Currency Press Stagecraft Catalogue 2021 CONTACT & DISTRIBUTION DETAILS
CONTENTS CURRENCY PRESS BOOK DISTRIBUTION The performing arts publisher AUSTRALIA/NZ Acting & Directing 3 www.currency.com.au All orders to Currency Press direct: Currency Trade Portal: Actors at Work 13 Tel: 61 (0) 2 9319 5877 https://www.currency.com.au/trade- Email: [email protected] portal Commedia/Drama Games/ PO Box 2287, Strawberry Hills NSW Pacstream Service: Improvisation 16 2012 Australia SANS NO: 908259X Level 1, 201 Cleveland Street, Redfern Trade enquiries: Lighting/Design 20 NSW, 2016 Australia (access via 164 [email protected] James Street) Movement/Dance 21 ABN 75 000 938 929 USA/CANADA CURRENCY PRESS direct Shakespeare 23 As retail prices are subject to change without notice, prices are not listed UK/EUROPE Stage Management 25 in this catalogue. Please refer to our GAZELLE BOOK SERVICES website for the price list or contact Tel: (0) 1524 68765 Voice 26 Currency Press for a printed version. Fax: (0) 1524 63232 If you wish to receive our email Writing/Criticism 28 Email: [email protected] newsletter, please contact us at: White Cross Mills, Hightown, [email protected]. Lancaster LA1 4XS UK The publication of some titles featured in this catalogue has been assisted by the Commonwealth Government through the Australia OTHER Council, its arts funding and Print music distribution. PUBLISHERS DISTRIBUTED BY CURRENCY PRESS Currency Press distributes books published by Currency House. All of their books are listed on the Currency Press website: www.currency.com.au or visit their website at: www.currencyhouse.org.au
Currency Press is also the Australian distributor for Nick Hern Books, the leading performing arts publisher in the UK; all of their books are listed on the Currency Press website: www.currency.com.au or Front cover: The company visit their website at: of The Prince Of Egypt in https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk rehearsal. Photo: Helen Maybanks ©2020 DWA LLC
Also available as an eBook
Currency Press • The performing arts publisher www.currencypress.com.auwww.currency.com.au 2 ACTING & DIRECTING
ACTING & DIRECTING
Mike Abbott THE ACTING BOOK The Acting Book offers various ways to analyse a text and to create character, using not only the established processes of Stanislavsky and Meisner, but also new ones developed by the author over many years of teaching drama students. It also sets out a wide range of rehearsal techniques and improvisations. 9781848421448 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Mike Alfreds DIFFERENT EVERY NIGHT: Rehearsals & Performance Techniques for Actors & Directors Different Every Night is the culmination of a lifetime of work in the theatre. It is the most complete rehearsal methodology in print since Stanislavsky. It offers a vital masterclass for actors and directors, packed with techniques for bringing the text to life and keeping it alive—both in rehearsal and performance. 9781854599674 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
THEN WHAT HAPPENS? Storytelling and Adapting for the Theatre Mike Alfreds makes the case for putting story and storytelling back at the heart of theatre, and shows how each story demands its own set of dramatic choices. He explores the process of adapting for the stage, and investigates the techniques that actors need to perform ‘story-theatre’. This book includes over 200 exercises, improvisations and workshops, drawing on examples from legends and folklore to contemporary fiction. 9781848422704 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Laura Barnett ADVICE FROM THE PLAYERS Tips and guidance on every aspect of the actors’ craft, direct from some of the best- known stars of stage and screen, including Julie Walters, Lenny Henry, Harriet Walter, Simon Callow, Mark Gatiss, David Harewood, Jo Brand, Simon Russell Beale, Lesley Manville, Zawe Ashton and Mathew Horne. 9781848423589 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Arthur Bartow (Editor) HANDBOOK OF ACTING TECHNIQUES Ten of the 20th century’s most influential acting methods, now in one volume. This book is the first comprehensive survey of the major acting techniques developed over the past 60 years, including: Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, Sanford Meisner, Michael Chekhov, Uta Hagen, Jerzy Grotowski. Each technique is studied in terms of its development, described by a leading contemporary practitioner, and made available for actors wishing to explore it themselves. 9781854595423 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Currency Press • The performing arts publisher www.currency.com.au 3 ACTING & DIRECTING
Mike Bradwell INVENTING THE TRUTH: Devising and Directing for the Theatre Throughout a lifetime of experience—as an actor for Mike Leigh, founder of Hull Truck, Artistic Director of the Bush Theatre, and subsequently as a freelance director —Mike Bradwell has forged a reputation as a theatrical innovator and risk-taker. This book begins by exploring the process of devising a play by working intensively through character and improvisation with a group of actors. The second half of the book describes in detail how the nuanced work involved in devising characters from scratch can be applied to a pre-existing text. Inventing the Truth offers practitioners a unique account of the techniques involved in devising or directing plays to the highest standard. 9781848421530 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Michael Bray SO YOU WANT TO ACT ON SCREEN An essential handbook for anyone who wants to act on television and film – by a leading teacher of screen acting. Michael Bray takes you step by step through all the challenges you'll face, demystifying the processes you'll encounter, and helping you develop the necessary skills. Full of invaluable advice, extracts from screenplays, numerous illustrations and practical exercises—which can be undertaken on your own, using the camera on your phone—this book is an accessible and authoritative guide to developing a successful career as a screen actor. 9781848420717 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Marina Caldarone / Maggie Lloyd-Williams ACTIONS: The Actor’s Thesaurus A vital companion for actors in rehearsal. Actors need actions. In order to perform an action truthfully and convincingly, an actor needs to find exactly the right action for a line or a situation. This book operates as a thesaurus of active verbs, which the actor can use to help make the action come alive. 9781854596741 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Dymphna Callery THROUGH THE BODY: A practical guide to physical theatre A pioneering guide to the increasingly popular form of physical theatre, Through the Body uses exercises to explore the theories of key 20th century theatre practitioners such as Artaud and Lecoq. Includes workshops on awareness, articulation, energy and mask-work. 9781854596307 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
THE ACTIVE TEXT: Unlocking Plays Through Physical Theatre Many theatre practitioners think of physical theatre as one thing and text-based theatre as another. In this book, Dymphna Callery, shows how exercises and rehearsal techniques associated with physical and devised theatre can be applied to scripted plays. Working ‘through the body’ enables performers to discover what really makes a play work. Packed with theatre games, improvisation exercises and rehearsal techniques, The Active Text is an inspirational guide for performers, directors, students and teachers. 9781848421271 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Currency Press • The performing arts publisher www.currency.com.au 4 ACTING & DIRECTING
Mark Channon LEARNING YOUR LINES This accessible, systematic guide will teach you how to memorise your lines quickly and effectively, and let go of the fear of forgetting them—helping you build confidence and focus, and reducing anxiety and stress around auditions, rehearsal and performance. 9781848429710 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Ivana Chubbuck THE POWER OF THE ACTOR: The Chubbuck technique What do Brad Pitt, Jon Voight, Charlize Theron, Elizabeth Shue, Jim Carrey and Halle Berry have in common? They have all been taught by America’s premier acting teacher, Ivana Chubbuck. Based on the acting methods of great masters such as Stanislavski, Hagen and Meisner, Ivana Chubbuck’s technique incorporates psychology and behavioural science. Through this book the actor learns to find themselves within their character by endowing their situation and surroundings with emotional resonances drawn from their own experience. 9780868197791 PB Currency Press, Australia
Mel Churcher A SCREEN ACTING WORKSHOP A comprehensive course in screen acting, written by an internationally renowned teacher and acting coach who has worked with Daniel Craig, Angelina Jolie and Keira Knightley. Mel Churcher has developed a series of five workshops which take actors step by step through the process of creating, developing and delivering assured performances on screen. Accompanied by a DVD showing all the work in action, this book lets you use the workshops at your own pace. 9781848420557 PB + DVD Nick Hern Books, UK
Paul Clayton SO YOU WANT TO BE A CORPORATE ACTOR? A practical guide for actors who want to work in the corporate sector, by a veteran with over 1400 corporate events credits. Clayton shows how work like training, coaching, role-plays, Forum Theatre and live events can keep you in paid employment, and your skills sharp, while looking for traditional acting opportunities.Written with humour and insight, this is a must-read for actors wishing to broaden their skills and make themselves more employable at all stages of their career. 9781848422810 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
THE WORKING ACTOR: The Essential Guide to a Successful Career Written by the Chairman of the Actors Centre, with over forty years’ experience as an actor himself, The Working Actor is the essential guide to putting yourself in the best possible position to get work, to keep getting it, and to make a living from it. The Working Actor is an inspiring, reassuring book for actors of all ages and backgrounds—from recent graduates, to more experienced professionals—who want to take their career to the next level. It won’t teach you how to act—but it will teach you how to be an actor. 9781848424364 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
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Louise Dearman / Mark Evans SECRETS OF STAGE SUCCESS Two of the biggest musical-theatre stars in British theatre today answer questions submitted by the public on a range of theatrical topics. The questions and answers cover every aspect of the industry. Using knowledge gathered from other performers and from their own experiences, the authors draw back the curtain and shine a spotlight. 9781848423756 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Anne Dennis THE ARTICULATE BODY: The physical training of the actor This inspirational and instructive book shows how actors can use their body to be expressive and ‘articulate’. It rethinks the actor’s physical needs through a series of exercises designed to help actors gain the skill, imagination, and confidence to use their bodies as an expressive medium. The Articulate Body is not only of value to actors but also teachers, directors, movement directors and choreographers. 9781854596833 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Declan Donnellan THE ACTOR AND THE TARGET Rooted in modern theatre, psychology and reality, Donnellan’s best selling book helps actors to release their talent and to be free on stage. 9781854598387 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Helen Freeman SO YOU WANT TO GO TO DRAMA SCHOOL Packed with sound advice and essential information for young people who want to train as actors and performers (including musical theatre), this clear and honest guide is written by a teacher and audition panellist with a lifetime’s experience of the audition process. It will help all aspiring actors develop the self-confidence, motivation and skills required to get into the drama school of their choice. 9781848420168 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
William Gaskill WORDS INTO ACTION Gaskill’s acclaimed work as a director always begins with the words of the playwright. This book shows actors how to find the life of a play and articulate it on stage.Drawing instances from his own theatrical work and from teaching at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Gaskill looks at action and intention, stillness and movement, sentences and rhetoric, punctuation and pauses. He pays attention to Shakespeare, masks, language, character, verse, and prose. Gaskill, according to Maggie Smith, is ‘the best teacher in the world.’ 9781848421004 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
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Francis Greenslade HOW I LEARNT TO ACT: On my way to NOT going to drama school Francis Greenslade has been an actor for thirty years. Here he tells the story of how as an enthusiastic but formally untrained actor he learnt to manage the demands of text and character and emotional connection with the character. Along with how to stand on your mark, and read a call sheet, and deal with directors. Half acting manual, half entertaining tale of the world of professional acting in Australia, this is a book for all actors, whether amateur or professional, novice or veteran, and indeed anyone who has ever wondered what it is that actors actually do. 9781760622770 PB Currency Press, Australia
Paul Harvard ACTING THROUGH SONG: Techniques and Exercises for Musical Theatre Actors Paul Harvard takes the techniques of modern actor training—including the theories of Stanislavsky, Brecht, Meisner and Laban—and applies them to the fundamental component of musical theatre: singing. With dozens of exercises to put these theories into practice, and numerous examples from a broad range of musicals, the result is a comprehensive and rigorous acting course for those training in musical theatre or already performing, whether amateur or professional, to realise their potential—and act better. 9781848421820 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Ruthie Henshall / Daniel Bowling SO YOU WANT TO BE IN MUSICALS? Being in a West End or Broadway musical is the dream of thousands of talented performers. But competition is intense and reaching the spotlight can often require a leap into the dark. So You Want To Be In Musicals? is your comprehensive guide to building—and sustaining—a successful career in musical theatre, and introduces you to everything you need to know about: training, auditioning, rehearsing, performing and working. 9781848421509 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Russ Hope GETTING DIRECTIONS: A Fly-on-the-Wall Guide for Emerging Theatre Directors The theatre rehearsal room is a sacred place. What goes on there is closely guarded. So how are emerging theatre directors supposed to learn their craft? In Getting Directions, Russ Hope gives us unprecedented access to eight rehearsal rooms, shadowing some of the UK’s most exciting young directors at each step of the way, from first concept to rehearsal to opening night. 9781848421820 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
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Barbara Houseman TACKLING TEXT (AND SUBTEXT): A step-by-step guide for actors An intensely practical handbook for actors about text, subtext, character and situation. This book is full of exercises developed through working with actors of all ages and experiences. Tackling Text [and subtext] is indispensable to any actor working with text— from students and young professionals to experienced actors and acting coaches with specific needs. Includes a preface by Kenneth Branagh. 9781854597991 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Felicity Jackson/Lianne Robertson SURVIVING ACTORS… MANUAL The essential, one-stop handbook for actors, with everything you need to survive and thrive, from the team behind the internationally successful Surviving Actors conventions. This manual covers the day-to-day essentials you need to succeed in the industry, including establishing your personal brand and business plan, getting great headshots, showreels, voicereels and a website and dealing with agents, casting directors and auditions. Honest, straightforward, but also empowering, it will help you unlock your potential and focus on being the best, most employable – and, hopefully, successful – actor you can be. 9781848424159 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Dennis Lawson THE ACTOR AND THE CAMERA Dennis Lawson does guided tours of film and TV sets, showing various crew members and how actors can get the most out of each one. A practical guide for young actors wishing to break into the industry. 9781848423459 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Bella Merlin BEYOND STANISLAVSKY: The Psycho-Physical Apporach to Actor Training After developing the Method (the principle that truthful performance can only spring from the actor’s experience), Stanislavsky began to explore how physical actions can induce emotions. This approach is called Psycho-Physical Acting. Merlin has studied under the best teachers in Russia: this book is the fruit of her time there. 9781854596130 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
THE COMPLETE STANISLAVSKY TOOLKIT A practical, hands-on guide to Stanislavsky’s system and rehearsal processes, for actors, directors, teachers and students. The Complete Stanislavsky Toolkit collects together for the first time the terms and ideas developed by Stanislavsky throughout his career. Each stage of the process is explored with sequences of practical exercises designed to help today's actors and students become familiar with Stanislavsky’s tools. 9781848424067 PB Nick Hern Book, UK
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FACING THE FEAR: An Actor’s Guide to Overcoming Stage Fright Stage fright has the power to drive actors away from the stage for months, years, and even a lifetime. It is a monster that can affect any actor at any time—but it is also a challenge that can be met. Insightful, empowering and always reassuring, Facing the Fear is a book for all actors as it provides all the tools they need to understand, confront and ultimately overcome stage fright and its effects. Facing the Fear is the first book of its kind written specifically for actors. 9781848423138 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Mervyn Millar PUPPETRY AND HOW TO DO IT Written by an experienced theatre and puppetry director, this book is a practical, accessible and inspiring guide to using puppetry in theatre—the perfect entry point for anyone looking to use puppets in their productions, to explore what puppets can do, or to develop their puppetry skills. No puppet-making is required to use this book: starting just with simple objects, it lays out the skills required to unlock a puppet’s limitless potential for expression and connection with an audience. This book will demystify the art of puppetry, and help you become more confident and creative with all kinds of puppets and objects on stage. 9781848425460 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Nick Moseley ACTIONING—AND HOW TO DO IT Actioning – and How to Do It is the indispensable companion to a vital component in every actor’s toolkit. Actioning is one of the most widely used rehearsal techniques for actors. It helps bring clarity to every moment or thought in the text, energising rehearsals and bringing performances to life. This is the first in-depth exploration of Actioning for student actors, those who train them, and professionals working in the industry, whether they are brand new to the technique or have been practising it for years. 9781848424234 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
ACTING AND REACTING A new actor training system developed by the Head of Acting at the Italia Conti Academy. Nick Moseley takes the best of Stanislavsky, Mamet and Meisner to fuel his intensely practical approach. The result is a punchy and empowering book intended to shake up ideas about acting. Each theory is tested and reinforced with games and exercises to stretch and challenge the actor. 9781854598035 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
GETTING INTO DRAMA SCHOOL This encouraging, no-nonsense guide walks you through the whole process of applying for drama school – including doing your initial research, selecting the right school for you, choosing and preparing your audition pieces, nailing the audition and dealing with recalls. Perfect for any aspiring actor, as well as anyone advising or coaching them, it will answer your questions, bust commonly held myths and give you all the knowledge you need to boost your chances of getting into drama school. 9781848426467 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Currency Press • The performing arts publisher www.currency.com.au
9 ACTING & DIRECTING
MEISNER IN PRACTICE: A Guide for Actors, Directors and Teachers The Meisner Technique is at the forefront of actor training today. Its radical simplicty reconnects actors with their bodies and emotions. Moseley introduces actors to the Meisner Technique through increasingly challenging exercises. He also looks at issues around teaching Meisner. 9781854598035 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Andy Nyman THE GOLDEN RULES OF ACTING A treasure trove of advice, support and encouragement that no performer should be without. Honest, witty and direct, The Golden Rules of Acting won’t tell you how to act—but it will tell you how to be an actor. If you’re a working actor, a drama school student, or someone who wants to become an actor, this book is for you. 9781854592537 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
MORE GOLDEN RULES OF ACTING Andy Nyman's first book, The Golden Rules of Acting, has become a bestseller in the acting world. Now he returns to bring you more priceless nuggets gleaned from more than thirty years in the acting business. This book will help you to learn how to love auditions, look after your mental health, deal with success and failure and burst a few bubbles that need bursting. Written with the same candid wit as his first book, this is every actor's new best friend – in handy paperback form. 9781848428744 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Max Stafford-Clark LETTERS TO GEORGE When Max Stafford-Clark, then artistic director of the Royal Court Theatre, took the unusual step of choosing to stage a classic— George Farquhar's The Recruiting Officer—he decided to keep a rehearsal diary. Each night he returned home to write a letter to Farquhar, reporting on the day's work and commenting on the challenges of putting the play on the stage. The result, Letters to George, is a unique and entertaining account of the rehearsal methods of one of the most influential directors at work in the British theatre. 9781854593177 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Andrew Tidmarsh / Tara Swart AN ATTITUDE TO ACTING: How to Survive (and Thrive) as an Actor For actors who want to develop a ‘can do’ attitude towards rejection and competition These hands-on exercises free the actor from states of inertia and hopelessness. Instead, actors develop the self-confidence to shape the career they want. 9781848421127 ` PB Nick Hern Books, UK
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Stephen Unwin SO YOU WANT TO BE A DIRECTOR? A hands-on, step-by-step guide to directing plays by one of Britain’s leading theatre directors. Stephen Unwin has worked with hundreds of actors. This book lays out the skills needed to direct plays, and a sense of how those skills can be developed. 9781854597793 ` PB Nick Hern Books, UK
THE COMPLETE BRECHT TOOLKIT A practical, hands-on guide for actors, directors, teachers and students. The Complete Brecht Toolkit examines Brecht’s ideas about theatre and practice. It explains Brechtian terms such as Alienation Effect, Epic Theatre and Gestus. It explores the application of theory in Acting, Language, Music, Design and Direction. Also included are 50 exercises by Julian Jones. 9781854595508 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Thomasina Unsworth BECOMING AN ACTOR A practical guide to training and the world beyond, Becoming an Actor takes actors, step by step, technique by technique, through drama school and acting. Thomasina Unsworth, teacher at Rose Bruford College, (UK) gives an insider’s view of acting classes at an accredited drama school and offers advice for critical times. 9781848421561 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Jason Warren CREATING WORLDS : How to Make Immersive Theatre A practical guide to creating successful immersive theatre productions, by an experienced theatre-maker and practitioner. Placing the audience at the heart of a production – not as passive bystanders but as active participants – is the impetus behind the hugely varied work of leading immersive theatre companies such as Punchdrunk, OneOhOne and Hobo Theatre. Creating Worlds offers a step-by-step breakdown of the entire journey towards making an immersive theatre production, and covers everything you need to consider. Throughout the book, Jason Warren draws on his own experiences of creating immersive theatre work in a variety of styles and settings. Also included is a glossary of key terms, and a schedule to help you make the most of your rehearsal period. 9781848424456 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Timothy West / Prunella Scales SO YOU WANT TO BE AN ACTOR? This essential read offers practical advice and the ‘dos and don’ts’ to anyone considering acting. The authors have over 100 years’ theatre experience between them, and are passionate about actor training. They cover the whole gamut: drama school, auditioning, training, unpaid work, television work, getting an agent and enduring a long run. 9781854598790 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
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West End Producer EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT ACTING (But Were Afraid To Ask, Dear) He’s the anonymous Twitter sensation whose hilarious and accurate words on the theatre industry have won him over 35,000 followers. West End Producer shares all he’s learned about getting ahead in show business. This book of mischievous indiscretion is packed with insider knowledge, practical tips, and deliciously impractical ones. Also included are West End Producer’s best tweets. 9781848423473 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Kathryn Wolfe SO YOU WANT TO BE A TV PRESENTER? A practical, vocational guide Being a TV presenter takes hard work. It demands a range of journalistic, technical, performance and personal skills. With a background in TV directing, Kathryn Wolfe has worked with and trained many professional TV presenters. She runs through the skills for success, and shows exercises for posture, breathing, and diction. 9781848420625 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
David Zoob BRECHT: A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK A bold and exciting new approach to Bertolt Brecht, making his theories and ideas about theatre accessible to a new generation of actors, directors, students and theatre- makers, and showing how they can be put into practice. Zoob demystifies Brecht's theories, and offers an approach to study and performance that can be applied to a wide range of texts and theatre styles. With close analysis of various texts the author demonstrates how Brechtian techniques can provide practical pathways to exploring plays across the canon, as well as non-traditional forms of theatre. Also included are dozens of exercises to help turn theory into practice, and explore what Brecht’s ideas mean. 9781848425361 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
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ACTORS AT WORK
Simon Callow MY LIFE IN PIECES This alternative autobiography recaptures the people, productions and events of Callow’s life. Starting with his first ever visit to the theatre—to seePeter Pan—Callow takes us through a chaotic boyhood in southern Africa and South London; a ditched university career; drama school; and a career that has encompassed roles in the West End and films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral. 9781848421714 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Richrd Eyre TALKING THEATRE: INTERVIEWS WITH THEATRE PEOPLE A superlative account of how theatre is made, Richard Eyre uses his unrivalled access to leading theatre people to allow us to eavesdrop on the stories behind many of the most important productions and performances in the theatre of recent time. Those interviewed include: Peter Brook, Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Trevor Nunn, Vanessa Redgrave, Fiona Shaw, Liam Neeson, Stephen Rea, Stephen Sondheim, Tony Kushner, Alan Bennett, Harold Pinter, Tom Stoppard, David Hare, William Gaskill, Cameron Mackintosh, Deborah Warner and Simon McBurney. 9781848421387 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Mel Gussow GAMBON: A LIFE IN ACTING A unique collection of interviews with Sir Michael Gambon, ranging over thirteen years, offering a fascinating picture of this most mischievously evasive of actors. Michael Gambon is a notoriously private man. Yet this profile of him in his own words— assembled from interviews with drama critic, Mel Gussow—offers the most complete portrait yet of an actor who 'has just about everything—enormous power, great depth, absolute expertise and the ability to illuminate a character by the simplest of means' (Harold Pinter). The book also contains interviews with writers, directors and actors who have worked with him (Dennis Potter, Alan Ayckbourn, Harold Pinter, Simon Russell Beale, Deborah Warner, Peter Hall and Adrian Noble). 9781854598066 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Antony Sher BESIDE MYSELF: An Actor’s Life Sher takes us to the heart of what it is to be an actor today, describing the journeys he undertakes in order to inhabit the roles for which he is famous. Engaging and revelatory, Beside Myself will inspire young actors and inform seasoned theatre-goers. 9781848420359 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
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YEAR OF THE FAT KNIGHT: The Falstaff Diaries Sher’s account—splendidly supplemented by his own paintings and sketches—of researching, rehearsing and performing Falstaff. He explains how he grappled with Falstaff’s obesity, drunkenness, cowardice and charm, and how he explored the complexities of this comic yet dangerous personality. Sher paints a uniquely close-up portrait of the RSC at work. 9781848425675 HB 9781848424616 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
YEAR OF THE KING Antony Sher’s stunning performance for the Royal Shakespeare Company as a Richard III on crutches—the so-called ‘bottled spider’—won him many awards. The Year of the King records the making of the event. This new edition marks the 20th anniversary of the premiere and includes a new introduction in which Sher looks back at how much has happened to him and to the world in the intervening years. 9781854597533 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
YEAR OF THE MAD KING: The Lear Diaries A fascinating insider account of researching, rehearsing and performing the part of King Lear for a major Royal Shakespeare Company production, Antony Sher's Year of the Mad King won the 2019 Theatre Book Prize awarded by the Society for Theatre Research. Sher's performance was acclaimed by the Telegraph as 'a crowning achievement in a major career'. Once again, he kept a diary, capturing every step of his personal and creative journey to opening night. Sher’s strikingly honest, illuminating and witty commentary provides an intimate, first-hand look at the development of his Lear and of the production as a whole. Also included is a selection of his paintings and sketches, many reproduced in full colour. 9781848426719 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Giles Terera HAMILTON AND ME: AN ACTOR'S JOURNAL Hamilton and Me: An Actor's Journal is a fascinating, in-depth account of opening the smash-hit musical Hamilton in London's West End, by the actor who won the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Aaron Burr. Drawn from a journal author Giles Terera kept throughout his year-plus-long process of preparation, rehearsal and performance, the book offers an honest, intimate and thrilling look at everything involved in opening a once-in-a-generation theatre production, as well as a unique exploration of now-iconic songs and moments from the world-famous musical, as seen from the inside. Hamilton and Me is an essential read for all fans of Hamilton— offering fresh, first-hand insights into the music and characters they love and know so well—as well as for aspiring and current performers, students, and anyone who wants to discover what it really felt like to be in the room where it happened. 9781848429994 HB Nick Hern Books, UK
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Harriet Walter BRUTUS AND OTHER HEROINES: Playing Shakespeare's Roles for Women In a varied and distinguished career, Harriet Walter has played almost all of Shakespeare’s heroines, notably Ophelia, Portia, Viola, Lady Macbeth and Cleopatra. But where, she asks, does an actress go after playing Cleopatra’s magnificent death? Why didn’t Shakespeare write more—and more powerful—roles for mature women? For Walter, the solution was to ignore the dictates of centuries of tradition, and to begin playing the mature male characters. Her Brutus in an all–female Julius Caesar was widely acclaimed, and was soon followed by Henry IV. What, she asks, can an actress bring to these roles—and is there any fundamental difference in the way they must be played? 9781848422933 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
OTHER PEOPLE’S SHOES: Thoughts on acting Harriet Walter is known in Australia for her roles as Amy in Unfinished Business, and Harriet Vane in the Lord Peter Wimsey series—both of which have screened on ABC TV. Other People’s Shoes is an updated paperback edition of her wonderfully practical— and personal—introduction to acting. ‘Acting is what I do with who I am’, writes Harriet, and in this book she takes us step by step through the processes involved in performance. 9781854597519 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Currency Press • The performing arts publisher www.currencypress.com.auwww.currency.com.au 15 COMMEDIA/DRAMA GAMES/IMPROVISATION
COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE/DRAMA GAMES/IMPROVISATION
John Abbott THE IMPROVISATION BOOK: How to Conduct Successful Improvisation Sessions A practical guide to conducting improvisation sessions, for teachers, directors and workshop leaders. This book takes you step-by-step, session-by-session, through a graded series of exercises. Also included is a full set of improvisation cards. 9781854599612 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
IMPROVISATION IN REHEARSAL Building on the success of The Improvisation Book, this new title is about how improvisation can be used in rehearsals, helping actors to truly inhabit their roles and liberate their creativity. 9781854595232 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Joss Bennathan MAKING THEATRE: The drama teacher’s guide to devising This book shows how to build the foundations that underpin devised theatre. Its ten structures meet the needs of different students, regardless of their skill level. The diverse stimulus material includes lyrics, prose, verbatim testimony and artworks. 9781848423053 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Lesley Christen TEACHING DRAMA: Games, skills and playbuilding This highly practical, hands-on book offers a comprehensive scaffolding of the skills needed for the processes of playbuilding, including: practical exercises and techniques; approaches and starting points; effective playbuilding skills; an outline of the development of playbuilding from introductory exercises through to advanced practices; examples of units of work; application within mime, mask, storytelling; and introduces skills in the development of the Performance Essay. The text provides entry points for the beginner and advanced practitioner in schools and communities and can be adapted to the teaching of primary participants. 9781760621780 PB Currency Press, Australia
Steven Gration / Nicky Peelgrane COMMEDIA OZ: Playing Commedia in Contemporary Australia This book supports the interpretation and playing of Commedia in an Australian context. It is a training manual for teachers, students, actors and directors, containing invaluable information delivered in a humorous and confident style. 97808681982 0 PB Currency Press, Australia
Currency Press • The performing arts publisher www.currency.com.au 16 COMMEDIA/DRAMA GAMES/IMPROVISATION
Barry Grantham PLAYING COMMEDIA: A training guide to Commedia techniques A practical guide to the skills, characters and history of Commedia dell’Arte, through graded games and illustrated exercises. This book is a useful training tool for actors and those involved with physical theatre. 9781854594662 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
COMMEDIA PLAYS A collection of short plays, sketches and exercises for use in the classroom and drama workshop. The book contains eight short plays, each illustrating a different period and style of Commedia dell’Arte. It also features a compilation of Lazzi – the set-pieces of Commedia dell’Arte – such as ‘The Aside’ and ‘The Chase’. 9781854598714 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Chris Johnston DRAMA GAMES FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TO SAY NO A dip-in, flick-through, quick-fire resource book for teachers and workshop leaders working with difficult or reluctant students, including youth groups and young offenders. The drama exercises in this book have been devised for, and tested by, difficult and reluctant groups. They encourage engagement, collaboration and the development of skills for drama and for life. 9781848420496 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
HOUSE OF GAMES: Making theatre from everyday life House of Games is a valuable resource for teachers, directors and workshop leaders. Following on from Keith Johnstone’s Impro and Augusto Boal’s Games for Actors and Non-Actors, Chris Johnston’s book provides ideas and guidance for drama groups of all kinds. 9781854599056 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
THE IMPROVISATION GAME: The secrets of spontaneous performance In this new book, Johnston considers improvisation not as a step towards something else, but as an end in itself. The book journeys through the world of improvisation: in theatre, dance, and music. Sections feature insights gained from the author’s talks with key practitioners about their techniques, tricks and games. 9781854596683 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Currency Press • The performing arts publisher www.currency.com.au 17 COMMEDIA/DRAMA GAMES/IMPROVISATION
Adam Meggido IMPROV BEYOND RULES: A practical guide to narrative improvisation Drawing on the author's extensive experience teaching and performing around the world, Improv Beyond Rules is a fresh and exciting re-examination of the whole field of improvisation. Starting with the fundamental principles that work for all forms of improvised performance—and the common traps improvisers fall into—it goes on to explore the elements of narrative improvisation, where performers create a story without any predetermined structure. Packed with dozens of games and exercises, Improv Beyond Rules will give you the tools to build your confidence, empower your performance, and unlock your creativity. 9781848427310 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Katy Schutte THE IMPROVISER'S WAY: A Longform Workbook An inspiring and interactive workbook for developing the skills for longform improvisation, by one of the UK's top improv performers and teachers. Structured as a twelve-week course, this book provides techniques, advice and exercises that can be done on your own or in groups. It draws on the author's own experience of performing and teaching improv around the world, with added gems of wisdom from key experts. 9781848427389 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Jessica Swale DRAMA GAMES FOR CLASSROOMS AND WORKSHOPS A dip-in, flick-through, quick-fire resource book, packed with 101 lively drama games for classrooms and workshops (suitable for players any age from six years old). The games explore the core drama skills of energy, focus, teamwork, trust, character, storytelling, imagination and improvisation, as well as warming up and cooling down. 9781848420106 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
DRAMA GAMES FOR DEVISING As part of the ever-growing, increasingly popular Drama Games series, Jessica Swale returns with another dip-in, flick-through, quick-fire resource book, packed with dozens of drama games that can be used in the process of devising theatre. 9781848420373 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
DRAMA GAMES FOR REHEARSALS A new title in the ever-growing, increasingly popular Drama Games series: another dip-in, flick-through, quick-fire resource book, with drama games for rehearsals. 9781848423466 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Currency Press • The performing arts publisher www.currency.com.au 18 COMMEDIA/DRAMA GAMES/IMPROVISATION
Glyn Trefor-Jones DRAMA MENU: Theatre Games In Three Courses Drama Menu is a brand new concept for planning and delivering dynamic, progressive drama lessons and workshops and is packed with over 150 tried-and-tested theatre games, exercises and improvisation ideas. Simply make a selection from each of the three courses—appetisers, starters, main courses and a few desserts—and your whole drama session will come to life with new-found energy and focus. The comprehensive Resource Pack accompanying the book is available to download from this page. 9781848422858 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
DRAMA MENU AT A DISTANCE Drama Menu at a Distance has been created specifically to help anyone teaching drama during the COVID-19 pandemic bringing you 80 games and exercises, all of which are safe and secure to play in this new era of socially distanced teaching and online learnin. It offers dynamic, brand-new exercises to energise, excite and inspire your group, alongside some firm favourites, redesigned to be played within the necessary constraints. Drama Menu at a Distance is the essential recipe book you need to eliminate the challenges of planning lessons and workshops in the ‘new normal’, and leave you with more time for playing. Stay safe—and bon appétit! 9781848429796 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Thomasina Unsworth DRAMA GAMES FOR ACTORS: Exploring Self, Character and Text A new title in the ever-growing, increasingly popular Drama Games series - another dip-in, flick-through, quick-fire resource book, packed with dozens of drama games. 9781848423732 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
John Wright WHY IS THAT SO FUNNY? A practical guide to physical comedy Wright, founder of Trestle Theatre and Told by an Idiot (UK), brings a wide range of experience to this unique exploration of comedy and comedic techniques. The book opens with an analysis of the different kinds of laughter that can be provoked by performance. This is followed by games and exercises devised to demonstrate and investigate the range of comic possibilities open to a performer. 9781854597823 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
PLAYING THE MASK: Acting Without Bullshit In Playing the Mask, award-winning theatre-maker and teacher John Wright explores and demystifies mask-work: what masks do, how they do it, and, above all, what they can teach us about acting. This book is a wonderfully accessible introduction to a fresh and innovative acting technique for actors, theatremakers and teachers to use in training and rehearsal. Extensively illustrated with a rich variety of masks, this inventive and pragmatic book is full of invaluable games and exercises drawn from the author’s own workshops and his pioneering mask and clown work in many professional productions. 9781854595805 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Currency Press • The performing arts publisher www.currency.com.au 19 LIGHTING/DESIGN
LIGHTING/DESIGN
Stephen Curtis STAGING IDEAS: Set and Costume Design for Theatre Stephen Curtis is one of Australia’s most repsected designers. In this practical and informative manual, he showcases set, costume and lighting design: from initial concept, script analysis and research ideas to putting it all together. Chapters cover the key steps in the design process, each followed by a case study and practical working samples. Other sections investigate complex aspects of design work. Also featured: commentary from other designers and visual examples of their work. 9780868198774 PB Currency Press, Australia
Ralph Koltai RALPH KOLTAI: Designer for the Stage Ralph Koltai CBE is possibly the most wide-ranging and consistently prolific British stage designer. His design credits include the English Opera Group, Covent Garden, Ballet Rambert, the Royal Shakespeare Company (where he was Associate Designer), the National Theatre, and many productions in the West End and across the world. This book is a full-colour presentation of over 30 of Koltai’s shows, interlaced with essays and interviews from Koltai and his collaborators and fellow designers. 9781854597847 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Michael Pavelka SO YOU WANT TO BE A THEATRE DESIGNER? The definitive guide to designing for theatre—by an award-winning designer with over 160 productions to his name. This book guides you through everything you need in order to become—and ultimately to succeed as—a theatre designer, including: the various aspects of design—set and props, costume, masks, make-up; the applications of design—opera, dance, site-specific, lighting, video and more; the skills you require, and the training available; the journey of a design from page to stage from your first reading of the script, through research, first sketches, storyboards, technical and costume drawings, and on to the model. The book is illustrated throughout with designs, by the author and other leading designers. 9781848423541 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Richard Pilbrow STAGE LIGHTING DESIGN: The Art, The Craft, The Life The definitive text for today’s and tomorrow’s lighting designers, covering the complete history, theory and practice of lighting design. With over 400 illustrations and 60 colour photographs, as well as interviews with many well-known professionals, Stage Lighting Design is a comprehensive, insightful and inspiring book that every designer and would- be designer should own. Its four sections are: Design (the basic principles, illustrated with reference to specific productions); History (the historical development of stage lighting); The Life (interviews with 14 lighting designers, plus notes on Pilbrow’s own career); and Mechanics (all the technical data that today’s designer will need). 9781854599964 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Currency Press • The performing arts publisher www.currency.com.au 20 MOVEMENT/DANCE
MOVEMENT/DANCE
Roger Bartlett STAGE COMBAT: Unarmed 'This is a book about how to beat the living daylights out of another human being safely...' Roger Bartlett—professional fight director and Master Teacher for the British Academy of Stage & Screen Combat—leads you through everything you need to know in order to create and perform unarmed stage fights that are compelling, realistic and, above all, safe. 9781848424708 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Anne Bogart/Tina Laundau THE VIEWPOINTS BOOK: A Practical Guide to Viewpoints and Composition Acclaimed theatre directors Anne Bogart and Tina Landau introduce the history, terminology and philosophy of Viewpoints, and offer a step-by-step recipe for using it as both a training tool and a rehearsal technique. Viewpoints is a technique of improvisation that grew out of the post-modern dance world, allowing actors to learn to function spontaneously and intuitively. It was first articulated by choreographer Mary Overlie, whose ideas have been expanded and developed by Anne Bogart and Tina Landau, adapting them for the use of actors. Viewpoints is taught all over the world and used by countless theatre-makers in the rehearsal process to develop flexibility, articulation and strength in movement, and to enrich ensemble playing. 9781848424135 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Christian Darley THE SPACE TO MOVE: Essentials of Movement Training A book for actors, directors, students and teachers of movement in the theatre. The Space to Move is bursting with energy and ideas, passion and commitment. Darley sets out, step by step, the exercises and techniques she developed with her own students at LAMDA, dealing with the vital building blocks of movement training. This book inspires and instructs on incorporating movement into actor training or theatre work. 9781848420243 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Jean Newlove LABAN FOR ACTORS AND DANCERS A handbook for teachers and students seeking an introduction to Laban’s famous system of movement. Complete with guided exercises and diagrams. 9781854591609 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Currency Press • The performing arts publisher www.currency.com.au 21 MOVEMENT/DANCE
Jean Newlove / John Dalby LABAN FOR ALL A simplified version of Rudolf Laban’s system for analysing—and annotating—the way the human being moves. It can be used by beginners upwards. The reader is introduced to the language and terms of Laban, with each new concept accompanied by specific, clearly-illustrated exercises. This is a thorough and practical grounding in the most significant movement system of modern times. 9781854597250 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Penny O'Connor ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE FOR ACTORS: A Practical Course The Alexander Technique has revolutionised the physicality, presence and professional lives of generations of actors. By first asking you to identify your own acquired habits, the technique enables you to find new and beneficial ways of moving, thinking, breathing and performing, freely and without unnecessary tension. Written by an experienced teacher of the Alexander Technique, this clear, supportive and highly practical book takes you step by step through a series of eleven guided lessons, each exploring different elements and principles of the technique. With dozens of exercises and assignments to help you immediately put what you've learned into practice, and featuring illustrations throughout, this is the ideal introduction to everything the Alexander Technique has to offer—and its potential to benefit not just your work and career, but your entire life. 9781848427587 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Lyndsey Winship BEING A DANCER Here is advice from some of the best dancers and choreographers in the world, crossing the fields of ballet, contemporary, South Asian dance, musical theatre and hip hop, and covering subjects both motivational and mundane, from tapping into your own reserves of creativity and resilience, to the important matter of when to eat your pre- show banana. The twenty-five experts in these pages have performed with the likes of the Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Rambert, Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures and BalletBoyz; and include: Carlos Acosta,Darcey Bussell, Lauren Cuthbertson, Tommy Franzén, Adam Garcia, Matthew Golding, Melissa Hamilton, Steven McRae, Matthew Rees, Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy and Marlon ‘Swoosh’ Wallen. 9781848424623 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Victoria Worsley FELDENKRAIS FOR ACTORS: How to Do Less and Discover More Spontaneity, sensitivity, simplicity and flexibility in any situation are just some of the qualities that the Feldenkrais Method has inspired in performers around the world. It uses movement to enable you to feel, adapt and respond in new ways—not just in limited, habitual patterns—thereby increasing your physical, emotional and mental potential. Written by an experienced actor, theatre-maker and Feldenkrais practitioner, Feldenkrais for Actors leads you through a range of topics where using the Method can help, and includes dozens of exercises and lessons so that you can experience how the Method will help you in practice. 9781848424173 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Currency Press • The performing arts publisher www.currency.com.au 22 SHAKESPEARE
SHAKESPEARE
Janet Birkett (Editor) SHAKESPEARE IN 100 OBJECTS: Treasures from the Victoria and Albert Museum Within the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the world's leading museum of art and design, there lies an extraordinary wealth of material relating to a single individual: the playwright William Shakespeare. This book presents a fascinating selection of one hundred objects—often surprising, always delightful—chosen by the museum’s curators for the insight each affords into the world of Shakespeare and his plays. Each object is illustrated in full colour and is accompanied by a compact essay on its history, its provenance, and what it has to tell us about Shakespeare and his plays, particularly in performance. 9781848423619 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Giles Block SPEAKING THE SPEECH: An Actor’s Guide to Shakespeare Why did Shakespeare write that way? How can actors and directors get the most out of his plays? Giles Block—‘Master of the Words’ at Shakespeare’s Globe—answers these two questions, in the most comprehensive book written on speaking Shakespeare’s words. Drawing on characters from across all of Shakespeare’s plays, Block covers: the distinctions between prose, rhymed verse and unrhymed verse; the different strategies to be used when speaking them; the difference between ‘you’ and ‘thou’; Shakespeare’s use of silence; and the importance of paying attention to Shakespeare’s ‘original’ punctuation. 9781848421912 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Peter Brook EVOKING (AND FORGETTING) SHAKESPEARE This book is based on Brook’s 1998 talk in Berlin. It addresses the essential questions about performing Shakespeare today, thus inviting the reader to consider the conditions of the Elizabethan theatre and the qualities of Shakespeare’s language. 9781854597120 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
THE QUALITY OF MERCY: Reflections on Shakespeare One of the world’s most revered theatre directors reflects on a variety of Shakespearean topics. In this essay collection, Brook debates questions such as: Who was the human who wrote Shakespeare’s plays? Why is Shakespeare never out of date? How should actors approach Shakespeare’s verse? 9781854592612 HB 9781848424104 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Currency Press • The performing arts publisher www.currency.com.au 23 SHAKESPEARE
Julian Curry SHAKESPEARE ON STAGE Thirteen leading actors take us behind the scenes of their performances in one of Shakespeare’s major roles. The actors discuss their characters with refreshing candour and in forensic detail. The result is a masterclass on each role, invaluable for actors, directors, and students. Featuring: Brian Cox on Titus Andronicus; Judi Dench on Juliet, Ralph Fiennes on Coriolanus, Rebecca Hall on Rosalind (As You Like It), Derek Jacobi on Malvolio (Twelfth Night), Jude Law on Hamlet, Adrian Lester on Henry V, Ian McKellen on Macbeth, Helen Mirren on Cleopatra, Tim Pigott-Smith on Leontes (Winter’s Tale), Kevin Spacey on Richard II, Patrick Stewart on Prospero (The Tempest), and Penelope Wilton on Isabella (Measure for Measure). 9781848420779 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
SHAKEPSEARE ON STAGE VOLUME 2 Twelve leading actors take us behind the scenes of landmark Shakespearean productions, each recreating in detail their memorable performance in a major role. Featuring: Roger Allam on Falstaff Henry( IV), Eileen Atkins on Viola (Twelfth Night), Simon Russell Beale on Cassius (Julius Caesar), Chiwetel Ejiofor on Othello, Ian McKellen on King Lear, Alan Rickman on Jaques (As You Like It), Fiona Shaw on Shakespeare's Shrew, Katherine, Patrick Stewart on Shylock, Harriet Walter on Imogen (Cymbeline) and Zoë Wanamaker on Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing). 9781848422469 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Oliver Ford Davies PERFORMING SHAKESPEARE Drawing on a lifetime’s experience playing Shakespearean roles, Davies offers advice to actors, directors and drama students on a variety of scenes, characters, speeches and individual lines. This book discusses preparation, rehearsal and performance for the Elizabethan actor and Shakespeare’s language. 9781854597816 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Max Hafler WHAT COUNTRY, FRIENDS, IS THIS?: Directing Shakespeare with Young Performers A highly practical, comprehensive guide to exploring Shakespeare with young people—ideal for directors, youth theatre leaders, workshop facilitators and teachers. Experienced teacher, actor and director Max Hafler tackles the myths that Shakespeare's work is like a foreign country, not for the faint-hearted, or only for a privileged few. In this book, he shows how you can embrace the challenges of doing Shakespeare with young people, and make the plays accessible and exciting for all. 9781848428034 PB NIck Hern Books, UK
Michael Pennington SWEET WILLIAM: A User’s Guide to Shakespeare Michael Pennington has spent over 20,000 hours performing, directing and writing about Shakespeare. This book examines the plays through his understanding of the theatre. With apt quotations from the works, analysis of little-known passages, and reflections on changing acting styles, this book is a Shakespeare masterclass. 9781848423442 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Currency Press • The performing arts publisher www.currency.com.au 24 STAGE MANAGEMENT & ADMINISTRATION
STAGE MANAGEMENT & ADMINISTRATION
Gareth Armstrong SO YOU WANT TO DO A SOLO SHOW? A unique guide to every aspect of putting on your own solo show: choosing the subject, raising the finance, booking the venue —and performing it! Being a veteran of the solo-show circuit, as a writer, performer and director, Gareth Armstrong is the ideal guide. He takes you step by step through each stage of the process. There is a special section on that mecca for solo shows, the Edinburgh Fringe. Throughout the book, Armstrong illustrates his points with case studies of actual solo shows by performers such as Miriam Margolyes, Linda Marlowe and Guy Masterson. 9781848420847 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Susan Elkin SO YOU WANT TO WORK IN THEATRE? An essential guide for those who want to work in theatre, but aren’t sure what job they want to do or how to start doing it. Many young people are eager to experience the excitement and allure of working in theatre. Often this only goes as far as imagining themselves as actors, but there are more jobs off the stage than on it. Using her expertise as Education and Training Editor for The Stage, Elkin describes what each theatre job entails and how one might find that job. 97818545953879 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Gail Pallin STAGE MANAGEMENT: The Essential Handbook The Stage Manager is at the core of every successful theatre production. This book is for students, graduates and theatremakers interested in stage management. Complete with charts and helpful checklists, it takes the reader through a typical production, week by week. 9781848420144 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
James Seabright SO YOU WANT TO BE A THEATRE PRODUCER? A comprehensive guide to producing a show, from raising the money to creating a hit. This unique guide offers comprehensive, clear advice to anyone producing or selling a show. Drawing on experiences as a theatre producer at every level—from university, via the fringe, to the West End—Seabright goes through each stage of the process. 9781854595379 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Currency Press • The performing arts publisher www.currency.com.au 25 VOICE
VOICE
Sarah Case THE INTEGRATED VOICE: A Complete Voice Course for Actors A unique approach to the actor’s voice. this book, structured as a series of practical workshops, goes through the foundations of release, relaxation, breath, and voice support. Other sessions concentrate on developing stamina and muscularity, deep resonance, and the ability to create and sustain extreme vocal states. Accompanying the book is a 110–minute DVD, showing many of the exercises and sessions in action, featuring full-length workouts and warm-ups. 9781854591844 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Orlanda Cook SINGING WITH YOUR OWN VOICE A comprehensive instruction manual, full of practical exercises on how to liberate the singing voice that is within each one of us. Based firmly on the author’s extensive teaching experience all over the world and packed full of illustrations, this is the book for everyone who has always wanted to sing but has been too scared to try. 9781854596123 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Max Hafler TEACHING VOICE: Workshops for Young Performers An inspiring, practical guide to workin with young people on their voices, by a highly experienced teacher, actor and director. Teaching Voice is for all youth-theatre leaders, workshop facilitators, teachers or lecturers who want to help their students to develop their voices—either as a component in theatre training, while rehearsing a play, or for the benefit of their personal development. It offers a step-by-step course of workshops and themed sessions, along with a series of exercises and vocal warm-ups—from the tried-and-tested to the truly innovative. 9781848425798 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Barbara Houseman FINDING YOUR VOICE: A step-by-step guide for actors A manual for actors who want to train and develop their voice. With helpful advice on how to use the book and how to prepare our bodies, the author goes step‑by‑step through the elements that make up the voice and the sounds we make with it. 9781854596598 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Kristin Linklater FREEING THE NATURAL VOICE The classic voice-training book by a pre-eminent voice teacher, actor and director. Linklater’s approach is to liberate the voice rather than apply vocal techniques from the outside. Her premise is that everyone’s voice is capable of expressing whatever emotion, mood or thought.This revised edition incorporates vocal exercises to help the voice connect viscerally with language. 9781854599711 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Currency Press • The performing arts publisher www.currency.com.au 26 VOICE
FREEING SHAKESPEARE’S VOICE A practical approach to breaking through barriers when dealing with Shakespeare. This book features exercises to break language habits, and an analysis of Shakespeare’s strategies for creating character, story and meaning. This revised edition offers readers the tools to increase understanding and make Shakespeare’s words their own. 9781848420830 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Jeannette Nelson THE VOICE EXERCISE BOOK Fall in love with your voice. Get to know how it works. You will soon feel how good it is to sound like you. In The Voice Exercise Book, Jeannette Nelson - Head of Voice at the National Theatre - shares the voice exercises she uses with many of Britain's leading actors to help to keep their voices in shape. Her belief is that all of us, not just actors, can learn to use our voices well. Also available: The Voice Exercise Book: The Warm-Ups (Audio CD), the ideal accompaniment to the book. 9781848426542 PB 9781848427518 (Audio CD) Nick Hern Books, UK
Bruce G. Shapiro SPEAKING AMERICAN: The Australian Actor’s Guide to American dialect A simple and accurate guide to speaking in a General American (GenAm) dialect: the preferred dialect for performance in a wide range of American stage, film and television works. GenAm can also operate as a foundation dialect for other American dialects. Written specifically for the Australian actor, the eBook covers pronunciation, intonation, American lingo, phonetics, tongue placement, lip formation and practical exercises, as well as words and phrases useful for improvisation work. Also featured are exercises involving words, sentences and scenes designed to teach each aspect of the dialect. Embedded audio files give examples in both U.S. and Australian dialect that can be played on iPhone, iPad or Mac or on any other device using Adobe Digital Editions. Speaking American is the perfect tool for the Australian actor at home, on set or in the rehearsal room. Currency Press, Australia eBook only
Currency Press • The performing arts publisher www.currency.com.au 27 WRITING/CRITICISM
WRITING/CRITICISM Robin Belfield TELLING THE TRUTH: How to Make Verbatim Theatre An increasingly influential form, Verbatim theatre has a unique ability to present stories from unfamiliar sources and bring unheard voices to the stage. Verbatim theatre is perhaps the most objective way of dramatising real life; its authenticity helps audiences to understand the world we live in, whether through testimony, eye-witness accounts or autobiography. In Telling the Truth, Robin Belfield draws on his own experiences of creating verbatim-theatre work, and interviews other major directors, writers and actors, providing tips and advice to help you make the most of every part of the verbatim-theatre process. 9781788500227 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Michael Bruce WRITING MUSIC FOR THE STAGE: A Practical Guide for Theatremakers The definitive guide to writing music for the stage, by the Composer-in-Residence at the Donmar Warehouse. Music has played a vital part in drama since the earliest days of theatre. For composers, writing music for the stage is an opportunity to exercise their utmost creativity and versatility: a good musical score will both support and enhance the play it serves, and can lift a prosaic moment into something quite extraordinary. In this book, Michael Bruce takes you through the entire process—from initial preparation, through composition, rehearsals and recording, and finally to performance. 9781848423930 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Anton Chekhov CHEKHOV ON THEATRE A unique collection—compiled by Jutta Hercher and Peter Urban and translated by Stephen Mulrine—of everything that Chekhov wrote about the theatre. 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. 9781848420755 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Alison Croggon REMEMBERED PRESENCES: responses to theatre Croggon’s blog Theatre Notes was the first theatre blog in Australia and, over its eight years of existence, made her the most influential critical voice in Australian performance, with a wide international readership. This long-awaited collection of 25 years of Croggon’s writing shows why. Ranging from early reviews to wide-focus essays of cultural criticism, from playful meditations on the critical form to searching interrogations of the role of the critic in the volatile digital age, Remembered Presences demonstrates the evolution of a crucial critical voice and offers an eye witness account of the 2004-2012 Australian theatre renaissance, written as it occurred. 9781760622121 PB Currency Press, Australia
Currency Press • The performing arts publisher www.currency.com.au 28 WRITING/CRITICISM
David Edgar HOW PLAYS WORK Distinguished playwright David Edgar examines the mechanisms and techniques which dramatists throughout the ages have employed to structure their plays and to express their meaning. Written for playwrights and playgoers alike, Edgar’s analysis starts with the building blocks of whole plays—plot, character creation, genre and structure—and moves on to scenes and devices. He shows how plays share a common architecture without which the uniqueness of their authors’ vision would be invisible. How Plays Work is a masterclass for playwrights and playmakers and a fascinating guide to the anatomy of drama. 9781854593719 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Tim Ferguson THE CHEEKY MONKEY: Writing Narrative Comedy From one of Australia's most successful comedians comes The Cheeky Monkey, a practitioner's guide to the art of comedy writing. Both insightful and practical, The Cheeky Monkey explains the principles of sitcom writing and guides the reader in how to apply them. Many of Tim's techniques can also be applied to film, stage, stand-up or indeed any form of comedy. You'll make 'em laugh before you know it. 9780868198613 ` PB Currency Press, Australia
Tim Fountain SO YOU WANT TO BE A PLAYWRIGHT How to write a play and get it produced—a manual for playwrights. Playwright and former literary manager Tim Fountain guides the budding playwright over the many hurdles involved in getting a play on—from finding a story that only you know, through the detailed construction of the play, and on to the strategies you can use to get it on stage. The book also deals with the actual production: choosing directors, designers and actors, and coping with rehearsals, previews and press nights. 9781854597168 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Chris Foxon/George Turvey BEING A PLAYWRIGHT The essential guide to a career in playwriting, from the team behind the multi-award- winning Papatango, one of the UK's leading new-writing companies. Writing a good play is only the first step towards becoming a successful playwright; it is just as crucial to understand all the practical and business elements of building your career. Being a Playwright transparently and honestly sets out everything you need to know. Drawing on Papatango's superlative track record of discovering and launching new writers— including BAFTA, OffWestEnd, Royal National Theatre Foundation and Alfred Fagon Award winners, many of whom have premiered worldwide as well as in the West End —and featuring tips from a host of industry insiders, this encouraging and accessible guide explores the opportunities and pitfalls of life as a playwright. 9781848426917 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Currency Press • The performing arts publisher www.currency.com.au 29 WRITING/CRITICISM
Claire Grove/Stephen Wyatt SO YOU WANT TO WRITE RADIO DRAMA A practical guide to writing radio drama and getting it produced, by a leading radio dramatist and a hugely experienced radio drama producer who have both created award-winning dramas for the BBC. Writing for radio is a very particular craft, with its own distinctive conventions, techniques and pitfalls. And you need to know how the industry works to stand the best chance of getting your play commissioned. Full of practical advice, tips and invaluable inside information about the industry, it also includes extracts from many outstanding radio dramas and a series of writing exercises to help put ideas into practice. 9781848422834 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Frode Helland/Julie Holledge IBSEN ON THEATRE The more successful Ibsen became as a playwright, the more reluctant he was to make public pronouncements about the practice of theatre, but his thoughts on the art form can be gleaned by mining his prefaces, letters, speeches and newspaper articles. For the first time, these fragments have been gathered together in one volume. Arranged chronologically, they throw a unique light on Ibsen’s views on theatre production, casting, translation, the business of theatre, and most importantly his own plays. The result is an invaluable resource for those who seek to know what Ibsen himself thought about his work and about the theatre of his time. 9781848423121 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Stephen Jeffreys PLAYWRITING: STRUCTURE, CHARACTER, HOW AND WHAT TO WRITE For over two decades, Stephen Jeffreys's remarkable series of workshops attracted writers from all over the world and shaped the ideas of many of today's leading playwrights and theatre-makers. Now, with this inspiring, highly practical book, you too can learn from these acclaimed Masterclasses. Playwriting reveals the various invisible frameworks and mechanisms that are at the heart of each and every successful play. Drawing on a huge range of sources, it deconstructs playwriting into its constituent parts, and offers illuminating insights. Written by a true master of the craft, this authoritative guide will provide playwrights at every level of experience with a rich array of tools to apply to their own work. 9781848427907 PB Nick Hern Books. UK
Paul Kalburgi THE WRITER'S TOOLKIT: Exercises, Techniques and Ideas for Playwrights and Screenwriters Perfect for playwrights and screenwriters of all levels of experience, The Writer’s Toolkit will equip you with everything required to kickstart your creativity, develop your craft, and make your writing the very best that it can be.Written by an experienced playwright, screenwriter and producer, this essential book is packed with almost two hundred practical exercises, techniques and ideas for every part of your process, designed to be used either solo or in a group 9781848428638 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
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Nick de Somogyi SHAKESPEARE ON THEATRE A unique collection of Shakespeare's every reflection on the theatre, offering fascinating insights into the man, his work, and the world of the Jacobean stage. Shakespeare scholar Nick de Somogyi draws together all the cherishable set pieces—including ‘All the world’s a stage,’ Hamlet’s encounters with the Players, and Bottom’s amateur theatricals—along with many other oblique but no less revealing glances, and further insights into theatre practice by Shakespeare’s contemporaries and rivals. De Somogyi’s informed commentary takes us through the entire process of a play’s theatrical production. Shakespeare on Theatre eavesdrops on the urgently whispered noises-off in the ‘tiring-house’ and inhales the heady aroma of the Globe’ first audiences 9781848420793 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Alana Valentine BOWERBIRD: The art of making theatre drawn from life ‘Mostly it feels like you don’t know—like you’re reaching for something that you can’t quite grab. Some writers talk about their fear of the blank page, but the playwright who draws work from life can have the opposite problem. Spoilt for choice. Presented with myriad possibilities and competing ideas of how to condense the source material or arrange it in a theatrically dynamic, original and compelling way.' So begins Bowerbird, a journey through the life and plays of Alana Valentine, as well as the creative process behind the plays. One of Australia’s most inventive playwrights, Alana shows the power of bringing new audiences into our theatres to share the space with traditional audiences, detailing how to gather and transform lived experience into compelling drama. In Bowerbird she reveals the motor of her artistry by combining stories from her life with observations from her experience. 9781925005677 PB Currency Press
Steve Waters THE SECRET LIFE OF PLAYS A guide to the hidden workings of plays and the trade secrets that govern their writing— by the acclaimed playwright Steve Waters. Drawing on a wide range of drama, both historical and modern, Waters takes the reader through the key elements of dramatic writing—scenes, acts, space, time, characters, language and images—to show how a play is more than the sum of its parts, with as much inner vitality as a living organism. Almost uniquely amongst accounts of playwriting, Waters’ book looks at the ways in which good plays move their audiences, generating powerful emotional responses that often defy conventional analysis. 9781848420007 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
Julian Woolford HOW MUSICAL WORK AND HOW TO WRITE YOUR OWN Julian Woolford outlines every step of writing a musical and guides the reader through the process of getting their work produced. He offers dozens of exercises to assist the novice writer in developing their craft, and detailed case studies of well-known musicals. 9781848421752 PB Nick Hern Books, UK
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