Download or read book Simon Stephens A Working Diary written by Simon Stephens and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2016-04-21 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 2014 was a spectacular year for playwright Simon Stephens, who has been described by the Independent as 'a brilliant writer of immense imagination' and by the Financial Times as having 'emerged in this millennium as an outstanding playwright'. 2014 was a year for Simon Stephens which featured a high number of world premiere plays including one for the theatre of his birthplace, Manchester's Royal Exchange, a major new play for the Downstairs space at London's Royal Court, and a Chekhov translation for London's Young Vic; a transfer of his West End hit The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time to Broadway; and projects in Germany, a country which has seen Stephens lauded, in which he has worked extensively, and which has shaped much of his dramaturgy. In addition to these major projects, Stephens continued his role as a mentor of young writers, actors and directors, and continued to be one of the most frequent, outspoken and fiercely intelligent voices of the playwriting scene. In an exceptionally honest account, Simon Stephens opens up to us, through daily diary entries, his working practices, his inner-most thoughts, his philosophy on theatre, the arts and politics, and his feelings and reactions to specific projects he has worked on. Through this, we are given unprecedented access to the mind of one of the most important playwrights of the twenty-first century.
Download or read book Julie Hesmondhalgh A Working Diary written by Julie Hesmondhalgh and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2019-01-10 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Actor Julie Hesmondhalgh's working diary begins in November 2016 at the end of a full and exciting year of theatre-making with her company, Take Back. The company is a northern-based collective creating immediate script-in-hand responses to social and political events (of which there were many in 2016). Her work with Take Back fell between filming the third series of Broadchurch for ITV and starring in the award-winning play Wit at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. She kicks off as she prepares to start rehearsals for Mike Leigh's epic film about the Peterloo Massacre of 1819; visits schools and colleges representing Arts Emergency - an organisation set up to promote opportunities for young working-class actors; and awaits news of a possible London transfer of Wit. The book takes in Hesmondhalgh's unique experiences of working in film, theatre, TV and radio drama, and through the ups and downs of life as a working actor and producer, while balancing family life. The events described throughout take place against the backdrop of the huge political change and upheaval as Britain votes in favour of Brexit and Donald Trump is elected as US president. Throughout, Julie Hesmondhalgh considers the impact and challenges of starting a brand new chapter of her career after 16 years in Coronation Street; growing older as a woman in an industry preoccupied by youth and appearance; working with a legend of British film making; running a company; being a parent; experiencing first-hand the huge changes and pressures in the creative industries and arts education; and the lesser-known aspects of an actor's life post-production and publicity. All the while, she attempts to pass on any knowledge or experiences she might have accrued to people starting out in the business in this fascinating year-long journal.
Download or read book Adrian Lester and Lolita Chakrabarti A Working Diary written by Adrian Lester and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-07-09 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “An exhilarating, fascinating and eye-opening journey with two of our most inspirational creatives. A must-read for anyone interested in the crafts of acting and writing or considering a career as a self-employed artist. Lolita and Adrian don't shy away from documenting the reality of our profession – the endless multi-tasking, the long unpaid hours, and the peaks and troughs of generating your own work and being a creative-for-hire. Equally though they celebrate the joy and satisfaction when all that sweat and risk finally pays off.” Meera Syal CBE In this insightful joint working diary, the creative powerhouse of a couple, Lolita Chakrabarti and Adrian Lester, chronicle 16 months of their fascinating working lives, including their experiences working on the stage adaptation of Life of Pi, an original series of monologues about the NHS, the film adaptation of Red Velvet and the TV series The Rook, among many other projects. As readers, we experience, first-hand, their experiences as two of the most proactive and versatile theatre makers today, working across a range of media and exciting collaborations.
Download or read book The Theatre of Simon Stephens written by Jacqueline Bolton and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-06-17 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Simon Stephens is one of Europe's pre-eminent living playwrights. Since the beginning of his career in 1998, Stephens's award-winning plays have been translated into over twenty languages, been produced on four continents, and continue to feature prominently in the repertoires of European theatre. His original works have garnered numerous awards, with his stage adaptation of Mark Haddon's novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time winning seven Olivier Awards and enjoying acclaim on Broadway. In the first book to provide a critical account of Stephens's work, Jacqueline Bolton draws upon the playwright's unpublished personal archives, as well as original interviews with directors and actors, to advance detailed analyses of his original plays and their productions, examine contemporary approaches to playwriting, and deliver insights into broader debates regarding text, performance and authorship. Caridad Svich addresses Stephens's theatrical output between 2014 and 2019, and essays from Mireia Aragay and James Hudson provide additional perspectives on international productions and the playwright's adaptive practices. Andrew Haydon's edited interviews with six of Stephens's key collaborators – Marianne Elliott, Sarah Frankcom, Sean Holmes, Ramin Gray, Katie Mitchell and Carrie Cracknell – further illuminate the work from a director's viewpoint. The Theatre of Simon Stephens situates the playwright's oeuvre within his embrace of aesthetics and working relations encountered in European theatre cultures, focusing in particular upon shifting attitudes towards the function of the playwright, the relationship between playwrights and directors, and the role of the audience in live performance. The Companion serves as a lively and engaging study of one of the most restlessly creative and important dramatists of our generation.
Download or read book Adrian Lester and Lolita Chakrabarti A Working Diary written by Adrian Lester and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-07-09 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “An exhilarating, fascinating and eye-opening journey with two of our most inspirational creatives. A must-read for anyone interested in the crafts of acting and writing or considering a career as a self-employed artist. Lolita and Adrian don't shy away from documenting the reality of our profession – the endless multi-tasking, the long unpaid hours, and the peaks and troughs of generating your own work and being a creative-for-hire. Equally though they celebrate the joy and satisfaction when all that sweat and risk finally pays off.” Meera Syal CBE In this insightful joint working diary, the creative powerhouse of a couple, Lolita Chakrabarti and Adrian Lester, chronicle 16 months of their fascinating working lives, including their experiences working on the stage adaptation of Life of Pi, an original series of monologues about the NHS, the film adaptation of Red Velvet and the TV series The Rook, among many other projects. As readers, we experience, first-hand, their experiences as two of the most proactive and versatile theatre makers today, working across a range of media and exciting collaborations.
Download or read book The Dramaturgy of Space written by Ramón Griffero and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-12-16 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Ramón Griffero's seminal work, The Dramaturgy of Space, the playwright and director describes his aesthetic philosophy and theoretical approach to theatrical creation, illustrating his theory through practical application in a series of exercises. As well as touching upon some of Griffero's own work, like Cinema utopia (1985), Tus deseos en fragmentos (2003), Fin del eclipse (2007) and El azar de la fiesta (1992), this book also reinforces the practicality of Griffero's concepts through a series of online videos, breaking down each exercise and allowing readers to engage with the effects of his celebrated approach. Published here in English for the first time, in a translation by the leading expert on Griffero, The Dramaturgy of Space reveals the internationally renowned Chilean artist's thought process, and how his practice has influenced the theatrical, political, and social context, from the Pinochet dictatorship to the present day.
Download or read book The Art of Resonance written by Anne Bogart and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-08-26 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is artistic resonance and how can it be linked to one's life and one's art? This latest book of essays from legendary theatre director Anne Bogart, considers the creation of resonance in the artistic endeavour, with a focus on the performing arts. The word 'resonance' comes from the Latin meaning to 're-sound' or 'sound together'. From music to physics, resonance is a common thread that evokes a response and, in general, is understood as a quality that makes something personally meaningful and valuable. For Bogart, curiosity is a key personal quality to be nurtured throughout life and that very same curiosity, as an artist, thinker and human being. Creating pathways between performance theory, art history, neuroscience, music, architecture and the visual arts, and consistently forging new thought-paths, the writing draws upon Anne Bogart's own life and artistic journeys to illuminate potent philosophical ideas. Woven with personal anecdotes, stories and reflections, this is a book that will be of interest to any theatre artist and anyone who reflects on the power of the arts, of theatre-making and what it means to be engaged in the artistic process.
Download or read book The Art of Making Theatre written by Pamela Howard and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2022-07-14 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book, world-renowned theatre artist Pamela Howard OBE shows how her life has always been part of the art of making theatre. Part memoir, part a personal account of artistic creation, it is a work of art in its own right. Its 12 chapters, accompanied by original drawings, offer insights into Pamela Howard's creative world and the journey through life of a celebrated artist, ranging from her early life and influences, to her time at art college and the inspiration she gained from travelling the world. Following the trajectory of her life, the 12 'dreams' are poised between memory and history and give an account of an artist's growth, resilience, working patterns, and life-changing encounters with remarkable personalities and artists, as well as the practical side of working in the theatre, in visual arts and in education. Her art tells unexpected stories of little-noticed people and émigré communities, and makes performance for diverse audiences from the unique experience of one's own life. Pamela Howard's dreams have led her to work across the globe and teach and inspire several generations of theatre makers, scenographers, designers and visual artists. The Art of Making Theatre passes on that inspiration afresh and demonstrates that being an artist is not a one-off project but a way of life.
Download or read book Talking about Immersive Theatre written by Joanna Jayne Bucknall and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2022-12-15 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do theatre makers in Britain produce immersive, participatory experiences for audiences? How are productions designed and rehearsed, and how can the experience of different companies inform your own practice and understanding of this burgeoning craft? This collection of original discussions with some of Britain's leading immersive and interactive theatre makers explores their processes, methods and practices, offering a behind-the-scenes tour of how they make their work. It provides new material addressing a range of previously undisclosed topics including approaches to casting and rehearsal strategies, through to more concrete concerns such as funding and finance models. They reveal the discrete nuts and bolts of building audience-experience, and candidly discuss their own position to the term 'immersive' and how they perceive their place within the wider experience-centric cultural landscape. This collection combines perspectives from practitioners across the spectrum of immersions and interactivity in performance to showcase working methods across a variety of forms; from one-on-one, to gamified, playable experiences. The diversity of conversations captured in this volume reflects the polyphony of the immersive and interactive landscape in Britain, introducing readers to the work of Les Enfants Terrible, Parabolic, COLAB Theatre, The Lab Collective, Cross Collaborations, and ZU-UK. Makers participate in frank dialogue that reveals the ways in which they employ scenography, design, game and structural mechanics, approaches to stage management tactics, as well as the development of audience relationships, the role of intimacy and agency.
Download or read book Notes from the Rehearsal Room written by Nancy Meckler and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2023-01-12 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Renowned theatre and film director Nancy Meckler delves into her hugely varied experiences in the rehearsal room and shares examples of tried-and-tested “tools” to bring a play to life. Meckler encourages you to interrogate, play, experiment and to use her methods as a starting point to begin creating your own unique directing toolkit and finding your own style. The examples are drawn from her experience directing a range of work from classic plays, including work by Chekhov, Brecht and Shakespeare, to new writing, including work by Pam Gems and Sam Shepard, and in a wide range of renowned theatres, including the RSC, National Theatre, Royal Court and a number of the UK's regional theatres. The author's approachable and relatable writing style enables an in-depth look into how she works with actors and the many ways in which she may approach a new project while also providing with a unique insight into her own wealth of experience over a remarkable career as an award-winning and internationally celebrated director.
Download or read book Punk Rock written by Simon Stephens and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2016-10-20 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Everything human beings do finishes up bad in the end. Everything good human beings ever make is built on something monstrous. Nothing lasts. We certainly won't . . . William Carlisle has the world at his feet, but its weight on his shoulders. He is intelligent, articulate and f***ed. In the library of a grammar school, William and his fellow sixth-formers are preparing for their mock A-Levels while navigating the pressures of teenage life. They are educated and aspirational young people, but step-by-step, the dislocation, disjunction and latent aggression is revealed. Punk Rock premiered at the Lyric Hammersmith on 3 September 2009 in a co-production between Lyric Hammersmith and the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester. It is published here as a Student Edition featuring commentary and notes by Catherine Love. The ancillary material is geared at students and considers: - an introduction outlining the play's plot, character, themes, context and performance history - the full text of the play - a chronology of the playwright's life and work - a detailed introductory analysis - extensive textual notes - questions for further study Methuen Drama Student Editions are expertly annotated texts of a wide range of plays from the modern and classic repertoires. This play includes some strong language and violent scenes.
Download or read book The Uncapturable written by Rubén Szuchmacher and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-09-03 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Uncapturable is a wide-ranging reflection on the art of the mise en scène from the perspective of leading Argentinian theatre director Rubén Szuchmacher. It offers a timely and concise, though comprehensive, survey of the role and responsibility of the theatre director from the earliest times to the twenty-first century. Szuchmacher defines theatre as the confluence of four art forms - architecture, visual art, sound and literature - whose works only truly exist in the moment of encounter with an audience. He argues that, by taking full account of these four art forms, analysing them in detail and engaging thoughtfully with the many specialists who come together to bring a mise en scène into being, the director of today can still create work that innovates and inspires. The Uncapturable is as valuable to the apprentice director emerging from their training as it is to the veteran in need of fresh reflection. Szuchmacher draws on the unique learnings gleaned from working in Argentina, be it the impact on theatre of politics, the need for inventiveness in times of hardship, the phenomenon of Argentine 'circus theatre' or the adaptation of literary giants such as Borges, affording the Anglophone reader an alternative perspective on the ideas of theatre we often take for granted. Szuchmacher offers a unique blend of global knowledge, historical awareness and a pragmatic, resourceful and creative approach from a theatre artist working in Latin American through decades of change. The book is translated from the Spanish by William Gregory.
Download or read book Movement Directors in Contemporary Theatre written by Ayse Tashkiran and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-06-11 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'When directors understand the value of a movement director they remove any sense of hierarchy within the room and place movement directors firmly by their side for they are and should be their co-pilot, navigating and creating the world of the play.' - Joan Iyiola Movement directors work with the physical, living bodies at the heart of theatre productions, creating movement languages with actors and directors. Through a series of in-depth interviews with leading theatre practitioners, Ayse Tashkiran charts the growth of the movement director in contemporary theatre. The voices of Jane Gibson, Sue Lefton, Kate Flatt, Toby Sedgwick, Siân Williams, Struan Leslie, Ellen Kane, Peter Darling, Steven Hoggett, Ann Yee, Imogen Knight and Shelley Maxwell explore processes of creativity, collaboration and innovation for the moving body in performance. The conversations open up: Growth of movement direction through the 20th century New insights into embodied theatre practice Diverse movement approaches and creative preparation Physical trainings and influences Working methods with directors and actors in the rehearsal room Movement for actors in opera, film, television and musical theatre Relationships between movement direction and theatre choreography Potential future developments in the field
Download or read book Motortown written by Simon Stephens and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2014-05-27 with total page 77 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Danny returns from Basra to a foreign England and a different kind of battle. He visits an old flame, buys a gun and goes on a blistering road trip through the new home front. 'I don't blame the war. The war was alright. I miss it. It's just you come back to this.' Written during the London bombings of 2005, Motortown is a fierce, violent and controversial response to the anti-war movement - and to the war itself. Chaotic and complex, powerful and provocative, Simon Stephen's new play portrays a volatile and morally insecure world. Motortown premieres at the Royal Court Theatre on 21 April 2006. It follows the critically acclaimed On the Shore of the Wide World (Manchester Royal Exchange/National Theatre), winner of the Olivier Award for Best New Play (2005).
Download or read book The Methuen Drama Book of Royal Court Plays 2000 2010 written by Ruth Little and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2010-07-02 with total page 465 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An essential anthology of five plays originally staged by what the New York Times described as "the most important theater in Europe"—The Royal Court.
Download or read book Julie Hesmondhalgh A Working Diary written by Julie Hesmondhalgh and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2019-01-10 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Actor Julie Hesmondhalgh's working diary begins in November 2016 at the end of a full and exciting year of theatre-making with her company, Take Back. The company is a northern-based collective creating immediate script-in-hand responses to social and political events (of which there were many in 2016). Her work with Take Back fell between filming the third series of Broadchurch for ITV and starring in the award-winning play Wit at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. She kicks off as she prepares to start rehearsals for Mike Leigh's epic film about the Peterloo Massacre of 1819; visits schools and colleges representing Arts Emergency - an organisation set up to promote opportunities for young working-class actors; and awaits news of a possible London transfer of Wit. The book takes in Hesmondhalgh's unique experiences of working in film, theatre, TV and radio drama, and through the ups and downs of life as a working actor and producer, while balancing family life. The events described throughout take place against the backdrop of the huge political change and upheaval as Britain votes in favour of Brexit and Donald Trump is elected as US president. Throughout, Julie Hesmondhalgh considers the impact and challenges of starting a brand new chapter of her career after 16 years in Coronation Street; growing older as a woman in an industry preoccupied by youth and appearance; working with a legend of British film making; running a company; being a parent; experiencing first-hand the huge changes and pressures in the creative industries and arts education; and the lesser-known aspects of an actor's life post-production and publicity. All the while, she attempts to pass on any knowledge or experiences she might have accrued to people starting out in the business in this fascinating year-long journal.
Download or read book Light Falls written by Simon Stephens and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-01-02 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: LOOK ME IN THE EYE AND TELL ME YOU'LL NEVER LEAVE ME. A woman wakes up with a stranger beside her. A student argues with his lover. A single mother fights to feed her baby. A married man flirts with two younger women. And far away, one devastating event is about to change all their lives forever. Artistic Director Sarah Frankcom says goodbye to the Royal Exchange with an extraordinary new play by Simon Stephens, with original music by Jarvis Cocker. Connecting five relatives in five disparate English towns, from Blackpool to Durham, LIGHT FALLS is a richly layered play about life in the face of death, about how our love survives us after we've gone – and about how family, community and kindness help the North survive.
