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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
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Talking Theatre: Interviews with Theatre People
The Sunday Times Theatre Book of the year. Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Miller, Alan Ayckbourn, John Gielgud, Tom Stoppard and many more talk about the stories behind some of the most important and successful theatre productions and performances of recent times. Shortly after he left the directorship of the National Theatre, Richard Eyre embarked on a series of interviews with people who had played a significant part in making and influencing the theatre of the second half of the twentieth century. Forty of these interviews – threaded through with Eyre’s own commentary – are published in this new paperback edition. Talking Theatre is a fascinating and revealing insight into the world and mindset of the artists and creative talent who have shaped – and continue to shape – modern theatre.Read more
£10.40 -
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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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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Games for Actors and Non-Actors
The French edition of Jeux pour Acteurs et Non-Acteurs published in 1982 is currently in its seventh edition. For this first translation into English Boal has added new examples and fresh ideas to make it the most up-to-date introduction to the techniques of Image Theatre and Forum Theatre available.
Boal’s early work took place under the military regime in Brazil. During a period of exile in Portugal, France, Sweden, Germany, and the US he developed work on combating oppression through theatre. His methods transform theatre from a hierarchical structure where actors are active and audiences passive, to a democratic arena where the spectator becomes the `spectactor’, contributing ideas, taking over roles, and using theatre to confront everyday problems, such as sexual harassment, poor pay, homophobia, and racism and find ways of fighting them.
Games for Actors and Non-Actors is a handbook of methods, techniques, games, and exercises designed to help anyone – whether actor or non-actor – rehearse for real life: make the fictional real.Read more
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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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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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Hellraisers: The Life and Inebriated Times of Burton, Harris, O’Toole and Reed
‘God put me on this earth to raise sheer hell.’ Richard Burton
‘I was a sinner. I slugged some people. I hurt many people. And it’s true, I never looked back to see the casualties.’ Richard Harris
‘Booze is the most outrageous of all drugs, which is why I chose it.’ Peter O’Toole
‘I don’t have a drink problem. But if that was the case and doctors told me I had to stop I’d like to think I would be brave enough to drink myself into the grave.’ Oliver ReedThis is the story of four of the greatest thespian boozers who ever walked – or staggered – off a film set into a pub. It’s a story of drunken binges of near biblical proportions, parties and orgies, broken marriages, drugs, riots and wanton sexual conquests. They got away with it because of their extraordinary acting talent and because the public loved them. They were truly the last of a breed, the last of the movie hellraisers.
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The Power of the Actor: The Chubbuck Technique — The 12-Step Acting Technique That Will Take You from Script to a Living, Breathing, Dynamic Character
In The Power of the Actor, a Los Angeles Times bestseller, premier acting teacher and coach Ivana Chubbuck reveals her cutting-edge technique, which has launched some of the most successful acting careers in Hollywood.The first book from the instructor who has taught Charlize Theron, Brad Pitt, Elisabeth Shue, Djimon Hounsou, and Halle Berry, The Power of the Actor guides you to dynamic and effective results. For many of today’s major talents, the Chubbuck Technique is the leading edge of acting for the twenty-first century. Ivana Chubbuck has developed a curriculum that takes the theories of the acting masters, such as Stanislavski, Meisner, and Hagen, to the next step by utilizing inner pain and emotions, not as an end in itself, but rather as a way to drive and win a goal.
In addition to the powerful twelve-step process, the book takes well-known scripts, both classic and contemporary, and demonstrates how to precisely apply Chubbuck’s script-analysis process. The Power of the Actor is filled with fascinating and inspiring behind-the-scenes accounts of how noted actors have mastered their craft and have accomplished success in such a difficult and competitive field.
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Laban’s Efforts in Action: A Movement Handbook for Actors with Online Video Resources
As an actor, awareness of your movement is the key to transformation. By making deliberate physical choices, you can fully and articulately embody different ways of being: you can come someone or something else. Laban’s Efforts give you a way of identifying and making these choices. Working with them helps the actor to create wholly present and physically ambitious performances.This book outlines Ewan’s practical process, which allows the actor to understand their own movement and that of others by exploring one key part of Laban’s work: the ‘Efforts of Action Drive’.
This complete, stage-by-stage, working process has been developed through more than thirty years of work with actors in the studio. Clear instructions for practical exercises are woven throughout the book, as well as exciting ways to apply the work in rehearsal, performance and on set. This allows the actor to learn and apply Laban’s Efforts for themselves. Full video and audio resources allow the reader to experience the practical work in action.
‘Vanessa Ewan’s work with Laban and the Efforts, as you will find in this inspired book, provides performers with an incredibly fertile foundation from which to create. She has found an astoundingly practical way of applying Laban’s work to the quest of being a fully embodied actor. You will find tools in this book that will open door after door to your own creativity and awaken you to the endless possibility of what you can create on stage and on screen.’ Andrew Garfield, actor
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£23.70 -
The Actor’s Guide to Playing a Character: William Esper Teaches the Meisner Technique
William Esper, one of the most celebrated acting teachers of our time, takes us through his step-by-step approach to the central challenge of advanced acting work: creating and playing a character.Esper’s first book, The Actor’s Art and Craft, earned praise for describing the basics taught in his famous first-year acting class. The Actor’s Guide to Creating a Character continues the journey. In these pages, co-author Damon DiMarco vividly re-creates Esper’s second-year course, again through the experiences of a fictional class. Esper’s training builds on Sanford Meisner’s legendary exercises, a world-renowned technique that Esper further developed through his long association with Meisner and the decades he has spent training a host of distinguished actors. His approach is flexible enough to apply to any role, helping actors to create characters with truthful and compelling inner lives.
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The Methuen Drama Book of Monologues for Young Actors
Selected by Anne Harvey, an experienced actress, director, writer and adjudicator, these dramatic monologues are suitable for performance at auditions, solo acting classes, festivals and examinations. Ranging from early Elizabethan to contemporary literature, the pieces are varied in content, tone and style and are equipped with an introduction setting the context. Writers include: Alan Ayckbourn, Enid Bagnold, David Campton, William Congreve, Sarah Daniels, Charles Dickens, Athol Fugard, Lucy Gannon, Graham Greene, John Godber, David Hare, Stanley Houghton, Henrik Ibsen, Shaman Macdonald, David Mercer, Iris Murdoch, Dennis Potter, Tom Stoppard, CP Taylor, Hugh Whitemore and many more.Read more
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501 Movie Stars: An A-Z Guide To The Greatest Screen Actors
501 Movie Stars pays homage to these legends, trendsetters, and pop cultural idols, with a dazzling and comprehensive gallery of the biggest movie stars from around the world. Every notable name to have worked their magic in front of the camera is here, from Gloria Swanson to Julia Roberts, from Frank Sinatra to Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gene Autry and John Wayne, from Toshiro Mifune and Sonny Chiba to Catherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu. The A-Z approach of 501 Movie Stars allows you to locate any actor with maximum ease, making it an ideal movielover’s reference. Each star has at least one full page, with the most influential stars receiving extended treatment, devoted to their work, with a filmography and feature boxes on awards and stylistic trademarks.With 501 Movie Stars to hand, you’ll have a one-stop resource to the larger-than-life faces of film that you can turn and enjoy, time and time again.Read more
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Motive – A dark monologue book for actors
“MOTIVE: 15 Unique Monologues for Aspiring Actors (Age 16+)”
Unlock your acting potential with “Motive,” an exceptional collection of monologues crafted for aspiring actors aged 16 and over. This extraordinary monologue book sets itself apart by presenting these dramatic pieces in the authentic style of a script, making it an essential resource for auditions, college performances, or anyone eager to enhance their acting skills.
???? Features:
15 Exceptional Monologues: “Motive” provides a diverse selection of 15 monologues, each with its own unique story, character, and emotional depth. This variety ensures that actors can explore a broad range of characters and themes to suit their preferences and strengths.
Script-Style Format: Unlike traditional monologue collections, these pieces are presented in a script-style format. This means you can immerse yourself in a more realistic acting experience, with stage directions and dialogue interactions that make your performance come to life.
Gender-Inclusive: While these monologues are originally written as female characters, they are intentionally crafted to be gender-inclusive. Actors of any gender can confidently perform these monologues without any limitations, offering flexibility and equal opportunities for all.
Mindful Content: Please be aware that some of these monologues explore darker themes and emotions. While they provide a powerful platform for actors to display their range and depth, we advise actors and directors to consider the appropriateness of certain monologues for specific audiences, ensuring that content aligns with the intended mood and atmosphere of the performance.
???? Benefits:
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Perfect for Auditions: Whether you’re trying out for a role in a theatre production, film, or drama school, these monologues will help you stand out and impress casting directors.
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College Performances: Ideal for drama students, these monologues provide a wealth of material for class assignments and college performances, helping you refine your skills and showcase your talent.
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Character Development: With each monologue, you’ll delve into the complexities of various characters, enabling you to hone your acting abilities and gain a deeper understanding of the human experience.
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Inclusive & Diverse: “Motive” is designed to celebrate diversity and inclusivity, allowing actors to explore characters from different walks of life, cultures, and backgrounds.
???? “Motive” is not just a monologue book; it’s a gateway to a world of diverse and compelling characters, each waiting to be brought to life on stage or screen. This collection is a must-have resource for actors looking to broaden their horizons, embrace diversity, and excel in the art of acting.
Unleash your acting potential and order “Motive” today. Your journey towards becoming a versatile and accomplished actor starts here, but remember to consider your audience when selecting and performing darker monologues.
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£4.80 -
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Games for Actors and Non-Actors (Augusto Boal)
Games for Actors and Non-Actors is the classic and bestselling book by the founder of Theatre of the Oppressed, Augusto Boal.
It sets out the principles and practice of Boal’s revolutionary method, showing how theatre can be used to transform and liberate everyone – actors and non-actors alike! This new third English edition includes recently uncovered interviews and essays from the 1970s, some of which featured in the earliest Portuguese edition of this book, and a new essay by the theatre director Sergio de Carvalho, which looks at Boal’s work in the context of Brazilian theatre and politics over the past fifty years.
This is a vital handbook for theatre makers and activists of all kinds who want to deepen their understanding of the theory and practice of Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed. It is also an excellent introduction for those new to the system.
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£31.30£34.20Games for Actors and Non-Actors (Augusto Boal)
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The Actor’s Career Bible: Auditioning, Networking, Survival & Success (Rada Guides): Auditioning, Networking, Survival and Success
The Actor’s Career Bible is a practical guide to building an acting career. Based on a huge range of interviews with actors of all backgrounds at every level of the profession, industry experts, key organisations, casting directors, agents, producers, directors and many others, this guide covers all the essentials as well as sharing exclusive inside knowledge.Whether you’re a recent graduate, a young actor or an experienced professional, The Actor’s Career Bible will help you kick-start or reinvigorate your career in an industry famous for its high levels of competition. This in-depth guide will show you how to cope with the pressures and strains of being an actor and offers easy-to-follow advice on how to improve your chances of success.
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£18.00 -
The Intent to Live: Achieving Your True Potential as an Actor
“I call this book The Intent to Live because great actors don’t seem to be acting, they seem to be actually living.”
-Larry Moss, from the IntroductionWhen Oscar-winning actors Helen Hunt and Hilary Swank accepted their Academy Awards, each credited Larry Moss’s guidance as key to their career-making performances. There is a two-year waiting list for his advanced acting classes. But now everyone-professionals and amateurs alike-can discover Moss’s passionate, in-depth teaching.
Inviting you to join him in the classroom and onstage, Moss shares the techniques he has developed over thirty years to help actors set their emotions, imagination, and behavior on fire, showing how the hard work of preparation pays off in performances that are spontaneous, fresh, and authentic.
From the foundations of script analysis to the nuances of physicalization and sensory work, here are the case studies, exercises, and insights that enable you to connect personally with a script, develop your character from the inside out, overcome fear and inhibition, and master the technical skills required for success in the theater, television, and movies.
Far more than a handbook, The Intent to Live is the personal credo of a master teacher. Moss’s respect for actors and love of the actor’s craft enliven every page, together with examples from a wealth of plays and films, both current and classic, and vivid appreciations of great performances. Whether you act for a living or simply want a deeper understanding of acting greatness, The Intent to Live will move, instruct, and inspire you.
From the Hardcover edition.
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£16.40 -
You Are An Amazing Actor Simply Fantastic All the Other Actors Total Disasters Everyone Agree Believe Me: Donald Trump Notebook/Journal Homebook To … 120 pages | Lined | Gift…
Funny Donald Trump with American Flag Actor Notebook University Graduation gift a 120 pages Notebook featuring You Are An Amazing Actor Simply Fantastic All the Other Actors Total Disasters Everyone Agree Believe Me a Matte-finish cover.
Perfect gift for parents, grandparents, kids, boys, girls, youth and teens as an Actor journal gift.
- 120 pages
- 6″”x9″”
- White-color paper
- Matte Finish Cover for an elegant look and feel
Are you an Actor ? Are you looking for a gift for your parents or relatives that works as an Actor ? Then you need to buy this gift for your brother, sister, Auntie and celebrate their birthday. Great Actor gift for graduation .
Are you looking for an Actor Gift ? Actor journal ? Actor Notebook ?
Then click on our brand and check the hundreds more custom options and top designs in our shop!”Read more
£5.40 -
An Actor Prepares – The Actor’s Journal: Blank Lined Journals for actors (6″x9″) 110 pages for Gifts (Funny, motivational,inspirational and Gag), … for…
Are you an Actor?
Then Check this awesome journal for ideas include creative writing, taking notes, making memory lists for your acting journey?
This blank lined journal is perfect for acting class notes of scenes,dialogues, and scripts.
This journal is also great to keep memories ,emotions,experiences from acting class, auditions, theaters, plays, and movie sets.It is an ‘easy-to-carry’ 6 x 9 blank lined journal.
It includes:Matte finish cover
110 durable pages
white paper
Strong Binding
6 x 9 inchesIf you are looking for a different book,don’t forget to click the author’s / publisher’s name for other great journal ideas.
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£6.90 -
Your Dog Ate My Shoe: Etudes For Young Actors Op. 1
This is the first book in the series of short one to three-minute exercises for young actors. This first volume contains one hundred eleven scenes of different levels of difficulty for actors as young as six years old to late teens and young adults.
Each generation deserves its own voice. Therefore, in contrast to other acting books written for teens by adults, this book was written by their peer.
Each scene is provided with a b-code that describes for what age range and gender identification it is suitable to be performed. Scenes were constructed in a way that it would be easy for the young actor to perform them with their acting coach, parent or colleague.
All scenes are formatted according to the standard script formatting guidelines.
The paper version of this book is intentionally printed on non-glossy paper and is meant to be scribbled on. Please make it your own, take it with you to your acting lesson, and put your thoughts and findings in pencil or ink.
Please note that this book is published not-for-profit the collection is provided in electronic form to patrons so they can support the website https://www.bcacting.com.
At the time of publishing (October 2023) All of scenes in this book can be downloaded for free from the official website https://www.bcacting.com where they were originally published between April and September 2023.
“Your Dog Ate My Shoe” is a citation from one of the very first scenes written for this book. The subtitle of the book “Etudes For Young Actors Op. 1” is inspired by music books, étude in French means an exercise, and opus is a collection of works. As actors use their bodies as an instrument to perform truthful emotions, there’s no better subtitle that I could imagine.
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Acting Journal: Daily Writing Notebook Log for Actors and Actresses
Acting Journal To Keep a Track Of Your Acting!Are you looking for a great productive Acting Journal to keep track of your Acting performance? Then this Acting Journal is perfect for you or someone you want to gift.
Features:
- Cover Finish: Beautiful Matte Cover.
- Dimensions: (6″ x 9″) Inches
- Interior: White Paper
- Pages: 120
This Acting Journal is Best For:
- Actors/Actresses
- Magicians
- Singers
- Students
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£3.40 -
Actors’ and Performers’ Yearbook 2022: Essential Contacts for Stage, Screen and Radio (Actors’ & Performers’ Yearbook)
This well-established and respected directory supports actors in their training and search for work in theatre, film, TV, radio and comedy. It is the only directory to provide detailed information for each listing and specific advice on how to approach companies and individuals, saving hours of further research. From agents and casting directors to producing theatres, showreel companies, photographers and much more, this essential reference book editorially selects only the most relevant and reputable contacts for the actor. Actors’ and Performers’ Yearbook 2022 features: * a new foreword by actor Paterson Joseph (Noughts & Crosses, Grantchester, Law & Order, A Christmas Carol) * 4 newly commissioned interviews with theatre industry professionals on topics of the moment * 1 new article on a current aspect of the industry With the listings updated every year, the Actors’ and Performers’ Yearbook continues to be the go-to guide for help with auditions, interviews and securing/sustaining work within the industry. Covering training and working in theatre, film, radio, TV and comedy, it contains invaluable resources such as a casting calendar and articles on a range of topics from your social media profile to what drama schools are looking for to financial and tax issues. An invaluable professional tool that anyone working in the industry will benefit from.Read more
£17.10 -
Breaking into Acting For Dummies
Understand the business side of your showbiz career
We all know acting can be a glittering whirl of glamour—plush red carpets, simply divine outfits, huge sums of money, and oh, the parties! But what a lot of wannabe actors forget is that it takes a lot of practical work to get to the flashbulbs of your first premiere, and that the savviest actors put as much stress on the business side of the profession as they do on the show. Breaking Into Acting For Dummies demystifies the behind-the-curtain side of showbiz to help you understand how it really works, who the decision-makers are, what they’re looking for when they’re picking talent, and how to get them on your side. If you truly want to be the next Emma Stone or Leonardo DiCaprio, you’ll want to have a well-thumbed copy of this book alongside your pile of scripts.
Written by two friendly insiders, this guide takes you behind the scenes to help you map out your plan of attack, showing you how to open doors—and keep them open—and use your time wisely, so you’re not breaking a leg rushing from one random audition to another. You’ll understand how to flesh out your professional persona as thoroughly as a movie part, craft your resume as minutely as a script, and judge the angle of your headshots and webcam appearances as intimately as any director. Once you’ve mastered these skills, it’s time to go to market as your own publicity department, building your media and online presence until everyone who’s anyone knows exactly who you are.
- Understand different acting markets—from theater to commercials
- Network in-person and online
- Build your image via resumes, head shots, and webcam
- Keep a firm grip on the financial side
Whether you’re studying, a hopeful amateur, or have been treading the boards for a while, this is your breakthrough script for succeeding in the business of acting, and for learning how to play your ultimate role: yourself.
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£8.40 -
How to Be a Working Actor, 5th Edition: The Insider’s Guide to Finding Jobs in Theater, Film & Television (How to Be a Working Actor: The Insider’s Guide to Finding Jobs)
How to be a Working Actor is the bible for anyone in the business of acting. It is considered to be the definitive resource to finding jobs in theatre, film and television. Establishing an acting career involves developing all aspects of an actor’s performing skills as well as learning how to manage one’s career as an ongoing business. No book does a better job of covering all the basics, from improving one’s image and auditon abilities to getting an agent, landing roles, surviving a screen test, making it through the first day on the set and finding regional work. In addition this book contains 15 illustrations that include sample headshots, business cards, iCards, flyers and other tools of the trade.Read more
£15.60 -
Actor Notebook: 100 pages Black Line Journal for Drama Class Acting, Acting Class, Musical Theater – Gift for Actor, Future Actor and Student
You know you’re going to be famous one of these days, so why not record all your failures and successes for posterity and a future autobiography.Features:
- Size: 8.5 x11 inches with 100 pages
- Perfect size for school or personal use
- Glossy, sturdy, paperback cover with premium design
Here is your opportunity to write down all those great stories in one easy to use journal with over 100 blank lined pages.
You can also write down your goals, contacts, and who you need to meet on your road to success.
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£4.10 -
The Actor And The Text
Cicely Berry, Voice Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, is world-famous for her voice teaching. The Actor and the Text is her classic book, distilled from years of working with actors of the highest calibre.Read more
£13.60£16.10The Actor And The Text
£13.60£16.10 -
What Actors Do: Advice to the Players in Seven Paradoxes and a Manifesto
‘Only what is open and searching is active and alive. You, the actor, must learn to find security in insecurity, certainty in uncertainty, to trust that this will lead to discovery and growth.’
In What Actors Do, revered theatre director Mike Alfreds explores the wellspring of the actor’s craft, tracing a pathway to creative freedom through the thickets of competing methodologies and confusing paradoxes that you will face throughout your training and career.
How do you give life to a character that both is and isn’t yourself? How can you be childlike and open in your work without becoming childish? How, when you know what’s coming next, can you still be spontaneous?
Frank, uncompromising and full of sharply focused insights, this book will help you strip away the inhibitions and habitual thinking that can shackle our imaginations. It will show you how to generate truthful performances by trusting your inner creativity and remaining radically open, responsive and present in every moment.
Mike Alfreds has been directing plays for more than seventy years. In the 1970s he founded Shared Experience, and has since worked for the National Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe, the Royal Shakespeare Company and also extensively abroad. He is hugely respected within the profession, and is the author of two previous books, Different Every Night and Then What Happens?
‘If I was allowed to train again to be an actor, but I was only allowed one teacher, it would have to be Mike Alfreds. To me he is a genius when it comes to acting and storytelling’ Mark Rylance
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£10.50£12.30 -
The Elemental Actor: How to Release Your Hidden Powers
We are all a complex mixture of the elemental energies identified by many different cultures throughout history: Earth, Air, Fire, Water – and a fifth element called Quintessence or Spirit. As an actor, you need to be able to access each of them, so that you can draw on whichever element you need to bring your role fully into life.
In The Elemental Actor, Mel Churcher explores these deep, primal drives, and gives you practical tools to harness them to make your work more powerful and alive. Her unique approach combines elements of actor training, voice work and movement to increase your range and help you bring depth, specificity and intensity to your performance.
The book includes over one hundred games and exercises to help you explore each of the elements, incorporate this work into your practice, and apply it to the world of your role. There are also tips for preparing for auditions and dealing with performance anxiety, as well as advice on how to stay healthy in body, voice and mind.
Offering an everlasting palette that will enrich any performance, whether on stage or screen, The Elemental Actor will help you release the wellspring of your imagination, and put elemental power into your work.
Mel Churcher is an international acting, dialogue and voice coach who has worked with companies including the Royal National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe, Young Vic, Royal Court Theatre and Graeae Theatre Company. She is one of the top acting and dialogue coaches in TV and movies, and has worked with some of the biggest stars of stage and screen.Read more
£14.20 -
Voice-Over Voice Actor: The Extended Edition
Interested in Pursuing a Career in VO? Curious what goes on behind the scenes in a business where people talk funny for money? This updated edition of the award-winning first book offers a fun and comprehensive look at what it takes, what goes on, and what it’s like behind the mic from two (still) working pros who started from scratch. In this book you will discover: • The ins and outs of auditioning • Vocal warm-ups and exercises • Tips for reading copy to maximum effect • Hints to help you stand out • Advice for setting up your own home studio • Keys to marketing yourself: demo > agent > job • What to expect when you book the job • A bonus workbook to hone your skills • Performance capture, podcasting, & more!Read more
£17.50 -
I an Actor
The new revised edition of the uncensored ‘Acto-biography’ of the most controversial thespian of his generation. The memoirs of Nicholas Craig – theatrical eminence best known for his Trueplate in The Cuckolde of Leicester and more popularly as Gob in Oh No! It’s the Neighbours! – are re-released for a grateful audience, updated with a wealth of new and controversial material. Startlingly truthful, unflinchingly illustrated, I, An Actor’ is a piton up the slope of creativity for theatre fans and aspiring actors alike, revealing everything that most theatrical autobiographies cravenly avoid.Read more
£11.90£12.30I an Actor
£11.90£12.30 -
Hamilton and Me: An Actor’s Journal – a unique, inside account of the musical phenomenon
BOOK OF THE WEEK – BBC Radio 4‘One of the most joyous and clear-eyed approaches to playing a character that I have ever read… I am so grateful Giles took notes on his process and turned them into this book. I was already in awe of his performance; now I’m in awe of his humanity and attention to detail and willingness to share the hard work and magic that goes into it.’ Lin-Manuel Miranda, from his Foreword
‘Stand. Breathe. Look. Try to empty my mind. Somehow, for some reason, I have been brought to this place to tell this story, now. So tell it. That’s all.’
When Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking musical Hamilton opened in London’s West End in December 2017, it was as huge a hit as it had been in its original production off – and on Broadway. Lauded by critics and audiences alike, the show would go on to win a record-equalling seven Olivier Awards – including Best Actor in a Musical for Giles Terera, for his portrayal of Aaron Burr.
For Terera, though, his journey as Burr had begun more than a year earlier, with his first audition in New York, and continuing through extensive research and preparation, intense rehearsals, previews and finally opening night itself. Throughout this time he kept a journal, recording his experiences of the production and his process of creating his award-winning performance. This book, Hamilton and Me, is that journal
It offers an honest, intimate and thrilling look at everything involved in opening a once-in-a-generation production – the triumphs, breakthroughs and doubts, the camaraderie of the rehearsal room and the moments of quiet backstage contemplation – as well as a fascinating, in-depth exploration of now-iconic songs and moments from the musical, as seen from the inside. It is also deeply personal, as Terera reflects on experiences from his own life that he drew on to help shape his acclaimed portrayal
Illustrated with dozens of colour photographs, many of which are shared here for the first time, and featuring an exclusive Foreword by Lin-Manuel Miranda, this book is an essential read for all fans of Hamilton – offering fresh, first-hand insights into the music and characters they love and know so well – as well as for aspiring and current performers, students, and anyone who wants to discover what it really felt like to be in the room where it happened.
The author’s credentials as a Hamilton expert are second to none… the real strength of this book lies not only in its affection for the show and the company but also a great deal of detail about the topsy-turvy adventure of bringing it to the stage. British Theatre Guide
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£13.70£16.10 -
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
£13.70£16.10 -
Success for Actors (Psychology for Actors)
Is your quest to become a successful actor taking over your life and turning into self-sabotage?
Discover a psychological approach to success that will help you make the most of every opportunity.
Using psychological insights, Success for Actors explains in clear and jargon-free language how to avoid self-sabotage and navigate the rollercoaster of success with ease and grace.
By understanding how your mind works and learning simple yet powerful tools, you will find relief from your insecurities and build a solid foundation for your acting career.
Read this book and discover:
- How to navigate the emotional rollercoaster of success
- How to avoid letting your insecurities turn into self-sabotage
- How to make the most of every opportunity
- The impact of brain chemistry on your state of mind
- Practical tools you can use straight away
Short enough to read in an afternoon, yet jam-packed with practical advice, Success for Actors will help you develop a healthy mindset and build a successful 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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£15.20 -
Breaking and Entering: A Manual for the Working Actor: From Auditions to Agents to a Career
Philip Carlson was the first agent to sign Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Billy Crudup, Liev Schreiber, Claire Danes, Idris Elba, Kyra Sedgwick, Adrien Grenier and Paul Giamatti. He has represented Viola Davis, Kathy Bates, Brian Dennehy, and W.H. Macy among many and gifted others. He shares his practical trade secrets in this extraordinarily comprehensive guide on how to get into show business. Topics include: The Schools • The Business • Showcases • Casting Directors • Agents • Auditions • Which Coast? • Producers • Staying Real • Negotiating 101 • Where Do I Fit? • Movies • TV: Where the Real Money Is (These Days) • and more!His clients rave:
“He saw more in me than I saw in myself.” – Kyra Sedgwick
“A great and resonant canyon of thanks to Philip Carlson for his invaluable work with a generation of young talent – including me.” – Billy Crudup
“Philip Carlson is one of the wisest people on the subject of building a career that will last. Luck didn’t have him representing New York’s top character actors; wisdom, intelligence, patience and loyalty did. He was, and is, as good as it gets.” – Tim Blake Nelson
“Philip Carlson was my ‘Guide in shining armor!’ Smart, honest and hardworking, this book is his thinking and experience on a shelf.” – Idris Elba
“I was so fortunate to have found Philip when I did. I can’t imagine a better introduction to the world of acting and the business of getting there.” – Liev Schreiber
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£9.80 -
Motivation for Actors (Psychology for Actors Series)
Do you want to build momentum with your acting career?
Discover psychology techniques to stop procrastinating and increase your productivity so you can take your acting career to the next level.
Being motivated is essential to becoming a successful actor.
Actors must often juggle bill-paying jobs and other commitments for years before getting their big break.
If you are not highly motivated, you will get lost among the crowd of hopefuls, no matter how talented you are.
Motivated actors are a joy to work with and energize everyone around them.
They often start their own projects, so they don’t just rely on outside work, and they continuously develop their craft, making themselves more employable.
If you are wondering how to reach this high level of motivation consistently, psychology can help.
Psychologists have uncovered the principles behind human motivation and developed simple yet powerful techniques to increase your productivity.
Motivation for Actors distills these psychological insights specifically for actors using clear and jargon-free language.
Read this book and discover:
- How to build momentum and overcome resistance
- How to beat procrastination and get things done
- Mistakes actors make when trying to get motivated
- How to turn boring into fun
- Practical tools you can use straight away
Short enough to read in an afternoon, yet jam-packed with practical advice, Motivation for Actors will help you take control of your acting career and spur you on towards unstoppable momentum.
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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£7.60 -
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
£8.60£9.50 -
The Outstanding Actor: Seven Keys to Success (Performance Books)
Drawing on Ken Rea’s 35 years’ teaching experience and research, as well as interviews with top actors and directors, The Outstanding Actor identifies seven key qualities that the most successful actors manifest, along with practical exercises that help nurture those qualities and videos to demonstrate them.Featuring contributions and insights from Ewan McGregor, Jude Law, Judi Dench, Al Pacino, Lily James, Rufus Norris and many more, The Outstanding Actor gives you techniques that you can immediately put into practice in rehearsals, classes or private preparation. It also shows you how to increase the chances of having a more successful career.
This new edition covers topical issues such as the #MeToo movement, gender balance and race issues, and how these affect working conditions and careers. There are also brand new links to video resources that bring the valuable exercises to life.
The book also includes forewords by Damian Lewis and Lily James.
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£12.20 -
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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£11.40 -
Excellence for Actors (Psychology for Actors Series)
Do you want to achieve your full potential as an actor?
Discover how to apply “deliberate practice”–a type of practice used by top performers around the world–to turn your weaknesses into strengths.
We all know that becoming a great actor requires hard work, but what specific actions will help you get better?
Perhaps you have spent years taking acting classes without any noticeable improvement.
Or maybe your acting did improve for a while, but you don’t know how to make further progress.
This lack of clarity is likely to lead to dissatisfaction and a decline in your enthusiasm for the craft.
After all, nobody goes into acting aiming for mediocrity.
If this sounds familiar, psychology can help.
For many years, psychologists have been studying the process by which those dedicated to their craft achieve mastery.
The biggest reveal of this exploration has been “deliberate practice,” a process through which you can turn your weaknesses into strengths.
The impact of deliberate practice has been demonstrated by a wide variety of top performers, including athletes, musicians, and chess masters.
Excellence for Actors is the first book to explore the application of deliberate practice to acting. Reading this book will provide you with a new level of clarity about how to reach your full potential.
As you will learn, achieving excellence is not just about hard work, but also about taking the right actions with the right amount of dedication.
Read this book and discover:
- How to achieve mastery over any aspect of your craft
- How to turn your weaknesses into strengths
- How to avoid mediocrity and achieve excellence
- The mistakes actors make when trying to improve
- Practical tools you can use straight away
Short enough to read in an afternoon, yet jam-packed with practical advice, Excellence for Actors will give you the clarity you need to reach your full potential.
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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£15.20 -
Resilience for Actors (Psychology for Actors Series)
Life as an actor is full of setbacks. Discover proven psychology techniques to avoid damaging your mental health and sinking into despair.Building a successful acting career requires resilience.
Whether going to auditions, applying to drama school, or battling unemployment, you must be able to bounce back from setbacks and keep going.
Resilient actors benefit from the “familiarity effect:” the more industry professionals see you, the more they like you, and the more opportunities you get.
But how do you keep going despite repeated setbacks? How do you shake off the painful feelings that arise and get back in the game with a healthy mindset?
Encountering a setback changes your brain chemistry, which depletes your energy and affects your state of mind.
Repeated setbacks can have a cumulative effect, making it harder to bounce back and take on new challenges.
Fortunately, psychologists have studied these negative effects and developed a range of powerful techniques to avoid falling down this slippery slope.
Resilience for Actors distills these psychological insights specifically for actors using clear and jargon-free language.
Whether you got knocked back after delivering an amazing audition, or recently got fired from an acting job, this book provides you with the tools to bounce back and go after the next opportunity with optimism and enthusiasm.
Read this book and discover:
- How to deal with rejection in a positive way
- How to recover from disappointment
- How to stop the vicious cycle of despair
- Mindset hacks to turn failure into success
- Practical tools you can use straight away
Short enough to read in an afternoon, yet jam-packed with practical advice, Resilience for Actors will help you overcome any setback and find your inner strength.
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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£15.20
