Changing Stages: A View of British Theatre in the 20th Century. Signed by Both Authors

Eyre, Richard; Wright, Nicholas

ISBN 10: 0747547890 / ISBN 13: 9780747547891

Published by London. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2000

About this Item

London. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC. 2000. Black publisher's boards with gilt titles to spine. Hard Cover. Black and white frontispiece. Profusely illustrated in black and white throughout. Black dust wrapper with gilt and red titles. Book is in fine condition; dust wrapper has no wear; lightly bumped at head of spine. Near fine condition. Signed by both authors to the title page. Richard Eyre and Nicholas Wright have written what they describe as 'a partial, personal and unscholarly view of the century's theatre'. The authors state their credo at the outset: that the greatest asset to the theatre here is the English language. This in turn is magnified by the 'miraculous accident' that is Shakespeare. This book traces the ways in which Shakespeare's plays have been used as nationalistic pageants, star vehicles and contemporary metaphors, mirroring changes in society over the century. Questions of the purpose and relevance of the theatre in a world dominated by electronic media are explored; can an art survive which always relies on the scale of the human figure, the sound of the human voice, and the desire to tell each other stories?

Seller Inventory # JUN12.22022

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Changing Stages: A View of British Theatre in the 20th Century. Signed by Both Authors
• Publisher: London. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Publication Date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0747547890
• ISBN 13: 9780747547891
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)
• Seller catalogs:
  • arts, theatre, Shakespeare. signed

About this title

Synopsis

In 1997, Richard Eyre was invited by the BBC to write and present a series of programmes about the history of British theatre in the 20th century. Eyre decided to write a book first and then base his TV series on it. This is that book. Together with Nicholas Wright, the two present what they describe as a "partial, personal and unscholarly view of the century's theatre", told from the point of view of two of theatre's most experienced practitioners. The book traces the way in which Shakespeare's plays have been used as nationalistic pageants, star vehicles and contemporary metaphors, mirroring changes in society over the century. Like the theatre itself, the book has been drawn from a variety of sources, themes, people and movements.

About the Author

Nicholas Wright was an associate director of the National Theatre from 1984-1998.