ABOUT CHURCHILL: The Playwright and the Work

Book
About Churchill: the playwright and the work by Phillip Roberts.
Published by Faber.
ISBN: 978-0-571-22962-8.
Review: Ben Whitehouse, 8 October 2008.

(A link to the book on Amazon follows).

Accessible and multi-faceted.

Retrospectives are always a complicated affair, knowing where to draw a line is a tricky thing. Does one wait till the artist is dead or look back after 15, 20 or 40 years in the business? Drawing a line too soon may miss out a great work, waiting too long may mean watching in horror as a great artist becomes mediocre.

Caryl Churchill has been working in theatre for over forty years. She burst upon the stage early in her career and shows no sign of losing her sharp sense of understanding and distilling the world through theatre.

About Churchill: the playwright and the work is divided into two sections. The first is a chronological discussion of the plays drawing The Line at Churchill’s recent work Drunk Enough To Say I Love You. The second is Voices and Documents which provides a fascinating look at Churchill’s theatrical collaborators through interviews, diary extracts and email discussions.

For me this is a fascinating peek into the collaborative process of creating theatre. It had me cross referencing the plays I’d seen with the text and the new dimensions this book offers.

This book is not only an excellent read for long-time fans of Churchill’s work and those interested in the craft of theatre but also very accessible for people unfamiliar with her plays and needing a friendly introduction and guidance. And for students – a must have.

Here's the link to the book on Amazon:

2008-10-08 10:44:40