With homegrown musicals such as Matilda and London Road wowing audiences and critics alike, some are saying it's a golden age for British musicals. But any creative industry needs to invest in training for the future, and Britain lags well behind the United States in opportunities for budding writers of musicals to learn their craft. … Continue reading ‘You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught’: Engineering the Future of British Musicals
Overcoming artistic ‘burnout’ by Russ Hope
Forging a career in theatre directing is no mean feat, and for every director who reaches the peaks of success, there are many burnt-out casualties littered along the roadside. In an aim to avoid his own creative burnout, Russ Hope shadowed eight of the UK’s most exciting young theatre directors, with unprecedented access to that … Continue reading Overcoming artistic ‘burnout’ by Russ Hope
Birth of the ‘Rules’ by Andy Nyman
Andy Nyman's The Golden Rules of Acting offers real-world advice on how to be an actor - written by a working actor with over 25 years’ experience. In irresistible pocket-sized paperback, packed with short, punchy bulletpoints and illustrated in colour throughout - it certainly gets the message across in a totally memorable way. In the … Continue reading Birth of the ‘Rules’ by Andy Nyman
I Am Shakespeare: by Mark Rylance
As actor Mark Rylance returns to Shakespeare’s Globe to play the title part in Richard III and Olivia in Twelfth Night, he reveals how his interest in the controversial Shakespeare authorship debate – the subject of his first play I Am Shakespeare, published this month by Nick Hern Books – led to the charge that … Continue reading I Am Shakespeare: by Mark Rylance
The ‘X Factor’ Actor
John Abbott has enjoyed a varied career in theatre - as an actor, director, educator (namely, Head of Acting at ArtsEd) and author. He has written three books for NHB on theatre, and his latest - The Acting Book - is published this month. John identifies charisma as one of the most important attributes for … Continue reading The ‘X Factor’ Actor
‘So tyrannous and rough in proof!’: Shakespeare and typos. By Nick de Somogyi.
Why didn't Shakespeare concern himself with the many inaccuracies in the printed editions of his works? Nick de Somogyi, editor of the Shakespeare Folios Series, hunts for clues and looks at the lasting consequences, as his new book Shakespeare on Theatre, a unique collection of Shakespeare's every reflection on the theatre, is published. In the … Continue reading ‘So tyrannous and rough in proof!’: Shakespeare and typos. By Nick de Somogyi.
The Hound of the Baskervilles: the Peepolykus version
You don't need an actual hellhound or a bucket of phosphorus to stage the Peepolykus version of Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles - the rib-tickling spoof, full of the company's trademark verbal and visual ingenuity, seen on national tour and in the West End. But, as co-adapter, Steven Canny explains, there's plenty of scope … Continue reading The Hound of the Baskervilles: the Peepolykus version
Michael Pennington on his new book, SWEET WILLIAM: Twenty Thousand Hours with Shakespeare
Renowned actor and author Michael Pennington introduces his new book on Shakespeare, Sweet William, based on his solo show of the same name. Read on, and you'll find an exclusive extract from the book, that may whet your appetite for more... This morning the snow is six inches deep and as I live at the … Continue reading Michael Pennington on his new book, SWEET WILLIAM: Twenty Thousand Hours with Shakespeare
Helen Edmundson on her stage version of SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS
Helen Edmundson is a multi-award-winning playwright with a string of stellar hits to her name, including adapting Jamila Gavin’s novel Coram Boy for the National Theatre, and winning the John Whiting Award (Best New Play) for The Clearing. Her latest venture – bringing Arthur Ransome's classic novel Swallows and Amazons to life for the stage … Continue reading Helen Edmundson on her stage version of SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS
Charles Dickens’ THE HAUNTING: I Wants to Make Your Flesh Creep!
Hugh Janes’ spine-tingling play The Haunting is adapted from several original ghost stories by Charles Dickens, and toured extensively throughout the UK in 2010/11. Here, the author explains how the play was inspired by Dickens’ long-held fascination with the supernatural... Whether we believe in them or not, ghosts appear to be everywhere: in churches, cemeteries … Continue reading Charles Dickens’ THE HAUNTING: I Wants to Make Your Flesh Creep!
The Prompt Book 