays without the cultural and historical baggage they so often carry -- Alex Preston * Observer *The question that hangs over every new book on Shakespeare is, "Why read this one?" The short answer is, because it is very good indeed. There is no shortage of eminent Shakespeare scholars, and in her role as professor of Shakespeare studies at Oxford, Smith certainly ranks among them; but more importantly for a book like this, she is perhaps the pre-eminent Shakespeare communicator working today ... This is Shakespeare cuts through the accumulated crust of "schoolroom platitudes", cant and literary piety in order to dust Shakespeare off and see him as he is, was, and might be -- Tim Smith-Laing * Daily Telegraph *I like this book very much. It explains accessibly, with learning lightly worn, why Shakespeare retains such a hold in our culture. Smith has done an exemplary job of restoring the greatest of English writers to his own time, and explaining why he then speaks to ours ... An invigorating examination of the pre-eminence of the most revered figure of English letters -- Oliver Kamm * The Times *Quirky, brilliant ... what's most bracing about Smith's book is the way she sees the plays as almost organic: not only contradictory but alive -- Daniel Swift * Spectator *This is Shakespeare wears its learning very lightly, although there are clear signs of that learning in every chapter ... Sane, sensible and suitably woke ... original and provocative analysis -- Lisa Hopkins * Times Higher Education *Thought-provoking, fizzing with jokes ... Smith is celebrating a Shakespeare who talks to the present. She does it all with such a light touch you barely notice how much you're learning ... Anyone who doesn't understand what the fuss is all about should read This Is Shakespeare -- Colin Burrow * Guardian *An outstanding book ... a distillation of intricate conceptual and textual cruces into readable prose ... lively and unexpectedly moving ... curious and passionate ... [It reminds me] why I came to enjoy Shakespeare so much in the first place -- Sophie Duncan * Literary Review *Intriguing ... Smith argues that the defining characteristic of Shakespeare's plays is their 'permissive gappiness'. This must also surely be the first book on Shakespeare to use the slang term 'woke' * Evening Standard *A joy to read, full of questions, surprises, and new ideas. Smith brings us remarkable new readings of Shakespeare, and a sense of how his work lives on the stage. A wonderful book -- Margaret DrabbleIf I were asked to recommend one guide for readers keen on discovering what's at stake in Shakespeare's plays, This Is Shakespeare would be it. Deeply informed, never dogmatic, and alert to how performance matters, Emma Smith understands that Shakespeare's plays prompt questions rather than provide answers. Her elegantly written and sharply observed book is richly rewarding. -- James Shapiro, author of 1599: A Year in the Life of William ShakespeareA fascinating new perspective and an absolute pleasure to read -- Eimear McBride, author of A Girl is a Half-formed ThingImpeccable ... This is Shakespeare is the ideal book of its moment for unlocking the works of that most miraculous, mysterious and be-pedestalled figure in English literature [...] Smith's fresh approaches reveal something crucial about Shakespeare's ongoing relevance * The Saturday Paper *There's an invigorating frankness to Smith's approach [...] She generously leads an accessible and insightful route towards a provocative, complicating reading of Shakespeare's work. * GLOBE Magazine *Shakespeare pulled from his pedestal and made contemporary...this book is terrific...informative and, more importantly, very enjoyable * This England *Smith salvages Shakespeare from the status of isolated genius, and reveals him as an active participant in his own time and place. In turn, we the audience become active participants in the remaking of Shakespeare...This book puts the pleasure back into the plays, and there is no better reason to read about Shakespeare than that -- Sarah Ditum * The Lancet *Packed with sharp observations and illuminating commentary on the works and their afterlives...acute on the plays' modern resonances and how today's theatre troupes handle Will's less woke moments, such as The Taming of the Shrew. They won't cancel Shakey yet! * The Times Books of the Year 2019 *A brilliant and accessible tour of Shakespeare's plays that is also a radical manifesto for how to read and watch his work. Witty, irreverent and searching, this book shines dazzling new light on the oeuvre of the world's greatest literary genius. * Economist Books of the Year *A tonic ... This Is Shakespeare will, for some time to come, remain required reading for all those with more than a passing interest in Shakespeare ... ['Gappiness' is] a compelling way of evaluating afresh an author about whom we are often told that everything has been said ... Outstanding ... A model for almost everything that Shakespeare criticism for the general reader should be striving to achieve -- Rhodri Lewis * Prospect *Consistently fascinating [...] there's no denying the wit and intelligence [...] nor the dangerous readability of this thoughtful study. -- Alexander Larman * Observer *Read this and you will be seduced -- Val McDermid (Radio 4, A Good Read)Praise for previous works by Emma Smith "Emma Smith is a courteous and helpful guide who wears her considerable learning lightly in this enjoyable, well-conceived, well-written book" -- Andrew Hadfield * Irish Times *Praise for previous works by Emma Smith: "A fascinating and provocative book" -- Daniel Swift * Spectator *Praise for previous works by Emma Smith: "Delightful... there is a bite in Smith's exuberant tales of buying, selling and displaying Shakespeare... beautifully judged, impeccably researched yet wry and affectionate" -- Jerry Brotton * Financial Times *Praise for previous works by Emma Smith "Brilliantly approachable and entertaining ... anarchic, counterintuitive, critical ... perfect" -- Alex Preston * Observer *Praise for previous works by Emma Smith "Delightful" * Telegraph *
£10.44
Faber & Faber 1599 A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare
Book SynopsisWinner of the Baillie Gifford Prize and the Baillie Gifford ''Winner of Winners'' award in 2023How did Shakespeare go from being a talented poet and playwright to become one of the greatest writers who ever lived? In this one exhilarating year we follow what he reads and writes, what he saw and who he worked with as he invests in the new Globe theatre and creates four of his most famous plays - Henry V, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, and, most remarkably, Hamlet.This book brings the news, intrigue and flavour of the times together with wonderful detail about how Shakespeare worked as an actor, businessman and playwright, to create an exceptionally immediate and gripping account of an inspiring moment in history.A brilliant study, which carefully unpacks a single year in Shakespeare''s life ... The audacious focus on just one year pays off magnificently.' Sunday TimesA far richer, more intimate portrait of our greatest author than you''re likely to find in any cradle-to-grave biography.' Daily MailGripping and illuminating.' TelegraphA fascinating and entirely believable portrait of a talented workaholic ... Shapiro''s informed enthusiasm and energetic prose is addictive.'' GuardianTrade Review"'One of the few genuinely original biographies of Shakespeare.' Jonathan Bate, Sunday Telegraph"
£13.49
The History Press Ltd Till the Boys Come Home
Book SynopsisThe untold story of the army of men and women who kept British theatre alive during the First World War, and how the theatre aided the war effortTrade ReviewLays open the stage world of 1914-18 with a jolt or a marvel on every page -- Libby PurvesFluent and illuminatingFoss’s original take on the war is extremely well-researched and full of fascinating detail'Wonderful' -- Libby Purves
£13.49
Manchester University Press Summer. Autumn. Winter. Spring. Staging Life and
Book SynopsisBetween 2014 and 2016, Quarantine produced the first iteration of Summer. Autumn. Winter. Spring., an epic quartet comprising three live performances and one film. The full quartet premiered at the Old Granada Television Studios in Manchester in March/April 2016.This illustrated volume is both a case study of the work, and an investigation into the various themes surrounding it. At the heart of the work is the human life cycle and our relationship with time: the processes of living and dying, the experience of looking backwards and forwards, of being in the present, and of reflection on the stags of life. This volume collects together a range of artists, producers and thinkers who have significant things to say about these important themes.Table of ContentsPreface Richard Gregory and Renny O’Shea 1 An interview with Simon Banham, Richard Gregory and Renny O’Shea, part oneCristina Delgado-GarcíaSummer. 2 An interview with Simon Banham, Richard Gregory and Renny O’Shea, part twoCristina Delgado-García 3 A programme note from Summer. Cristina Delgado-García 4 Awkwardly placed: repeating scenographies Simon Banham 5 Living things: material entanglements in Quarantine’s Summer. Joslin McKinney 6 Underscoring Summer.Michael BaldwinAutumn.7 An interview with Simon Banham, Richard Gregory and Renny O’Shea, part three Cristina Delgado-García 8 Looking back with regret Carolyn Price 9 as at 5th Jan 2016, 2.30pm Sonia Hughes 10 Entitled drinking in a changing world Biray Kolluoglu and Zafer Yenal 11 Turning into darkness Martin Elfert Winter.12 An interview with Simon Banham, Richard Gregory and Renny O’Shea, part four Cristina Delgado-García 13 Illness, suffering, death: a philosophical conversation between Michael Brady and Havi Carel Michael Brady and Havi Carel 14 Winter. A Reflection Rachel Davies 15 Sharing in Winter.: film, participatory practice and the art of dying Michele Aaron 16 Processing Winter. Sarah Hunter and Lisa Mattocks Spring.17 An interview with Simon Banham, Richard Gregory and Renny O’Shea, part five Cristina Delgado-García 18 Wu Jin: recipes for jam and survival Rania Ho 19 Worry and hope among future parents Travis Rieder 20 From hope to care: some reflections on hope in a post hope world Mary Zournazi 21 Gloria Leentje Van de Cruys List of contributors
£18.75
Taylor & Francis Ltd Stays and Corsets
Book SynopsisStays and Corsets: Historical Patterns Translated for the Modern Body goes a step beyond traditional historical costuming texts by not only providing you with historical pattern diagrams and information, but by showing you how to adapt these patterns to the contemporary body shape. Using her original pattern-drafting system, author Mandy Barrington will show you how to draft a historical pattern for a modern body shape, while still retaining an accurate historical silhouette.Each pattern has been generated from an original stay, corset, or pattern taken from a historical garment. The instructions to follow these new patterns are designed to accommodate any size of female figure, allowing you to avoid extremely difficult, time consuming, and inaccurate historical pattern re-sizing Requiring only basic prior knowledge of pattern drafting, all calculations have been worked out for the costume maker and are provided in simple tables accompanied by easy-to-read, step-by-step diagrams that clearly show how the historical pattern is plotted onto the female basic block, coupled with photographs of the constructed stays and corsets.Table of ContentsIntroduction How to use this book Guidance on the pattern drafting process A guide to finding the measurements for your historical pattern Pattern Drafting Tools Female Measurements Taking Accurate Measurements Female Measurement Form Female Measurements Guide Standard Female Measurements The Female Basic Block Pattern Female Basic Block Instructions Preparing the Female Basic Block for your Historic Pattern Historical Patterns Introduction1735-50 Fully-boned Corset Bodice1776 Half-boned Stays 1785-88 Half-boned Stays1793 Fully-boned Short Stays 1820 White Cotton Corset1860 Closed Front Corset1875 Corded and Quilted Corset1890 Riding Corset1890 Wasp-waist CorsetGlossaryCostume collectionsSuppliers Further ReadingCreditsAcknowledgements?
£42.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC A Dolls House
Book Synopsis''I think I''m a human being before anything else. I don''t care what other people say. I don''t care what people write in books. I need to think for myself.'' Henrik Ibsen''s A Doll''s House premiered in 1879 in Copenhagen, the second in a series of realist plays by Ibsen, and immediately provoked controversy with its apparently feminist message and exposure of the hypocrisy of Victorian middle-class marriage. In Ibsen''s play, Nora Helmer has secretly (and deceptively) borrowed a large sum of money to pay for her husband, Torvald, to recover from illness on a sabbatical in Italy. Torvald''s perception of Nora is of a silly, naive spendthrift, so it is only when the truth begins to emerge, and Torvald appreciates the initiative behind his wife, that unmendable cracks appear in their marriage. This compelling new version of Ibsen''s masterpiece by playwright Simon Stephens premiered at the Young Vic Theatre, London, on 29 June 2012. It was updated with minor changes in Trade ReviewSimon Stephens's agile new version [is] . . . quick and clear and full of subtle touches * Susannah Clapp, Guardian *A sensible, sensitive and spirited version . . . that chimes with the debt-laden times we’re trapped in and poses still-pressing questions * Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph *The supple new version of the text by Simon Stephens is [a] great plus point . . . in this definitive take on a classic -- Fiona Mountford * Evening Standard *An astute, often savagely funny version by Simon Stephens . . . And as the doll at the play's heart and hearth cracks like porcelain and the woman emerges, it's with a force that's shattering. -- Sam Marlowe * Metro *Simon Stephens's new English-language version of the text . . . makes the characters' anxieties feel contemporary despite the period dress. "Feminism" may not have been in Ibsen's vocabulary, but he was undoubtedly concerned with the roles we all play and why. * Financial Times *
£11.99
State University of New York Press The Tourists Guide to Lost Yiddish New York City
Book Synopsis
£20.90
Bloomsbury Academic Trish Arnold
Book SynopsisTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Foreword by Jane Gibson Introduction 1. TRISH ARNOLD A Pioneer of Movement Training for Actors 2. BODY TO BODY The Passing on of an Embodied Practice 3. THE MOVEMENTS A Collation of an Embodied Practice 4. INTERVIEWS AND WRITINGS The Movement Work Today Conclusion References Bibliography Index
£60.00
Salamander Street Limited Act Normal: Mark Wheeller Contemporary Monologues
Book SynopsisAct Normal includes 31 contemporary monologues from Too Much Punch For Judy, Hard To Swallow, Missing Dan Nolan, I Love You, Mum - I Promise I Won’t Die, Game Over … and many more of Mark’s plays and musicals. Written with young performers in mind and available for classroom or audition use, they offer a range of characters and topics – both comic and serious - along with acting notes for each monologue. Many of the monologues are verbatim, providing a unique opportunity for actors and directors to explore this exciting form. Act Normal is the first exclusive collection of Mark’s monologue work. ‘Surprise your teacher, your friends, your family, your audience and last but not least, yourselves!’ – Mark Wheeller Monologue topics: True stories and verbatim pieces British World War II evacuee experience Testimony of world champion blind athlete Graham Salmon Account of sisters involved in a drink-driving accident Story of a woman’s battle with anorexia A young woman’s struggles breaking into the football world Two pieces on the life-changing consequences of a car accident Recounting of a prison assault Dan Nolan’s 2002 disappearance Grooming and human trafficking Students excluded from the mainstream education system Accidental drug overdose Young people and self-harm Online predators Fiction Absurdist, allegorical tale about a fantasy King Unplanned teenage pregnancy Fandom and mourning an idol (reference to David Bowie) Theatre in Education piece on road safety Featured plays, with character options and ages (NB: all are suitable for performers of any age and gender) Blackout - Operation Pied Piper - Jean, aged 9 Graham – World’s Fastest Blind Runner – Junie, pre-teen/ Graham, adult Too Much Punch For Judy – Judy, young adult/ Duncan, adult Hard to Swallow – Anna, young adult/ John, adult Sweet (W)FA / Lethal In The Box – Miss Vallas, adult/ Spanner, adult Chicken! – Nut-Job, teenager/ Chris, teenager Legal Weapon 2 – Andy, young adult Wacky Soap – Storyteller, adult Missing Dan Nolan – Pauline, adult / Sarah, young teenager/ Andy, adult One Million to Stop The Traffik – Mary, adult Kids Who Look Out of the Window – Tonisha, teenager Chequered Flags to Chequered Futures – Jane, adult/ Driver, adult I Love You, Mum – I Promise I Won’t Die – Jack, teenager Scratching the Surface – Louise, adult This Is For You – Susan, adult Can You Hear Me Major Tom? – Mark, adult/ Jasmine, adult Game Over – Lorin, adult
£10.99
Penguin Books Ltd The Empty Space
Book SynopsisAdapted from a series of four lectures, originally delivered as the first of the Granada Northern Lectures Peter Brook''s The Empty Space is an exploration of four aspects of theatre, ''Deadly, Holy, Rough and Immediate'', published in Penguin Modern Classics.''I can take any empty space and call it a bare stage''In The Empty Space, groundbreaking director Peter Brook draws on a life in love with the stage to explore the issues facing any theatrical performance. Here he describes important developments in theatre from the last century, as well as smaller scale events, from productions by Stanislavsky to the rise of Method Acting, from Brecht''s revolutionary alienation technique to the free form Happenings of the 1960s, and from the different styles of such great Shakespearean actors as John Gielgud and Paul Scofield to a joyous impromptu performance in the burnt-out shell of the Hamburg Opera just after the war. Passionate, unconventional and fascinati
£9.49
Oxford University Press National Theatre Playscripts Treasure Island
Book SynopsisYoung Jim Hawkins' quiet life at the Admiral Benbow Inn is interrupted by the arrival of Billy Bones and a treasure map. Jim leaves behind her peaceful life in search of the treasure. Along the way she encounters Long John Silver and a crew of bloodthirsty pirates and she realises this voyage may be more dangerous than she first thought.
£16.79
Faber & Faber Indian Ink
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£10.44
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Affair of the Heart
Book SynopsisThe best theatrical read of the year. - British Theatre GuideA book of selected theatre reviews from 1992 to 2020 from one of the foremost authorities on British theatre. Each chapter starts with a brief commentary on the developments of that era and the social, political and cultural context within which British theatre was being produced. Key obituaries and letters in response to reviews written are also included, providing a rich collection of curated archival material. Following on from his first collection, One Night Stands, Michael Billington's chronicle offers a rich, authoritative insight into British theatre over the last 3 decades from his unique professional perspective. It begins with Tony Kushner's UK premiere of Angels in America at the National Theatre in 1992 and culminates with Inua Ellams's celebrated adaptation of Chekhov's Three Sisters at the same venue almost 30 years later. En route, we're exposed to the fallibility of theatre criticism through his much-regrett
£22.50
Penguin Books Ltd A Little Devil in America
Book Synopsis**As featured on Barack Obama''s Summer 2022 Reading List**Winner of the Gordon Burn PrizeWinner of the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in NonfictionFinalist for the National Book Critics Circle AwardFinalist for the Pen/Diamonstein-Spievogel Award for the Art of the EssayShortlisted for the National Book Award''Gorgeous'' - Brit Bennett''Pure genius'' - Jacqueline Woodson''One of the most dynamic books I have ever read'' - Clint SmithAt the March on Washington, Josephine Baker reflected on her life and her legacy. She had spent decades as one of the most successful entertainers in the world, but, she told the crowd, I was a devil in other countries, and I was a little devil in America, too. Inspired by these words, Hanif Abdurraqib has written a stirring meditation on Black performance in the modern age, in which culture, history and his own lived experience collide.With sharp insight, humour and heart, Abdurraqib explores a sequence of iconic and intimate performances that take him from mid-century Paris to the moon -- and back down again, to a cramped living room in Columbus, Ohio. Each one, he shows, has layers of resonance across Black and white cultures, the politics of American empire, and his own personal history of love and grief -- whether it''s the twenty-seven seconds of ''Gimme Shelter'' in which Merry Clayton sings, or the magnificent hours of Aretha Franklin''s homegoing; Beyoncé''s Super Bowl show or a schoolyard fistfight; Dave Chapelle''s skits or a game of spades among friends.Trade ReviewHanif Abdurraqib's genius is in pinpointing those moments in American cultural history when Black people made lightning strike. But Black performance, Black artistry, Black freedom too often came at devastating price. The real devil in America is America itself, the one who stole the soul that he, through open eyes and fearless prose, snatches back. This is searing, revelatory, filled with utter heartbreak, and unstoppable joy. -- Marlon James, author of Black Leopard Red WolfA rapturous exploration of black genius. Whether heralding unsung entertainers or re-examining legends, Hanif Abdurraqib weaves together gorgeous essays that reveal the resilience, heartbreak, and joy within black performance. I read this book breathlessly. -- Brit Bennett * author of The Vanishing Half *To read Hanif Abdurraqib is to be embraced in the middle of chaos. In his latest book, A Little Devil In America: In Praise of Black Performance, he does what many great writers do, which is to illuminate and join the dots between connections readers may once have failed to see. * Huck *Abdurraqib is one of the most brilliant writers I've ever read. A Little Devil In America needs to be on every bedside table, every high school and college desktop - and basically, in this age of a revolution, this is that ONE book that everyone needs to read. Pure genius. I'm not even trying to get at even SOME of the brilliance Hanif gets to with this book-there is just too much. From Black Exceptionalism to Josephine Baker to Old Heads-he brings it and clarifies it, then shapes it into every bit of medicine we need right now. -- Jacqueline Woodson * author of Red at the Bone *Poignant, powerful, candid, written with sincerity and emotion ... An important book * New York Times *The most important cultural critic in America right now? This writer gets my vote. Abdurraqib has delivered a winner. * Chicago Tribune *Hanif Abdurraqib has a way of taking slices of our cultural landscape, examining them, and transforming them into observations and analyses that leave me underlining the entire page. In A Little Devil In America, Abdurraqib brilliantly braids together history, criticism, and prose so stunning that it makes you want to read every word out loud just so you can hear its music. Everything Abdurraqib writes is a must-read, but this is his best yet. It is one of the most dynamic books I have ever read. -- Clint SmithBlending pop-culture essays, memoir, and poetry, A Little Devil in America delves into the manyiterations of Black artistic expression through an often deeply personal lens ...Startling, layered, and timely, this is an essential, illuminating collection * Booklist (starred review) *A thoughtful memoir rolled into a set of joined essays on life, death, and the Black experience in America... Social criticism, pop culture, and autobiography come together neatly in these pages, and every sentence is sharp, provocative, and self-aware ... A winner. -- Kirkus Reviews (*starred review*)A Little Devil in America is so so heavy in some places that I have to take breaks. It just hurts to read some of these truths, woven in such beautiful writing. -- Yomi SodeIn this staggeringly intimate meditation, Abdurraqib shines a light on how Black artists have shaped-and been shaped by-American culture. His prose is reliably razor-sharp. Filled with nuance and lyricism, Abdurraqib's luminous survey is stunning. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *Abdurraqib pens respectful, heartwarming essays that reflect on giants in music, television, cinema, and even magic...his stories will inspire and provoke thoughtful meditations on how Black lives matter in all areas of life and art. * Library Journal (starred review) *Abdurraqib uses his inimitable blend of incisive, piercing criticism and shimmering stream-of-consciousness to explore everything from the problem with praising Black women for being "vessels" who have "saved America" with their votes (he points out: "It occurred to me that Black women were simply attempting to save themselves") to Dave Chappelle's appeal to white audiences to the death of his mother. Moving, provocative, and infused with a singular lyricism, A Little Devil in America is an exultant blend of memoir and criticism, a must-read for anyone looking to better understand this country and its people. * Refinery29 *It's an absolutely brilliant book from a critic who's become one of the country's most essential writers... To call Abdurraqib anything less than one of the best writers working in America, and to call this book anything less than a masterpiece, would be doing him, and literature as a whole, a disservice -- Michael Shaub * Minneapolis Star Tribune *These 'notes in praise of Black performance' encompass dance, music, film, and standup, along with everyday affectations and embodiments of masculinity, fear, intimacy, and belonging. Subjects include Josephine Baker, Michael Jackson, blackface, "Soul Train," and brotherhood. ...Combines meditations on personal experiences-losing his mother, navigating the Midwestern punk scene-with affectionate studies of cultural moments and figures, beloved and under-sung alike. Abdurraqib views performance as an expression of life and a means of survival * The New Yorker *[Abdurraqib] has brought to pop criticism and cultural history not just a poet's lyricism and imagery but also a scholar's rigor, a novelist's sense of character and place, and a punk-rocker's impulse to dislodge conventional wisdom from its moorings until something shakes loose and is exposed to audiences too lethargic to think or even react differently -- Gene Seymour * Bookforum *A book that brims with wonder and introspection while also honoring the significance and contributions of so many of the lives within it. Abdurraqib's passions are fully on display, and his widespread love is infectious in the best way possible, resulting in a masterwork that will not only move readers but will also send them off into their own personal rabbit holes of joy and wonder. This is, perhaps, the greatest gift a writer can give to his readers, and A Little Devil in America delivers it in spades -- Daniel Modlin * The Daily Beast *contemplative and scholarly... it is a joy to watch [Hanif's] mind work. In his new collection of interconnected essays, the author...excavates the bits of pop culture that often get paved over by white supremacy and our collective short-term memory. As for the parts we think we know - Abdurraqib has lots to say about Whitney Houston, Dave Chappelle, Green Book, Altamont, and more - it's his pointed and frequently personal re-examinations that set A Little Devil soaring -- Patrick Rapa * The Philadelphia Inquirer *A vibrant showcase of sharp writing, Abdurraqib's A Little Devil in America attests that Black performance at its root is not simply an outward show of talent but also a means of survival. Read carefully. Abdurraqib's book is a challenge not to accept the usual explanations for the performances we witness. * BookPage *Abdurraqib's great strength is his ability to present broad, canny observations through the lens of his personal experience, and his intimate exploration of what these specific moments meant to him as a Black Muslim coming of age in the US is what lingers long after you've finished the book * Buzzfeed *Abdurraqib has written a profound reflection on how Black performance is woven into the fabric of American culture... A Little Devil in America is a joyous ode to Black performance throughout history. * PureWow *Throughout, Abdurraqib writes with urgency as he highlights what these performances mean, how they connect to his own feelings on grief, love and life, and where they fit into American history. * TIME Magazine *From Josephine Baker to Soul Train to 'Sixteen Ways of Looking at Blackface,' Abdurraqib takes us on a wild ride through the history of Black performances, artists who crushed boundaries and carved out spaces for vigorous forms of African American expression. His is an intimate, conspiratorial voice, musically inflected, blending scholarship with anecdote, a 'waltz in a circular chamber of your homies and not-homies, shouting chants of excitement.' * Oprah Magazine *Abdurraqib breathes new life into performers of significance in his life, both legendary and unsung * A.V. Club *Abdurraqib is one of our finest writers period. A brilliant poet, essayist and cultural critic, he handles nostalgia, pop culture, Blackness and friendship in ways few writers can. Here, he examines Black America's changing views of Whitney Houston, the death of Michael Jackson, the spiritual properties of dancing, Afrofuturism and more. The early chapter "Sixteen Ways of Looking at Blackface" is a deeply humane piece of virtuoso writing. Longer dispatches are broken up by lyric, stream-of-consciousness pieces that refresh the soul and remind readers that there's little Abdurraqib can't do -- Aarik Danielsen * Columbia Star Tribune *In his new collection of essays, A Little Devil in America, the poet and critic Hanif Abdurraqib surveys this sprawl of expression. Here he charges himself with quite an ambitious task, pinning down and contextualizing the historic scale of such a globally significant cultural output, and it is one that would appear to call for an equally ambitious scope... Contemplations of legendary voices, sleights of hand, and charismatic choreographies are in dialogue with his own stories of grief, love, faith, and the search for freedom within the confinements of borders and a body...Abdurraqib expands the conception of "performance" to include the whole realm of behavior and culture...Playfulness, seduction, artistry, and reinvention: Abdurraqib wants us to know that these devilish gestures have their place, too, among the saints that line the corridors in this tiresome, captivating, and essential struggle * The Nation *In A Little Devil in America, Abdurraqib walks readers through Black archives of dance, film, social struggle, and song as though these "intimate histories" of performance (as Saidiya Hartman calls them) could free us from anything that misses the beat. For this collection of essays, he does the work of a DJ: he digs through the crates, selects the most appropriately unexpected songs/topics/subjects, builds a collage between cuts and scratches, and presents his set. His books are soundscapes in print, and I was somehow listening to each sentence as if it were a breakbeat of personal narrative and socio-historical commentary...Hanif is one of the most exciting writers of his generation * Los Angeles Review of Books *Abdurraqib, known for his playful, intelligent sense of humor on Twitter, highlights amazing performances that shed light on societal constructions and moments of sheer joy his book about Black culture in America. Writing about joy is challenging; falling back on cliche is a constant temptation that Abdurraqib avoids in this insightful tome * Forbes *That sense of limitlessness wraps itself around every essay in Abdurraqib's newest book, A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance. In it, he writes about Black performance in America-from Great Depression-era dance marathons to the enduring cool of Don Cornelius to the art of Mike Tyson entering a boxing ring-with both great reverence and rigorous analysis. The book, in the way Abdurraqib's work so often does, erects monuments to our should-be legends and our unignorable icons alike, and paints an expansive, deeply felt portrait of the history of Black artistry -- Leah Johnson * Electric Literature *This deft consideration of seemingly irreconcilable values, between the personal and private dimensions of performance, can be found throughout the essays in A Little Devil in America...Abdurraqib sees performance as a site of radical questioning, experimentation, and dream-making. This book is not a work of theory. It is sensual. We watch him watching his idols and we watch him dancing along with them, sometimes clumsily. If Brooks's goal is to make a case for performers' intellectualism, Abdurraqib's is to help us understand how they teach us to live richer, more embodied lives -- Danielle A. Jackson * Vulture *Engrossing and moving ... A new, poetic take on essays that, I think, changes the game in many ways. -- Roger Robinson * New Statesman Books of the Year *Astonishing, impressive ... the connections he makes point to the enduring influence of Black art ... a book as bold as it is essential * TIME Book of the Year *
£10.44
Methuen Publishing Ltd Dario Fo Franca Rame Theatre Politics Life
Book SynopsisJoseph Farrell's biography gives a complete account of the various activities and multifaceted lives of two extraordinary individuals Dario Fo and Franca Rame.
£22.50
Hal Leonard Europe Limited Edexcel A Level Drama Study Guide
Book Synopsis
£28.49
Vintage Publishing At Your Own Risk
Book SynopsisImpassioned, witty and polemical, At Your Own Risk is Derek Jarman''s defiant celebration of gay sexuality.In At Your Own Risk, Derek Jarman weaves poetry, prose, photographs and newspaper extracts into a rich tapestry of gay experience in the UK. The buttoned-up repression of the fifties and sixties makes way for liberation and free love in the seventies, only to be chased by the terror and pain of HIV/AIDS. This is Jarman at his passionate best, written when he was already ill with HIV and in the midst of the moral panic surrounding the AIDS crisis. Defiant and furious, he not only celebrates his own sexuality but skewers wider society for its brazen homophobia. Reissued here 25 years after Jarman''s death, with an introduction by Straight Jacket author Matthew Todd, At Your Own Risk remains a singular work. It is a powerful reminder of how far we have come and how much further we have left to go.''It blew my mind quiteTrade ReviewIf there is any such thing as the literary equivalent of an incendiary bomb, then this is it... His semtex-packed sentences are welcome thunderflashes of dissent in the grey drizzle of a dispirited political climate * New Statesman *At Your Own Risk gives the reader access to something that is hard to articulate, the near asphyxiating pain, anxiety and rage which many gay people have felt living under the physical, legal and cultural attacks of the last few years * Observer *For all his anger, Jarman never seems brutalised. He retains his humanity and good humour. His is a wonderfully garrulous, mercurial, polymathic daemon * Literary Review *
£10.44
Manchester University Press Do it Yourself
Book SynopsisDo It Yourself is a practical guide for artists, activists, and organisers to create impactful theatre rooted in working-class communities. Drawing on fifteen years of experience, UK theatre company Common/Wealth share their experimental approach, offering a vision of theatre as a powerful tool for political change. -- .
£14.24
Boldwood Books Ltd The Seaside Girls: The start of a wonderful
Book SynopsisA brand new series full of friendship, singing and laughter as war looms...Cleethorpes 1939 With the country teetering on the brink of war everyone faces an uncertain future. Destitute after the tragic death of her father, aspiring singer Jessie Delaney and her family have no choice other than to accept the charity of relatives to ensure a roof over their heads. Spiteful Aunt Iris soon has Jessie dreaming of a life filled with colour and excitement that she knows the theatre can offer. How can Jessie escape the drudgery, support her family and pursue her dreams? Through her father’s connections Jessie finds work as a Variety Girl in a new show at the Empire in Cleethorpes, a small seaside theatre on the east coast. But taking the job means flying solo and leaving her family and her sweetheart, Harry behind. Friendships are forged but will the glamour of show business lose its shine without those she loves close by?A gritty and heart-warming saga perfect for readers of Elaine Everest, Nancy Revell and Pam Howes.Praise for Tracy Baines:‘A charming, heart-warming saga about ambition, hard work and courage in the cut and thrust of a world often driven by jealousy and spite’. Rosie Clarke‘Immerse yourself in the exciting, evocative world of Wartime musical theatre. I highly recommend this book.’ Fenella Miller‘An emotional, entertaining read that had me gripped!’ Sheila Riley'An absorbing and poignant saga. I loved it from the very beginning and would highly recommend it...' Elaine Roberts'Terrific - beautifully written. The book twinkles. A well-crafted and satisfying story' Maisie Thomas‘A pleasure from start to finish.’ Glenda Young‘…you will have to read this well-researched song and dance of a novel in great gulps as I did’ Annie Clark‘I just loved this book! Molly WaltonThe Variety Girls is terrific - beautifully written & with an unusual background. The stage costumes twinkle with sequins and the book twinkles with tiny details of theatre life that add depth and atmosphere to this well-crafted and satisfying story. Maisie Thomas, The Railway Girls‘A pleasure from start to finish.’ Glenda Young, Belle of the Backstreets‘…you will have to read this well-researched song and dance of a novel in great gulps as I did’ Milly Adams‘an evocative, busy, entertaining read, which has well balanced touches of humour, vying with angst, and of course, more than a dollop of tension.’ Margaret Graham, Frost Magazine‘Characterisation is one of the book’s strong points – the individual characters stay in your mind long after you finish the story.’ Barbara Dynes, The Voice
£20.69
Manchester University Press As You Like it
Book SynopsisThis book examines the modern performance history of one of Shakespeare's best-loved and most enduring comedies, and one that has given opportunities for generations of theatre-makers and theatre-goers to explore the pleasures of pastoral, gender masquerade and sexual ambiguity. Powered by Shakespeare's greatest female comic role, the play invites us into a deeply English woodland that has also been richly imagined as a space of dreams. The study retrieves the untold stories of stage productions in Britain, France and Germany, which include Royal Shakespeare Company productions starring Vanessa Redgrave, Eileen Atkins and Juliet Stevenson, the ground-breaking all-male productions at the National Theatre in 1967 and by Cheek by Jowl in 1992, and the versions directed by Jacques Copeau in Paris in 1934, and by Peter Stein in Berlin in 1977. It also addresses the four major screen versions of the play, ranging from Paul Czinner's 1936 film to Kenneth Branagh's seventy years later.Table of ContentsIntroduction: this strange, eventful history 1 Play, parts and players 2 Hunting for Arden in Warwickshire 3 Materials of performance: denim and silk 4 Between France and Germany 5 At all points like a man 6 Woeful pageants 7 As we like it Appendix: Major actors and staff for productions discussed in this volume Index
£21.00
Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) Opening Doors
Book SynopsisJohn Doyle has been Artistic Director of four prestigious UK theatres. He has an extensive directing career in theatre, film and opera. His credits in the US include Broadway productions of Sweeney Todd (Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical), Company (Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical), The Visit (Tony Nomination for Best Musical), The Color Purple (Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical), Caucasian Chalk Circle (American Conservatory Theatre), and Kiss Me Kate (Stratford Festival Theatre). John has numerous theatre credits in London's West End and throughout the UK. Until recently John was Artistic Director of Classic Stage Company in New York City and a Professor at Princeton University.
£22.50
HarperCollins Publishers Shakespeare The World as a Stage
Book SynopsisBill Bryson's biography of William Shakespeare unravels the superstitions, academic discoveries and myths surrounding the life of our greatest poet and playwright.Ever since he took the theatre of Elizabethan London by storm over 400 years ago, Shakespeare has remained centre stage. His fame stems not only from his plays performed everywhere from school halls to the world''s most illustrious theatres but also from his enigmatic persona. His face is familiar to all, yet in reality very little is known about the man behind the masterpieces.Shakespeare's life, despite the scrutiny of generations of biographers and scholars, is still a thicket of myths and traditions, some preposterous, some conflicting, arranged around the few scant facts known about the Bard from his birth in Stratford to the bequest of his second best bed to his wife when he died.Taking us on a journey through the streets of Elizabethan and Jacobean England, Bryson examines centuries of stories, half-truths and downrTrade Review'A brilliantly funny and gently insightful travel guide to 16th century England. Bryson is great at picking out of the morass of Elizabethan fact the small details that illuminate and amuse…he also uncovers from the world that surrounded the theatre some fascinating examples of Elizabethan eccentricity…As an abbreviated tour around the world of Shakespeare, this could hardly be bettered' Sunday Times 'Less a biography than a delightful account of Shakespeare's elusiveness – and the extraordinary lengths people have gone to remedy it…the pairing of Bryson with Shakespeare is a happy on.’ TLS 'Bill Bryson jogs along in his own ineffable way, good–humoured, undoctrinaire, nodding respectfully at experts but confidently following his own inclinations…he is shrewd on telling detail’ Times ‘Bill Bryson has always been able to spot a market; and there ought to be a market for his latest book…an accessible, sensible Life of Shakespeare…surely a fine gift for someone encountering Shakespeare for the first time…Bryson is shrewd…and as funny as you'd expect…he sets down all the important bits of evidence, and assesses them in a measured scholarly way. He's good value too.’ Daily Telegraph ‘Measured, sensible and, at times, as wryly humorous as you'd expect’ Times ‘Bryson uses an inimitably light touch and squeezes a vast subject down to manageable proportions…he is a warm and funny guide through the whole complicated morass of Shakespearean scholarship’ Financial Times
£9.49
Penguin Putnam Inc Hamlet
Book Synopsis
£8.54
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Affair of the Heart
Book SynopsisA book of selected theatre reviews from 2020 from one of the foremost authorities on British theatre. Starting each chapter is a brief commentary on the developments of that era and the social, political and cultural context within which this theatre was being produced. Also included are key obituaries and letters in response to reviews written, providing a rich collection of curated archival material. Following on from his first collection, One Night Stands, Michael Billington's chronicle offers a rich, authoritative insight into British theatre over the last 3 decades from his unique professional perspective. It begins with Tony Kushner's UK premiere of Angels in America at the National Theatre in 1992 and culminates with Inua Ellams's celebrated adaptation of Chekhov's Three Sisters at the same venue almost 30 years later. En route, we're exposed to the fallibility of theatre criticism through his much-regretted original criticism of Sarah Kane's Blasted and its role in identifyTrade ReviewThe best theatrical read of the year. * British Theatre Guide *A hugely valuable document of almost three decades of British theatre, but also a highly personal collection. * Times Literary Supplement *Here is 18 years' worth of [Billington's] wisdom, starting with a recession and ending with a pandemic, culled from a half-century at the Guardian ... This book is more than a wander down memory lane, however; it brilliantly shows how theatre reflects society, art imitating life. * Country Life Magazine *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements xi Introduction 1. Towards the End of the Millennium: 1992–9 1992 Angels in America Faith Healer Moby Dick The Rise and Fall of Little Voice 1993 Is there Life after Deptford? 400 Years since the Death of Christopher Marlowe Arcadia Moonlight Cabaret 1994 The Atheist’s Tragedy Footfalls John Gielgud: a celebration of his 90th birthday The Queen and I/Road Measure for Measure Pentecost The Life and Legacy of John Osborne 1995 Blasted Letters to the Editor about Blasted Dealer’s Choice Skylight The Importance of Being Earnest/ Private Lives Mojo 1996 Shakespeare on Screen The Beauty Queen of Leenane Divine Right Hedda Gabler Ashes to Ashes 1997 Bird and Fortune Ivanov A Six-Point Plan for Theatre Playhouse Creatures Blue Heart The Weir 1998 An Experiment With An Air Pump Naked Cleansed Copenhagen The Merchant of Venice/As You Like It Via Dolorosa 1999 The Colour Of Justice Lift Off 71 House and Garden Ricky Jay and his 52 Assistants Mnemonic Noel Coward Centenary 2. Hopes of Renewal: 2000–9 2000 The Island Celebration/The Room Richard II Blue/Orange 4.48 Psychosis The Bogus Woman Is there a Crisis in Black Theatre? 2001 A Raisin in the Sun Alive From Palestine Mother Clap’s Molly House The Seagull No Man’s Land 2002 The York Realist Up For Grabs The Marriage of Figaro Frozen The Coast of Utopia Joan Littlewood A Number 2003 Iphigenia Henry V Fallout The Elephant Vanishes Iain Duncan Smith’s Leader’s Speech at the Conservative Party Conference The Sugar Syndrome Cut-Price Shakespeare Lear’s Daughters 2004 The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? When Harry Met Sally Endgame Festen Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads Guantanamo Stuff Happens Thou shalt not cough Don Carlos 2005 Professor Bernhardi Mammals Is the Fashion for the 90-minute Play suffocating Dramatists? Elmina’s Kitchen Talking to Terrorists Death of a Salesman Blackbird The Wild Duck 2006 Nights at the Circus Resurrection Blues The Clean House Rock ‘N’ Roll Frost/Nixon A Moon for the Misbegotten Krapp’s Last Tape 2007 The Seagull Black Watch King Lear Macbeth The Crisis in West End Theatre Noughts and Crosses 2008 Tribute to Paul Scofield 1922–2008 Gone With the Wind The English Game The Pitmen Painters Her Naked Skin Hamlet Breaking the Rules: Leading Article on Harold Pinter Tribute to Harold Pinter 2009 Be Near Me Death and the King’s Horseman The Arts in the 1980s: Reflections on Theatre under Margaret Thatcher The Great Game: Afghanistan The Contingency Plan Jerusalem Enron Critic’s Notebook 3. Bright Spots in the Lost Decade: 2010–19 2010 Off the Endz Sweet Nothings Ruined Religion and Theatre The Persians The Game Onassis Men Should Weep 2011 What’s Wrong with Spoilers? The League of Youth The Merchant of Venice truth and reconciliation Othello Tribute to Shelagh Delaney Foxfinder The Animals and Children Took to the Streets 2012 Signs of Second-Rate Plays Julius Caesar Ten Billion Three Sisters This House All That Fall Red Velvet The Effect 2013 The Audience Chimerica A Season in the Congo Handbagged The Scottsboro Boys 50 Years of The National Theatre 2014 Ellen Terry With Eileen Atkins King Charles III Khandan (Family) Wonderland Ballyturk The James Plays Gypsy 2015 Oppenheimer The Hard Problem Nicholas Hytner’s 12-year-reign as Director of the National Lampedusa The Trial Hamlet Hangmen Tribute to Brian Friel Elf the Musical 2016 Escaped Alone Cleansed Hamlet The Flick 246 Sixty Years of the Royal Court Why Shakespeare lives on 400 Years after his Death Father Comes Home from the Wars Oil The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism King Lear 2017 Hamlet Consent The Ferryman An Octoroon Barber Shop Chronicles Donald Trump and Shakespeare Fatherland Girl From The North Country Tribute to Sir Peter Hall Albion Ken Dodd at 90 2018 The Inheritance The Writer Nine Night Red The Jungle The Lehman Trilogy Caryl Churchill at 80 Company The Watsons Sweat 2019 Our Lady of Kibeho Rutherford and Son Betrayal Kunene and the King Small Island Romersholm Ian McKellen The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil Fleabag A Very Expensive Poison Three Sisters Letter to Oliver Dowden in The Guardian Index
£16.14
Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) The Cambridge Footlights
Book SynopsisRobert Sellers is the author of over 25 books on subjects such as cinema, theatre, television, music and popular culture. These includes Raising Laughter: How the Sitcom Kept Britain Smiling in the '70s (2021), as well as authorized biographies of Oliver Reed, Kenny Everett and Ernie Wise, along with histories of Ealing Studios, Radio 1 and James Bond.
£22.50
