Performing Arts
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Lord of the Dance: My Story
From the international star of Riverdance, Lord of the Dance and, now, Celtic Tiger, comes a no-holds-barred autobiography that reveals the person, the passion and the drama behind Michael Flatley’s astonishing career. Michael describes growing up as the son of Irish immigrants in a tough Chicago neighbourhood and the many years he struggled to make real his dream of becoming a professional Irish dancer. He was in his mid-thirties when he was asked to create Riverdance for the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, bursting onto our television screens with a dazzling dance sequence. Just as his dreams were being realised, Michael was shattered when he and Riverdance parted company. Now Michael explains whas really happened backstage and describes how he went on to create the enormously successful Lord of the Dance.
Michael also deals openly with the controversies that have surrounded his success, such as the 2003 rape charge, his turbulent love life and the illness and injuries that have threatened his career. Filled with commentary from family, friends and colleagues and brimming with Michael’s Irish charm and good humour, this book is the very personal story of a man who has lived life to the fullest according to his own credo: nothing is impossible.
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The Actor and the Camera
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.The author 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 photography to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd ADs, and learn what each of them does – and how to get the most from them in your work as an actor. Then comes the actual business of shooting the scenes, beginning with readthroughs and rehearsals (if there are any), on to hitting your mark and getting your eye-line right, finishing with the actor’s involvement in post-production.
Throughout, Lawson takes the actor’s point of view, offering encouragement and enlightenment, as well as being refreshingly candid about some of the more inane procedures. Above all, he offers a magnificent array of tips and inside knowledge for coping with what can be a daunting experience for a hopeful young actor.
Denis Lawson has been running film workshops for drama students and working actors for over twenty years. His work as an actor includes the BBC’s Bleak House, Holby City, Sensitive Skin, Marchlands and Inside No. 9 on television, and Local Hero, Broken and The Machine on film. In 2012 he joined the cast of BBC TV’s New Tricks, now in its eleventh series with an audience of almost nine million.
With a foreword by Ewan McGregor.
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£9.40£10.40The Actor and the Camera
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Respect for Acting: Expanded Version
The classic book on acting, in an attractive updated edition
Since its original publication in 1973, Uta Hagen’s Respect for Acting has remained a durable classic and a must-read for all students of acting. As an acting instructor at the Herbert Berghof Studio, Hagen helped to develop the talents of world-class actors like Robert DeNiro, Matthew Broderick, Gene Wilder, Amanda Peet, Austin Pendleton, Whoopi Goldberg, and more. In this book, Hagen offers an indispensable account of the techniques that professionals use to elevate their acting to an art form. This updated edition illuminates Hagen’s original text with a new foreword written by Katie Finneran, retaining the David Hyde Pierce foreword, along with added background on HB Studio―one of the original New York performing arts training and practice spaces―and an excerpt from Hagen’s autobiography SOURCES.
In working through this book, actors will learn physical, verbal, and emotional practice that empower them to connect their own self-concept to the characters they play. Specific, detailed exercises help actors learn to address a range of problems actors face, like maintaining immediacy and relevance, and developing the dimensions of a role over a long performance run. Respect for Acting is a book for actors and audiences who understand the need for truth in the creative process.
- Discover the acting book that has shaped professional theater performances for decades
- Learn the history and background of Herbert Berghof Studio, one of New York’s foremost acting schools
- Practice the craft of acting with concrete exercises and instruction on technique
- Delve into the deep questions that arise when actors truly inhabit the lives of their characters
Actors at all levels of their craft will love this stunning updated version of the essential Respect for Acting.
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£17.20£19.90Respect for Acting: Expanded Version
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The Oxford Book of Theatrical Anecdotes
This is the ultimate anthology of theatrical anecdotes, edited by lifelong theatre-lover Gyles Brandreth in the Oxford tradition, and covering every kind of theatrical story and experience from the age of Shakespeare and Marlowe to the age of Stoppard and Mamet, from Richard Burbage to Richard Briers, from Nell Gwynn to Daniel Day-Lewis, from Sarah Bernhardt to Judi Dench.Players, playwrights, prompters, producers―they all feature. The Oxford Book of Theatrical Anecdotes provides a comprehensive, revealing, and hugely entertaining portrait of the world of theatre across four hundred years.
Many of the anecdotes are humorous: all have something pertinent and illuminating to say about an aspect of theatrical life―whether it is the art of playwriting, the craft of covering up missed cues, the drama of the First Night, the nightmare of touring, or the secret ingredients of star quality.
Edmund Kean, Henry Irving, John Gielgud, Laurence Olivier, Ellen Terry, Edith Evans, Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren―the great ‘names’ are all here, of course, but there are tales of the unexpected, too―and the unknown. This is a book―presented in five acts, with a suitably anecdotal and personal prologue from Gyles Brandreth―where, once in a while, the understudy takes centre-stage and Gyles Brandreth treats triumph and disaster just the same, including stories from the tattiest touring companies as well as from Broadway, the West End and theatres, large and small, in Australia, India, and across Europe.
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£11.60£12.30The Oxford Book of Theatrical Anecdotes
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The Actor and the Target
A definitive guide to acting. A revised and updated edition of Declan Donnellan’s international bestseller, a fresh and radical approach to acting by a world-famous director and one of the most successful titles ever published by Nick Hern Books.“The Actor and the Target comes from the heart of his own experience. Fear, generalising and other actor’s blocks are dismembered lethally and with infectious relish” Alan Rickman
“Brilliantly direct, the ‘target’ equips the actor with keys to unlock the fears and flab of acting. Declan’s insightful voice guides us to the heart of the process; exhilirating to read and more importantly to put into practice.” Joseph Fiennes.
“Cuts open every generalisation about acting and draws out gleamingly fresh specifics.” Peter Brook
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£13.70£16.10The Actor and the Target
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Actions: The Actor’s Thesaurus
A vital companion for actors in rehearsal – a thesaurus of action-words to revitalise performance, with a foreword by Terry Johnson.Finding the right action is an essential part of the process of preparation for the actor. Using this thesaurus of active verbs, the actor can refine the action-word until s/he hits exactly the right one to help make the action come alive. The method of ‘actioning’ is widely used in rehearsal rooms, but has never before been set down in a systematic and comprehensive way.
NHB also publishes ,Actioning – and How to Do It, the first in-depth exploration of Actioning for student actors, those who train them, and professionals working in the industry, whether they’re brand new to the technique or have been practising it for years.
‘If you want to act, or act better, Actions will take you a long way on the journey to excellence’ Terry Johnson
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£9.20£10.40Actions: The Actor’s Thesaurus
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Dancing on Eggshells: Kitchen, ballroom & the messy inbetween
‘We come for the glitter, but instead we get the grit, in stories told with insight, tenderness and joy.’ – Russell T Davies
With a foreword by Steph McGovern
‘I never thought I’d write a memoir. I never thought I’d do a lot of the things I have done in my thirty-four years, but life has a wonderful way of surprising us.’
Well-known as the winner of the third series of The Great British Bake Off and runner up of Strictly Come Dancing with his same-sex dance partner Johannes Radebe, John Whaite’s personal story is a complicated narrative of contradictions, highs and lows, told with tenderness, joy, insight and wit, but also unflinching honesty.
A shy little boy from rural Lancashire, who was sacred to sleep alone and danced a little ‘too gay’ at family weddings, he was also an unruly teen who shaved a checkerboard pattern into his hair and refused to conform.
From childhood his life has revolved around food – his parents owned a fish and chip shop where John worked in the back peeling potatoes – but for long periods he has been haunted by bulimia and body dysmorphia and not a day goes by when he doesn’t worry about what or how much he eats.
He achieved TV fame but then seemingly wilfully chose to self-destruct, before finding the strength to pull back when he woke up in a car with half a kebab at his feet and chilli sauce on his shoes.
Through it all, his essential optimism has meant that he has chosen to take every step back as a chance to reassess and begin again, finally arriving at the realisation that external validation and fulfilment is transient – a distraction from the sometimes painful pilgrimage we make as we gain wisdom from our experiences.
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ABC Letter Tracing Practice Workbook for Kids: Learning To Write Alphabet, Numbers and Line Tracing. Handwriting Activity Book For Preschoolers, Kindergartens.
A handwriting practice book for kids.
Simple, progressive writing instruction from easy, simple tasks, tracing lines to writing letters, numbers and whole words on your own.
Prepare children for success in school with easy line tracing exercises.This handwriting exercise book includes:
More than 110pages of exercises: many engaging line-tracing tasks provide enough repetition, enough variety, to keep kids interested. Fun pictures that can be colored in.
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Step 1: Line Tracing : Start-Stop The adventure of writing begins with easy line drawing. Simple line tracing exercises from short strokes to increasingly longer strokes. Such exercises improve children’s concentration and motor coordination.
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Step 2: Writing the alphabet from A to Z Trace lines on uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet. The letters have marked places to start writing, and arrows indicate the direction of movement. For easy association, each letter includes a picture.
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Step 3: Numbers 0 to 10 Trace lines on numbers 0 to 10. Numbers have markings where writing begins and arrows indicate direction of movement. For easy association, each number has an associated picture.
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Step 4: Writing Single Words : Alphabet A-Z Trace lines on previously learned words.
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Step 5: Writing single words: Numbers 0-10 Tracing lines on early learned numbers.
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This handwriting workbook is the perfect workbook for learning how to write letters, numbers and words independently at home.
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It teaches, improves and reinforces learning to write.
Develop and improve communication skills with simple exercises.
Helps children begin learning to write letters of the alphabet and improve their handwriting.
This workbook is designed for kids ages 3 and up.
Specifications:
- Pages: 110+
- Dimensions: 8.5 x 11 inches
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Viz Annual 2024: The Barber’s Pole: A Heap of Clippings Swept Up from Issues 302-311
Back in 1922, when Howard Carter first smashed his way into the tomb of long-dead Egyptian King Tutankhamun, the guttering candle in his hand illuminated a scene of unimaginable splendour. “Can you see anything?” asked Lord Carnarvon.“Yes! Wonderful things!” responded a breathless Carter.Fast forward just over a century, and any adventurer opening a copy of Viz – The Barber’s Pole will be similarly astounded by the comedy gold they will find haphazardly piled up within its covers. Because just like the tomb of an Egyptian Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, the 226 pages within its stout and glossy covers are packed with priceless treasures.
It’s the sort of 24-carrot comedy gold that has made Viz the country’s fourth* or fifth** favourite humorous magazine (* ** possibly sixth) for well over four decades…
* Edge-of-seat Adventures: Jack Black and His Dog Silver, Who’s Who in a Medieval Plague Village, Motorhead’s Christmas Adventure, and Bad Bob the Randy Wonderdog.
* Shocking scandals about your favourite showbiz stars, Scotch eggs, Deepfake Porn, Tony Blair, and your chance to become a Crypto-Billionaire.
* Cartoons: The Fat Slags, Sid the Sexist, Biffa Bacon, Mrs Brady Old Lady, Johnny Fartpants, The Real Ale Twats, Roger Mellie, and Raffles the Gentleman Thug
* Readers’ letters and Top Tips, spoof ads, quizzes, games, things to cut out and make, and much more.
Obviously, at this point we would like to point out that, unlike King Tut’s burial place, there is no real evidence that Viz has ever been the subject of a deadly curse, placed upon it three thousand years ago by a sinister, hooded priest of the God Thoth. And we consider it very unlikely indeed that anyone who dares to break open the cover of Viz – The Barber’s Pole will simply drop dead from unexplained causes – as Lord Carnarvon did a year to the day after breaking the seal on Tutunkhamun’s tomb.
Sorry, no refunds.
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Tap!: The Greatest Tap Dance Stars And Their Stories, 1900-1955
From the vaudeville era, through the Astaire-Rogers movies, to the intricate artistry of bebop, tap has dominated American dance with its rhythm, originality, and humour. This book collects the voices and memories of thirty of America’s best-loved tap-dance stars and two hundred rare theatre, film, and publicity photographs. Here Shirley Temple recalls her magical duo with Bill “Bojangles” Robinson Fayard Nicholas describes his days at Harlem’s Cotton Club performing with Cab Calloway Fred Kelly visits his and his brother Gene’s Pittsburgh dance studio Hermes Pan reminisces about his work with George Gershwin, Ginger Rogers, and Fred Astaire and, in a chapter new to this edition, Toy and Wing tell about their days as the world’s leading Asian tap duo. Appended with the most comprehensive listing of tap acts, recordings, and films ever compiled,newly updated for this paperback edition, Tap! brings to life the legends of one of America’s most cherished and enduring art forms.Read more
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Dance to the Beat: An action-packed non-fiction book that explains how to dance. (Collins Big Cat)
A bright, action-packed non-fiction book that explains how to dance. The step-by-step instructions include sequential words at the start of each sentence: First, Next, Then, Now and Stop. Photographs of children dancing support and clearly demonstrate the actions referred to in the text.
- Yellow/ Band 3 books offer varied sentence structure and natural language.
- Text tye – An instruction text.
- The summary on pages 14 and 15 allows children to discuss and recap the instructions.
- Curriculum links – Music: feel the pulse, exploring rhythm; PE: dance activities.
- This book has been levelled for Reading Recovery
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History Of Morris Dancing: Tales Of A Band Of Brothers And The Ancient Morris Dancing Custom: The Morris Tradition
Morris dancing is a form of English folk dance usually accompanied by music. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers, usually wearing bell pads on their shins. Implements such as sticks, swords, and handkerchiefs may also be wielded by the dancers.
This book brought to you in these tales of an anarchic band of brothers who challenged the received wisdom and almost accidentally stumbled upon the essential core of this ancient custom. They brought it out of the museum and set it on fire. Treating it more like street theatre or flash mob, these iconoclasts sexed it up and breathed new life into it.
In your hands is a story of friendship, fun, and the bonds that unite people in a common cause. It is about comradeship, humor, trust, and mutual respect, and about how visions can be brought to life. It also happens to be set against a backdrop of folk culture and morris dancing.Read more
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Laban for Actors and Dancers: Putting Laban’s Movement Theory into Practice – A Step-by-Step Guide
A handbook, complete with graded exercises, for teachers and students wanting a practical introduction to Laban’s famous system of movement.
Rudolf Laban is to movement what Stanislavski is to acting. He devised the first wholly successful system for recording human movement, a system which is increasingly influential in the training of actors and dancers.
‘Required reading for every young student of the theatre – and a lot of the older ones would reap enormous benefit from it’ Murray Melvin
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A Practical Guide to Health and Safety in the Entertainment Industry (Safety series)
This book is designed to provide a practical approach to Health and Safety within the Live Entertainment and Event industry. It seeks to clarify the relationships between promoters, production managers, contractors and sub-contractors, freelancers, venues and the public. It gives industry-pertinent examples, and seeks to break down the myths surrounding Health and Safety into easily manageable morsels.
Chapters include The Perception of Safety, Responsibilities, Safety Policy, Risk Assessments, Writing the Risk Assessment, Safe Working Practices, Method Statements, Training, Records, What To Do When Challenged and When You Turn Up at a Venue. These are followed by an appendix of Applicable Regulations and over 50 pages of Examples and Samples.
It is important for readers to note that the content is based on current UK legislation, and whilst it will serve as a useful guide, with regular up-dates posted on this dedicated area of the etnow.com website (to which purchasers of the book will have free access), the author encourages people to read the regulations themselves.
Internationally, there are too many variations to enable an all-embracing book to be written on the subject. However, a safe working practice should be safe anywhere – if it was safe in the first place. Serious and sensible documentation, whether it conforms to a local standard or not, proves that your intentions are honourable.Read more
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Joe Wilkinson: My (Illustrated) Autobiography
‘Joyfully absurd and hilarious.’ ADAM KAY
Here before you is Joe Wilkinson’s brilliantly absurd account of his time on – and briefly off – planet Earth.
Through cartoon stories (illustrated by Henry Paker) Joe recounts the defining moments and bizarre encounters of his life – from his schoolboy misfortunes to his formative years on the dating scene, to his money-making schemes and globetrotting adventures.
With tall stories including…
-Winning ‘most nits’ at school
-That time I threw a turd into a tornado
-Becoming the bad boy of fly tipping
-The disastrous double date
-My car airbag addiction
-The time I tunnelled too far out of prison and ended up in the prison next door
-The real reason Bigfoot went into hiding…this book is a delightfully absurd journey into the mind of a comic maverick.
Hilarious, heart-warming and utterly unique, Joe Wilkinson: My Autobiography is the off-the-wall life story of one of our most beloved and unorthodox comedians.
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£10.00£18.99Joe Wilkinson: My (Illustrated) Autobiography
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Great Shakespeare Actors: Burbage to Branagh
Great Shakespeare Actors offers a series of essays on great Shakespeare actors from his time to ours, starting by asking whether Shakespeare himself was the first–the answer is No–and continuing with essays on the men and women who have given great stage performances in his plays from Elizabethan times to our own. They include both English and American performers such as David Garrick, Sarah Siddons, Charlotte Cushman, Ira Aldridge, Edwin Booth, Henry Irving, Ellen Terry, Edith Evans, Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, Peggy Ashcroft, Janet Suzman, Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, and Kenneth Branagh. Individual chapters tell the story of their subjects’ careers, but together these overlapping tales combine to offer a succinct, actor-centred history of Shakespearian theatrical performance.
Stanley Wells examines what it takes to be a great Shakespeare actor and then offers a concise sketch of each actor’s career in Shakespeare, an assessment of their specific talents and claims to greatness, and an account, drawing on contemporary reviews, biographies, anecdotes, and, for some of the more recent actors, the author’s personal memories of their most notable performances in Shakespeare roles.Read more
£11.60£16.10Great Shakespeare Actors: Burbage to Branagh
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The Actors’ Crucible: Port Talbot and the Making of Burton, Hopkins, Sheen and All the Others
The town of Port Talbot has long been seen (quite literally) as synonymous with the steel industry. Yet it also has another claim to fame as the actorsx27 capital of Wales. It has produced a remarkable number of actors since the inter-war years. Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins and Michael Sheen head the glittering cast but there are many others including early stars such as Ronald Lewis and Ivor Emmanuel, more recent figures like Rob Brydon and Di Botcher as well as a cluster of exciting young actorsstarting to make their names in the West End and on the big and small screen.This book suggests explanations for this phenomenon. Its author is a historical biographer who hails from Port Talbot and has done extensive research including numerous interviews. It explores the provision of educational and cultural facilities for young people over the years and demonstrates a commitment to drama that is deeply embedded in the townx27s history. It tells in some depth the stories of the super-stars but in a novel way, focusing on how they emerged and on those who nurtured their talent, presenting the actors as part of a tradition that was set in motion even before Richard Burton began to make his mark. It surveys the careers of fifty actors from Port Talbot and it considers what its most famous stars have put back into their community, culminating in the spectacular three-day event of Easter 2011 when Michael Sheen resurrected Port Talbotx27s pride and hopes through the immersive theatrical experience of The Passion.Written at a time of mixed fortunes for actors when funding for training is threatened yet opportunities for theatre and film work are expanding within Wales, this book puts centre-stage a town, its actors and those who guide them and so offers a new kind of cultural history. Such an approach also raises wider questions about the importance of the arts and of drama in particular to the wellbeing of communities.Read more
£8.30£9.50 -
Good Material: THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, FROM THE AUTHOR OF EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT LOVE
‘Made me laugh while punching me in the gut. Loved this book’ AISLING BEA
‘This is the greatest. You’ll cry and laugh. I read it though the night. And I never, ever avoid sleep’ CLAUDIA WINKLEMAN
‘I award it 13/10 on my QWJ scale (stands for Queasy With Jealousy that I didn’t write it)’ MARIAN KEYES
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Every relationship has one beginning.
This one has two endings.Andy loves Jen. Jen loved Andy.
And he can’t work out why she stopped.Now he is. . .
1. Without a home
2. Waiting for his stand-up career to take off
3. Wondering why everyone else around him seems to have grown up while he wasn’t lookingSet adrift on the sea of heartbreak at a time when everything he thought he knew about women, and flat-sharing, and his friendships has transformed beyond recognition, Andy clings to the idea of solving the puzzle of their broken relationship. Because if he can find the answer to that, then maybe Jen can find her way back to him.
Andy still has a lot to learn, not least his ex-girlfriend’s side of the story.
From the bestselling author of Ghosts and Everything I Know About Love: a sharply funny, beautifully observed and exquisitely relatable story of heartbreak and friendship, and how to survive both.
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Hope in a Ballet Shoe: Orphaned by war, saved by ballet: an extraordinary true story
Hope in a Ballet Shoe tells the story of Michaela DePrince. Growing up in war-torn Sierra Leone, she witnessed atrocities that no child ever should. Her father was killed by rebels and her mother died of famine. Sent to an orphanage, Michaela was mistreated and saw the brutal murder of her favourite teacher.
Then Michaela and her best friend are adopted by an American couple, and Michaela begins to take dance lessons. But life in the States isn’t without difficulties. Unfortunately, tragedy can find its way to Michaela in America, too, and her past can feel like it’s haunting her. The world of ballet is a racist one, and Michaela has to fight for a place amongst the ballet elite, hearing the words ‘America’s not ready for a black girl ballerina.’
And yet . . . Today, Michaela DePrince is an international ballet star, dancing for The Dutch National Ballet at the age of nineteen. This is a heart-breaking, inspiring autobiography by a teenager who shows us that, beyond everything, there is always hope for a better future.
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Royal Academy Of Dancing Step By Step Ballet Class: Illustrated Guide to the Official Ballet Syllabus
Written with the full backing and expertise of the renowned Royal Academy of Dancing and following the international ballet examination syllabus, this is an updated edition of the bestselling Ballet Class.
From the basic positions of the feet to exercises for the most advanced ballet grades, Step-By-Step Ballet Class is an essential companion for all budding ballerinas. It gives a comprehensive selection of ballet exercises taken from each of the examination grades, beginning with Pre-Primary and working up to Grade Five, the most advanced. Clear step-by-step illustrations and explanatory text take the dancer through each exercise in turn and there are checklists of important points to remember. Topics such as how to find a good ballet school, dressing for dance and taking a ballet examination are also included. This important ballet book will ensure that dancers of all ages get the most out of their ballet lessons, both in and out of the classroom.
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The Royal Ballet: 75 Years
This book is a perceptive and critical account of the first 75 years of The Royal Ballet, tracing the company’s growth, and its great cultural importance – an indispensable book for all lovers of ballet.
In 1931, Ninette de Valois started a ballet company with just six dancers. Within twenty years, The Royal Ballet – as it became – was established as one of the world’s great companies. It has produced celebrated dancers, from Margot Fonteyn to Darcey Bussell, and one of the richest repertoires in ballet.
The company danced through the Blitz, won an international reputation in a single New York performance and added to the glamour of London’s Swinging Sixties. It has established a distinctive English school of ballet, a pure classical style that could do justice to the 19th-century repertory and to new British classics.
Leading dance critic, Zoë Anderson, vividly portrays the extraordinary personalities who created the company and the dancers who made such an impact on their audiences. She looks at the bad times as well as the good, examining the controversial directorships of Norman Morrice and Ross Stretton and the criticism fired at the company as the Royal Opera House closed for redevelopment.
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£14.20The Royal Ballet: 75 Years
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Memorization for Actors (Psychology for Actors Series)
Imagine if you could learn your lines in half the usual time yet feel confident they will roll off your tongue when needed.
Memorization for Actors provides you with a range of practical psychology tools and a bullet-proof memorization process that will put you miles ahead of the competition.
Read this book and discover:
• How you can become a master at learning your lines
• Simple tricks to learn more lines in less time
• Advanced tools to turbo-charge your memorization process
• Proven strategies to remember your lines in high stress situations
• When to schedule your memorization sessions for maximum effect, and more…Short enough to read in an afternoon, yet jam-packed with practical advice, Memorization for Actors will transform your acting career.
Alexa Ispas holds a PhD in psychology from the University of Edinburgh. The books in her Psychology for Actors Series provide actors with proven psychology techniques to thrive and build a successful career.
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Madly, Deeply: The Alan Rickman Diaries
A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
A WATERSTONES PAPERBACK OF THE YEAR 2023
A WATERSTONES BEST BOOK OF 2022: ENTERTAINMENT
A MAIL ON SUNDAYS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022Alan Rickman remains one of the most beloved actors of all time across almost every genre, from his breakout role as Die Hard’s villainous Hans Gruber to his heart-wrenching run as Professor Severus Snape, and beyond. His air of dignity, his sonorous voice and the knowing wit he brought to each role continue to captivate new audiences today.
But Rickman’s artistry wasn’t confined to just his performances. Rickman’s writing details the extraordinary and the ordinary in a way that is anecdotal, indiscreet, witty, gossipy and utterly candid. He takes us behind the scenes on films and plays ranging from Sense & Sensibility, the Harry Potter series, Private Lives, My Name Is Rachel Corrie and many more.
The diaries run from 1993 to his death in 2016 and offer insight into both a public and private life. Here is Rickman the consummate professional actor, but also the friend, the traveller, the fan, the director, the enthusiast: in short, the real Alan Rickman. Here is a life fully lived, all detailed in intimate and characteristically plain-spoken prose. Reading the diaries is like listening to Rickman chatting to a close friend.
Madly, Deeply also includes a foreword by Emma Thompson and a selection of Rickman’s early diaries, dating from 1974 to 1982, when his acting life first began.
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£9.30£12.30Madly, Deeply: The Alan Rickman Diaries
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Scottish Dance: A celebration of Scottish dancing (Collins Little Books)
The perfect stocking filler for lovers of Scottish Dance.
A perfect introduction to the world of Scottish dance by the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, including a short history of Scottish dancing. The book takes you through simple ceilidh moves to more complex formations and set dances, illustrated through diagrams and photos.
Popular traditional dances are featured, such as ‘Dashing White Sergeant’, ‘Eightsome Reel’, ‘Strip the Willow’ and ‘Cumberland Reel’.
This comprehensive collection also contains several lesser known dances such as ‘Flowers of Edinburgh’, ‘Jenny Dang the Weaver’ and ‘La Russe’.
From reels to watlzes and medleys to quadrilles this little book is a celebration of Scottish traditional folk dance at its best.
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Ballroom: A People’s History of Dancing
‘This book is a MUST read for anyone curious and interested in the special origins and developments of Ballroom & Latin American dancing.’ – Marcus Hilton MBE, with Karen Hilton MBE nine times World Professional Ballroom champion
‘A fascinating book. Hilary French tells the history of dance from the very beginning. I learnt a lot and found it immensely interesting and insightful. If you are interested in dance and how we have got to where we are today, this is an essential read. Enjoy!’ – Matthew Cutler, British, UK and World’s Latin champion, Strictly Come Dancing champion and owner, Matico Dance Studio
‘Hilary French’s pioneering book combines social history, economics, fashion, music, dance technique and architecture and design in an engaging mix … it blends scholarship with infectious enthusiasm.’- Professor Sir Christopher Frayling, Cultural Historian, Broadcaster and Former Rector of the Royal College of Art
In the early twentieth century, American ragtime and the Parisian tango fuelled a dancing craze in Britain. Public ballrooms were built throughout the country, providing a glamorous setting for dancing. The new English style, defined in the 1920s and followed by the films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the 1930s, ensured that ballroom dancing continued to be the most popular British pastime until the 1960s, rivalled only by cinema.
This book explores the vibrant history of ballroom and Latin dancing: the dances, lavish venues, competitions and influential instructors. It also traces the decline of couple dancing and its resurgence in recent years with the hugely popular TV shows Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing with the Stars.Read more
£15.70£17.10Ballroom: A People’s History of Dancing
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Female Transport
DramaSteve Gooch.
Charcters: 4 male, 6 female
Interior Set
This stark, hard hitting drama is an account of the political education of six women convicted of petty crimes in 19th century London and sentence to be transported to a life of hard labor in Britain’s overseas penal colony (present day Australia). During the 6 month voyage they are kept in a cramped cell below deck where they learn certain truths about society. Foremost among these is they have been condemne
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£7.20Female Transport
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Voice And The Actor
Voice and the Actor is the first classic work by Cicely Berry, Voice Director of the Royal Shakespear Company and world-famous voice teacher. Encapsulating her renowned method of teaching voice production, the exercises in this straightforward, no-nonsense guide will develop relaxation, breathing and muscular control – without which no actor or speaker can achieve their full potential.
Illustrated with passages used in Cicely Berry’s own teaching, Voice and the Actor is the essential first step towards speaking a text with truth and meaning. Inspiring and practical, her words will be a revelation for beginner and professional alike.
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£11.30£14.20Voice And The Actor
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Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet
From adagio to voyage, over 800 steps, movements, poses, and concepts are fully defined. A pronunciation guide and cross-references to alternate names for similar steps and positions that vary from the Russian to the French or Italian schools are also invaluable aids.Read more
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Just Williams: An Autobiography
Just Williams: An AutobiographyRead more
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Old Rage: ‘One of our best-loved actor’s powerful riposte to a world driving her mad’ – DAILY MAIL
THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER | WITH EXCLUSIVE NEW MATERIAL
‘I want to be Sheila Hancock when I grow up’ – Lorraine Kelly
‘Wise, witty, kind and true’ – Sunday Times
‘A sparkling memoir as funny and insightful as it’s moving’ – Daily Mail
‘A captivating memoir’ – Mail on SundayIn 2016, Sheila Hancock sat down to write a book about a serene and fulfilled old age. This is not that book.
In Old Rage, one of Britain’s best-loved actors opens up about her tenth decade. Funny, feisty, honest, she makes for brilliant company as she talks about her life and takes an uncompromising look at a world so different from the one of her wartime childhood. And yet – despite age, despite rage – she finds there are always reasons for joy.
‘The much-loved actor candidly shares the fear, joy and frustration she has found in her ninth decade’ Guardian, Books of the Year 2022
‘Sheila Hancock reflects upon her life and career with all the winning candour and warm-heartedness we have come to expect from the legendary actress’ WaterstonesRead more
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Actor Training
Actor Training expands on Alison Hodge’s highly-acclaimed and best-selling Twentieth Century Actor Training. This exciting second edition radically updates the original book making it even more valuable for any student of the history and practice of actor training. The bibliography is brought right up to date and many chapters are revised. In addition, eight more practitioners are included – and forty more photographs – to create a stunningly comprehensive study.
The practitioners included are:
Stella Adler; Eugenio Barba; Augusto Boal; Anne Bogart; Bertolt Brecht; Peter Brook; Michael Chekhov; Joseph Chaikin; Jacques Copeau; Philippe Gaulier; Jerzy Grotowski; Maria Knebel; Jacques Lecoq; Joan Littlewood; Sanford Meisner; Vsevolod Meyerhold; Ariane Mnouchkine; Monika Pagneux; Michel Saint-Denis; Włodzimierz Staniewski; Konstantin Stanislavsky; Lee Strasberg
The historical, cultural and political context of each practitioner’s work is clearly set out by leading experts and accompanied by an incisive and enlightening analysis of the main principles of their training, practical exercises and key productions.
This book is an invaluable introduction to the principles and practice of actor training and its role in shaping modern theatre.
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£34.20Actor Training
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Class Actor: My Autobiography
From his first notable role as a teenage actor alongside Ray Winstone in the cult film Scum, via the central character of Jimmy the mod in the mighty Quadrophenia, to the voice of Blur’s Parklife, Phil Daniels has built a solid reputation as one of Britain’s most talented and well-respected character actors. A graduate of the Anna Scher Theatre in the 1970s, Daniels has always stayed true to his working class roots, lending his roles a much-admired authenticity and integrity. With his distinctive voice, cheeky mistrust of authority figures and wicked sense of humour, Daniels remains a driven individualist committed to his craft.Daniels’ career covers a period that has seen unprecedented change in UK society, and Class Actor, his first ever autobiography, reads like a provocative popular culture history of the past 30 years. It charts his 1960s childhood in a rundown part of London’s King’s X, his passion for Chelsea FC, his coming of age during punk rock, his anger and disaffection throughout the Thatcher years – perfectly realised in highly acclaimed pieces such as Mike Leigh’s Meantime- through to his role as Kevin Wicks in EastEnders and his place in Britpop’s hall of fame. Class Actoris a lively and entertaining insight into the passions of a unique artist who remains driven to tell ‘ordinary’ people’s lives through drama.
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Charles Laughton: A Difficult Actor
The creator of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Henry VIII and Captain Bligh, Charles Laughton’s career spans 50 films and 40 stage roles. This entralling biography follows him from his parents’ hotel in Scarborough to his climactic assumption of the role of King Lear in Statford at the end of his life. Along the way we meet a galaxy of Hollywood greats – from Korda, Hitchcock and Billy WIlder to Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe. We also discover a hugely talented and complex man – a legend in his own lifetime who nonetheless counted himself a failure.Read more
£11.40£12.30Charles Laughton: A Difficult Actor
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Hollywood Babylon: The Legendary Underground Classic of Hollywood’s Darkest and Best Kept Secrets
Originally published in Paris, this is a collection of Hollywood’s darkest and best kept secrets from the pen of Kenneth Anger, a former child movie actor who grew up to become one of America’s leading underground film-makers.Read more
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One Man Tango: An Autobiography
‘One Man Tango’ is distinguished by honesty that has marked actor Anthony Quinn’s 60-year career as one of the true originals of stage and screen.Read more
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Peter O’Toole: The Definitive Biography
Peter O’Toole was supremely talented, a unique leading man and one of the most charismatic and unpredictable actors of his generation. Described by Richard Burton as ‘the most original actor to come out of Britain since the war’, O’Toole regularly seemed to veer towards self-destruction. With the help of exclusive interviews with colleagues and close friends, Peter O’Toole: The Definitive Biography paints the first complete picture of this much loved man and reveals what drove him to extremes, why he drank to excess and hated authority. But it also describes a man who was fiercely intelligent, with a great sense of humour and huge energy. Always insightful, at times funny, at times deeply moving, this is a fitting tribute to an iconic actor who made a monumental contribution to theatre and cinema.Read more
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Contemporary Monologues for Young Actors: 54 High-Quality Monologues for Kids & Teens
Contemporary Monologues for Young Actors features 54 original monologues created specifically for actors and acting students ages 7-14 and for the teachers, directors and acting coaches who work with them.
These refreshing monologues encompass a broad range of circumstances and emotions perfect for young actors seeking new material to explore – some of which will appeal to slightly younger actors and others of which will excite slightly older actors.
Here are some of the features of this book:
- A broad range of circumstances and emotions, from comedic to heartfelt to quirky
- Emotional arcs and strong endings to challenge actors and keep audiences engaged
- Modern day topics with contemporary language
- Convenient organization from “younger” to “older” as the book progresses
- Ideal for auditions, as short performance pieces or for use in the classroom
This resource was created by Beat by Beat Press, the same award-winning publisher of Teaching Drama: The Essential Handbook, a #1 best-seller on Amazon which has sold over 35,000 copies and has been translated into 5 languages.
PLEASE NOTE: This is the only official volume of this title that has been tested and proven in thousands of classrooms around the world. Please check for the Beat by Beat logo before purchasing any similar products online to assure you’re receiving the highest quality of material for young actors.
Below are sample monologues from the book:
SHARING
Some people think I don’t like sharing, but that isn’t true at all. I love sharing. I mean, what’s not to love about being able to go up to someone and say, “Hey, can I have some of that candy?” And then they give you some! Or, “Can I ride your bike for a while?” And then you get to ride their bike! Sharing is awesome. Sometimes you have to be careful, though. Like if someone comes up to me and says, “Can I have one of your cookies?” Well, if I gave them a cookie, then I might not have any cookies left to share with other people and that would be, like, the opposite of sharing. So I have to say no. Because sharing is really important.
SCOUT
Before we moved here, we had this big dog named Scout. Mom always said he was a total mutt, but I think he was also part collie. And maybe part golden retriever. But he was definitely at least half mutt. Scout was supposed to be the whole family’s dog, but he was really mine. I mean, after school, it was me he would be waiting for. And when anyone threw his ball, I’m the one he always brought it back to. And at night, it was always my bed he slept in. But before we moved here, my Mom found out we weren’t allowed to have any pets, so we had to give him away to my cousins. I don’t really talk about it, but sometimes I dream about Scout. He’s got his ball in his mouth and he’s looking for me. And I’m saying, “Here, Scout. I’m right here.” But he doesn’t hear me, and he can’t see me, and I’m saying, “I’m right here. Scout. I’m right here.” And then, I don’t know, I guess I wake up . . . I don’t know if Scout dreams about me.
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An Actor’s Life in 12 Productions
The director Peter Dews prophesied: “You’ll be alright when you’re forty, and even better when you’re fifty.” It turns out that Peter Dews was right, almost to the month.
In a study of British theatre through a varied acting career spanning over sixty years, Oliver Ford Davies explores the many changes within the performing arts scene through his experiences on various stages, in a variety of productions, across the country.
Davies charts the ups and downs of British theatre in the last sixty years, while offering a unique perspective on life behind the curtain and the daring journey from leaving behind an academic career and into acting.
From Shakespeare to Shaw, Chekhov to Pirandello, this is the story of an actor initially struggling to make a mark before making his breakthrough at fifty, winning the Olivier Best Actor award and being propelled into thirty years of leading roles.
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£8.60£9.50An Actor’s Life in 12 Productions
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Monologues for Kids and Tweens: 100 Original Comedy and Drama Monologues for Young Actors (The Young Actor Series)
“The monologues are brilliant! And the best part, there’s one to fit every audition, no matter what….He’s created another excellent guide to help young actors master their craft.” – Suzanne Lyons, Producer, Snowfall FilmsDoes your child dream of being on television?
Are you determined that your child escapes the perils of early stardom?
Are you wondering how to get started?Casting Director Michael Shurtleff, author of Audition, was famously quoted as saying, “The first step to a better audition is to give up character and use yourself.”
His student and talented character actor in his own right, Mike Kimmel, has translated that truth into a series of books that will help hone the skills of a young actor and help them understand how to handle and explore stage and film. Monologues for Kids and Tweens is a collection of 100 original comedy and drama scripts on a wide range of topics. Each piece may be performed by actors of any gender. No props or costumes are required.
As Eva C. Nusbaum says, ”These short pieces acknowledge – and rightly so – that kids live in imperfect families in an imperfect world.” They touch on:
- loss (The Comfy Red Chair,)
- consequences (Green Bananas,)
- shame (Little People,)
- duty (New Old Sneakers,)
- nostalgia (Little Magic Donut Seeds
The monologues are clean, family-friendly, and include positive messages, life lessons, and ethical questions for young people written between the lines. These are monologues they’ll remember you by. Ultimately, these monologues can help parents and teachers encourage positive attitudes and behaviors in our young performers – and their classmates and audiences as well. Appropriate for film, television, and theater training and performance.
As Jack Klugman said, “Acting is a craft, and you must learn it.” Get started with The Young Actor Series and give your young artist the best chance of becoming a professional actor and a well-balanced, empathetic human being.
Praise for Monologues for Kids and Tweens
”Mike has a real gift for writing while keeping his monologues concise and memorable.” – Will Wallace, Director, Producer, Actor and Acting Coach
”It makes for a nce addition to any young actor’s “tool box.” – Nicole Connor, Talent Agent, Central Artists Talent Agency
”Finally, a monologue book that is introspective and yet able to be expressed believably through the art of a child.” – GiGi Erneta, Actress, Radio and TV Host
”Kimmel has crafted a great selection of pieces varying in tone and subject that are perfect for the young performer….It’s so refreshing to have a compilation of monologues that support good values and personal growth for the child’s development, both as an actor and as an empathetic human being.” – Misty Marshall, Executive Director, Empowerment thru Arts, Sony recording artist and American Idol semi-finalist
Study acting as you grow with The Young Actor Series – build your acting skills now in preparation for studying with tomorrow’s Stella Adler, Uta Hagan, or Constantin Stanislavski.
- Acting Scenes for Kids and Tweens
- Monologues for Kids and Tweens
- One-Minute Monologues for Teens
- Scenes for Teens
- Monologues for Teens
These books can be used in any order by acting students in the correct age group.
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Ballet and Modern Dance: 0 (World of Art)
This cornerstone of the World of Art series is a succinct, vivid and authoritative guide to the rich history of western dance in all its incarnations from 16th-century court ballet to the genre-shattering contortions of 21st-century theatrical dance. Updated for the new millennium to feature the latest styles, performers and technology, this third edition reaffirms its status as the essential introduction to the subject.Read more
£10.60£12.30Ballet and Modern Dance: 0 (World of Art)
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