This broad-based collection of essays is an introduction both to the concerns of contemporary folklore scholarship and to the variety of forms that folk performance has taken throughout English history.Combining case studies of specific folk practices with discussion of the various different lenses through which they have been viewed since becoming the subject of concerted study in Victorian times, this book builds on the latest work in an ever-growing body of contemporary folklore...

In this selection of research articles Butterworth focuses on investigation of the practical and technical means by which early English theatre, from the fifteenth to the early seventeenth century, was performed. Matters of staging for both 'pageant vehicle' and 'theatre-in-the-round' are described and analysed to consider their impact on playing by players, expositors, narrators and prompters. All these operators also functioned to promote the closely aligned disciplines of pyrotechnics a...

Peter Harrop offers a reappraisal of mummers’ plays, which have long been regarded as a form of ‘folk’ or ‘traditional’ drama, somehow separate from the mainstream of British theatre.This fresh view of folk and tradition explores how mummers’ plays emerged in an 18th century theatrical environment of popular spouting clubs and private theatricals, yet quickly transformed into ‘traditionary’ drama with echoes of an ancient past. Harrop suggests that by the late 19th century the play...

Encountering Ensemble, is a text for students, teachers, researchers and practitioners who wish to develop a deeper understanding of the history, conceptual foundations and practicalities of the world of ensemble theatre. It is the first book to draw together definitions and practitioner examples, making it a cutting edge work on the subject.Encountering Ensemble combines historical and contemporary case studies with a wide range of approaches and perspectives. It...

Renowned "acting doctor" Harold Guskin shares his revolutionary approach to landing roles, developing them, and keeping them fresh, even over hundreds of performances.In How to Stop Acting, Harold Guskin, whose clients include Kevin Kline, Glenn Close, James Gandolfini, and Bridget Fonda, reveals the acting insights and techniques that have worked wonders for beginners and stars alike. Guskin presents a radically simple and refreshing approach: an actor's ...

A comprehensive training course in screen acting by an internationally renowned teacher and acting coach who has worked with actors of all backgrounds and experience – from drama school students at the start of their careers to Hollywood stars, including 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. Accomp...

Harriet Walter's wonderfully practical - and personal - introduction to acting.'Acting is what I do with who I am', writes Harriet Walter. And in this book she takes us step by step through the processes involved in performance. Each step of the way is illuminated with brilliantly precise examples from her own career.So we are introduced to the Workshop, the Rehearsal, and the Roots and Pathways into a role. Then follows the main meat of the book: six Keys to the Developmen...

Have you struggled with an acting role, realizing you were "not quite there yet" but not knowing what was missing? Have you felt challenged, not sure how to portray a character's needs and actions? TEAM for Actors gives you reliable tools for successful acting and helps resolve a common gap between the mind and body so you can create a dynamic, holistic performance. Based on Laura Bond's twenty years of teaching acting and somatic emotion-regulation techniques, TEAM for Actors provides tan...

There has been an enormous revival of interest in Commedia dell'arte. And it remians a central part of many drama school courses. In Commedia dell'arte in the Twentieth Century John Rublin first examines the orgins of this vital theatrical form and charts its recent revival through the work of companies like Tag, Theatre de Complicite and the influential methods of Jacques Lecoq. The second part of the book provides a unique practical guide for would-be practitioners: demonstratin...

Drawing on his lifetime career in front of the camera (and sometimes behind it), Denis Lawson offers a wonderfully accessible introduction to acting for film and TV. For the young actor hoping to break into the industry – whether in a drama series, soap or sitcom – this book is the ultimate insider's guide.In The Actor and the Camera, Denis Lawson takes us on a guided tour of the film or TV set from day one. We meet the various members of the crew, from the director of pho...

A practical guide to conducting improvisation sessions, for teachers, directors and workshop leaders.The Improvisation Book takes you step-by-step, session-by-session through a graded series of improvisation exercises. Starting with the very first class, it adds a new element at each stage until even the most inhibited students have gained a full vocabulary of improvisational techniques.'a veritable treasure trove... Abbott's book is of real value in the training o...

A classic of theatre writing, a unique insight into the creation of a landmark Shakespearian performance.Antony Sher's stunning performance for the Royal Shakespeare Company as Richard III on crutches – the so-called 'bottled spider' – won him both the Laurence Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Actor. This book records – in the actor's own words and drawings – the making of this historic theatrical event.This edition of Year of the King is published on t...