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Paperback edition of the book of interviews with more than 40 actors, writers, directors and producers in the theatre industry. Former Artistic Director of the National Theatre Eyre talks to Ian McKellan, Judi Dench, Alan Bennett, Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Miller, Harold Pinter and many other luminaries of the stage. Immensely readable and informative, it's a must for anyone interested in the performing arts.
Synopsis
A new edition in paperback of Eyre's fascinating collection of interviews with some of the finest and most prolific theatre practitioners of the last epoch. With unrivalled access, Eyre has allowed us to eavesdrop on the stories behind many of the most important productions and performances in the theatre of recent times.
Book Details
Publisher:
NICK HERN BOOKS
Publication Date:
29-Jun-2011
ISBN:
9781848421387
Guardian review
Talking Theatre by Richard Eyre review
the guardian Fri 29 July 2011
A spin-off from a TV series, Eyre's interview collection offers a remarkable panorama of the 20th-century theatre, with the array of playwrights quizzed (Ayckbourn, Bennett, Hampton, Hare, Miller, Pinter, Stoppard and Wilson among them) matched by equally starry line-ups of actors and directors. While mid-century Broadway, Brecht, Beckett and the Royal Court revolution recur as themes, the subject-matter is diverse; one moment John Gielgud is reminiscing about Sarah Bernhardt, the next Peter Brook might be discussing his 60s experiments, Stephen Sondheim recounting West Side Story's birth, or Liam Neeson recalling his early career. What makes the book a rich read is that Eyre's interviewees tend to be brilliant talkers; as when Tony Kushner denounces The Lion King ("a beautifully packaged parable for neo-con audiences and their creepy little children"), or Judi Dench defines her craft: "You don't play what's on the page. What you play is like that cake called mille-feuille . . . It's as if the line is that layer of icing on the top. The bit you're playing is the 59th bit of pastry."
