Book
VOICE AND SPEECH IN THE THEATRE: J.Clifford Turner.
Sixth edition: 2006. Edited by Jane Boston.
ISBN : 978-0-7136-8188-8.

Review: Annette Engelbrecht, September 2007.
(A link to Amazon for the book follows the review.)

Friendly, detailed, a must.

Book
KENNETH TYNAN: THEATRE WRITINGS
Selected and Edited by Dominic Shellard
Nick Hern Books, pub 2007
ISBN: 978 – 1 – 85459 – 050 – 3/ 9 781854 590503
RRP £20.00
Review: Rod Dungate: 19 February 2007

Glorious: crammed with jewels

CD
Archive Recordings of
The Entertainer: John Osbourne
The Caretaker: Harold Pinter
Murder in the Cathedral: T S Eliot

Recording Label: Classics for Pleasure

Far more than interesting - absorbing, valuable

Book
THE WORST IT CAN BE IS A DISASTER: Braham Murray.
Pub: Methuen Drama.
ISBN: 978-0-7136-8490-2.

Review: Rod Dungate, 25 September 2007.
RRP: 16.99

(A link to Amazon to the book is below)

A detailed, painful, honest account of a life dedicated to creating theatre.

Book
PERFORMING SHAKESPEARE: Oliver Ford Davies
Nick Hern Books
Published 2007-05-0 RRP 10.99
ISBN: 978 1 85459 781 6
Review: Rod Dungate, 4 May 2007

So Guildenstern and Rosencrantz go toot

LOVE IS WHERE IT FALLS: Simon Callow
Nick Hern Books
First published in paperback, 2007
RRP: £8.99
ISBN: 1 – 85459 – 976 – 3 / 9 781854 599766
Review: Rod Dungate 20 January 2007

A marvellous read, revealing all round

Book
Kenneth Tynan PROFILES
Collected and Edited by Kathleen Tynan and Ernie Eban
Nick Hern Books, published in 2007 as a paperback original
ISBN: 978 – 1 – 85459 – 943 – 8 / 9 781854 599438
RRP: £14.99
Review: Rod Dungate, 3 February 2007
(links to Nick Hern Books and Amazon below)

(A companion book, KENNETH TYNAN THEATRE WRITINGS, will be reviewed on the site shortly)

Read it, relish it, and return to it often

CD
THE ESSENTIAL SHAKESPEARE - LIVE
A 2CD set of extracts from live RSC performances
Produced from the British Library Sound Archive in association with RSC
Available from shops and RSC website (www. rsc. org, uk)

A joy, a complete joy.

Books
TAKING STOCK: The Theatre of Max Stafford-Clark. Philip Roberts and Max Stafford-Clark
Pub – Nick Hern Books 2007
RRP: 14.99
ISBN: 13 978 1 85459 840 0
Review: Kim Durham February 2007

Detailed, in-depth; a portrait of a career of more than 50 years

CD

Archive Recordings from Classics for Pleasure of
The School for Scandal: Richard Brinsley Sheridan
The Importance of Being Earnest: Oscar Wilde
And 18th Century Album: Way of the World, Congreve; Beaux’ Stratagem, Farquhar; School for Scandal, Sheridan
Review: Rod Dungate

Style v Meaning – the struggle for supremacy is worked through

IMPRO: IMPROVISATION AND THE Theatre: Keith Johnstone.
Methuen Drama.
Republished 2007: RRP 9.99.
ISBN: 978-0-7136-8701-9: 9 780713 687019.
Review: Rod Dungate, August 2007.

(A link to the book in Amazon is at the end of the review.)

If you don’t have this book – get it quick.

Book
THE COMPLETE STANISLAVKSY TOOLKIT: Bella Merlin
Nick Hern Books
www.nickhernbooks.co.uk
First Published: 2007
ISBN: 978 – 1 – 85459 – 793 – 9 / 9 781854 597939
RRP: 10.99p

Review: Rod Dungate: July 2007
A link to buy a copy of this book from Amazon is at the end of the review

I’ll go back to this time and time again

Book
WHY IS THAT SO FUNNY? A Practical Exploration of Physical Comedy : John Wright
Pub: Nick Hern Books, 2006
ISBN: 1 – 85459 – 782 – 5 / 9 – 781854 597823
RRP: 12.99 (UK)
Review: Rod Dungate, January 2007

The work of a leader in the field – clear, comprehensive, absorbing

Book.
THE IMPROVISATION BOOK: John Abbott.
Pub: Nick Hern Books.
ISBN: 978-1-85459-961-2.

Review: Ian Spiby, 30 September 2007.
RRP: 10.99.

(A link to Amazon to the book is below).

An excellent, practical, hands-on guide to teaching improvisation.

Book
LOOKING BACK: PLAYWRIGHTS AT THE ROYAL COURT 1956 – 2006 A collection of interviews by Harriet Devine
Published by Faber and Faber 2006
ISBN: 0-571-23013-X (9 780571 230136)
UK RRP: £14.99
Review: Rod Dungate, 17 December 2006

Interesting for all, essential for some

Book
AT THE SHARP END: Peter Billingham.
Pub. Methuen Drama
ISBN: 978-0-7136-8507-7.

Review: Ian Spiby, 25 November 2007.
RRP: 16.99.

(A link to Amazon to the book is below)

A user-friendly guide to cutting edge British drama: ‘Is our contemporary theatre at the sharp end?’. This book provides and answer.

Book
HAMPTON ON HAMPTON: A series of interviews edited by Alistair Owen
Published by Faber and Faber 2005
ISBN: 0–571-21418-5 / 9 780571 214181
UK RRP £14.99
Review: Rod Dungate

Absorbing, detailed, important insights – and a deal of good humour

Book
OBEDIENCE, STRUGGLE AND REVOLT: David Hare
Published by Faber and Faber, in paperback (January 2007)
ISBN: 978-0-571-23219-2 (9-780571-232192)
UK RRP 9.99
Review: Rod Dungate, 4 December 2006

Passion, passionate views, not to be missed if you are concerned with society today

Book
THE IMPROVISATION GAME, DISCOVERING THE SECRETS OF SPONTANEOUS PERFORMANCE: Chris Johnston
Pub: Nick Hern Books, 2006
ISBN: 1-85459-668-3 / 9 781854 596680
UK RRP £12.00
Review: Rod Dungate, December 2006

Detailed, absorbing, the power to make you rethink what you are doing

THREE USES OF THE KNIFE: David Mamet
Methuen Drama
Published in paperback: 2007: RRP 9.99
ISBN: 978-0-7136-8558-9
Review: Rod Dungate

(A link to the book in Amazon is given below.)

A stimulating contribution to an important debate