LITMIR.BIZ

In 1894, Captain Alfred Dreyfus, an innocent Jewish Officer in the French Army, was convicted on false evidence for a crime of high treason. He was stripped of his rank, publicly degraded and deported to the penal colony of Devil's Island to serve a sentence of life imprisonment in total isolation and under inhumane conditions. The fight to prove his innocence was to last 12 years.This trilogy of plays are a dramatic adaptation of this episode in 19th century European history. Also includes an introduction, a chronology of the Dreyfus Affair and an epilogue by the author, My Burning Protest by George Whyte after Emile Zola. The Dreyfus trilogy includes the dramatizations The Dreyfus Affair (premiered at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, 8 May 1994), Dreyfus – J'Accuse (premiered at the Oper der Stadt Bonn, 8 September 1999) and Rage and Outrage (premiered by Franco/German TV Channel Arte 18 May 1995).‘An excellent example of how drama can bring alive history. This volume is an important read, and would benefit students of history as well as drama.’ – Ink Pellet

Подробнее

It has been a month since Stephen jumped. Amy collects her husband’s effects, the things he had with him gathered in a single box. There was no sign – no warning of what he would do. As fractured memories of their last night together rewind, replay and unravel, she is desperate to find out why.Joe and Matt are making a documentary. Whilst reviewing their footage they make a startling discovery that takes their film in an unexpected direction – the blurred image of a man jumping from the cliffs. Beachy Head is a powerful look at the ripple effects of one man’s decision to take his life.‘A quietly splendid production, magically well staged; it lingers long’ - The Observer ‘Beachy Head treats its sombre core themes – mortality, grief and artistic responsibility – with a clever, caring and occasionally humorous theatrical intelligence. Well-researched and simply but fluidly staged, it is a skilful blend of text of technology. Analogue’s desire to probe the painful, mysterious emotions behind clinical facts is honourable.’ – Donald Hutera, The Times

Подробнее

War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength.Winston Smith rewrites history for the Ministry of Truth, but when he’s handed a note that says simply ‘I love you’ by a woman he hardly knows, he decides to risk everything in a search for the real truth. In a world where cheap entertainment keeps the proles ignorant but content, where a war without end is always fought and the government is always watching, can Winston possibly hold onto what he feels inside? Or will he renounce everything, accept the Party’s reality and learn to love Big Brother?‘Dunster – both in his faithful take on the story and in his sometimes extreme but always enthralling adaptation – gets close to the heart of Orwell’s warning, pointing up but not overemphasising its current political resonances.… Newspeak, Doublethink, Room 101 and Thought Police take on a chilling reality in this compelling production.’ – The Independent

Подробнее

A New Testament informed by the turmoil of the twentieth century, The Ecstatic Bible is a series of interlocking narratives based around the 100-year courtship of a faithless priest and a woman whose decision to abandon free will and collude with every circumstance leads them into extraordinary situations both comic and horrific. Passionate and provocative, this bible of amorality is driven by a wildly inventive plot and language rich in poetry and humour.

Подробнее

Includes the plays The Castle , Gertrude – The Cry , Animals in Paradise and 13 Objects .Howard Barker is one of the most significant and controversial dramatists of his time. His plays challenge, unsettle and expose. The plays in this volume examine collisions of culture, gender and creed at moments of turmoil, developing the tragic form Barker defines as Theatre of Catastrophe. The Castle is set at the end of Crusades and describes the clashes that occur when returning soldiers bring an Arab architect home with them as a prisoner. Barker's abiding interest in interrogating the great classics for their 'silences' is shown in Gertrude – The Cry , his re-writing of the Hamlet story. Scarcely examined in Shakespeare, the passion of Gertrude for Claudius is made the centre of this harrowing tragedy, casting new light on the personality of Hamlet himself. Animals in Paradise was commissioned by the Swedish and Danish governments to celebrate their connection by bridge, a symbolic finish to centuries of antagonism. Barker's unexpected treatment of the theme provoked unrest on its first showing. 13 Objects movingly reveals the investment we make in inanimate things, their power to unsettle us, and how their talismanic qualities license new ways of seeing the world.

Подробнее

Three of Wilde’s short stories adapted into enchanting plays for young children. The Selfish Giant chases away spring and summer, leaving the garden in a permanent winter. Only when the giant realises his selfishness and opens his garden to the local children does the summer return bringing with it warmth, brightness and joy. The people of the town celebrate the unveiling of their new statue of The Happy Prince. But all is not as it seems with this new golden statue. In his desire to help the poor and suffering in the town, the Prince persuades a migrating swallow to assist him, and a timeless tale of love and kindness is born.What makes a good friend? Little Hans's best friend is Hugh the Miller but while Hans is happy to share all the lovely flowers and fruit from his garden, Hugh isn't quite so generous with his own things. Join three lively characters in The Devoted Friend as they explore the ups and downs of friendship in this new play for the very young.

Подробнее

This practical handbook takes us on a step by step journey from pre-production through the rehearsal process, followed by focused advice on each genre from comedy to tragedy, Shakespeare to new plays and musicals. Special chapters offer strategies for dealing with difficult actors, working with producers and taking on the job of an Artistic Director.An indispensible guide to a director’s craft, packed full of advice and peppered with priceless anecdotes about the highs and the lows of a lifetime’s work in the theatre.”Witty, anecdotal, informed, informative, intimate and frank… one of the best practical discussions of how to approach a play both as text and performance that one could find today… a passionate, dedicated, lived and lively statement of what can happen when theatre is performing powerfully” – Manchester Salon “An easy and entertaining read that gives an overview of the job of director from the point of view of someone who has been directing for nearly half a century and points out quite a number of traps and pitfalls for an inexperienced director to avoid.” – British Theatre Guide “Conversational in style, sometime stream of consciousness, the reader is carried along by Murray’s enthusiasm, passion and knowledge of his craft… Murray writes for the professional director but the amateur and student can pick up loads of tips… a rattling good read” – Ink Pellet

Подробнее

‘I try to follow the rule laid down by perhaps the greatest translator of all, John Dryden, who maintained that a translator should – and I paraphrase – make the version as entertaining as possible, while at the same time remaining as faithful as possible to the spirit of the original’ – Ranjit Bolt.In this book, Ranjit Bolt takes what is essentially a practitioner's view of the art of literary translation. His observations are born of a quarter of a century's experience of translating for a living, especially for the theatre. While rooted in practice, however, this survey does not shy away from theory, but is packed with allusion to great translation theorists such as Walter Benjamin and John Dryden, as well as adumbrating Bolt's own theoretical stance.‘There is much practical good sense in this engaging, good-humouredapologia pro domo’ – Times Literary Supplement ‘If you’re interested in writing plays you need to read The Art of Translation . Even if you have no intention of translating a play Bolt has a lot to teach about how dramatic language works.’ – The Stage ‘Bolt’s essay is provocative and engaging, drawing heavily on twenty years of direct first-hand experience as the writer of some of the most lively modern translations of classical into English… Bolt has a very satisfying turn of phrase, and the book is full of teasingly provocative and wondefully quotable opinions.’ – Journal of Adaptation in Film & Performance

Подробнее

‘I'm a scientist. I don't 'believe' in anything.’The study of climate science is the cool degree at the university where Dr Diane Cassell is a lead academic in Earth Sciences. At odds with the orthodoxy over the causes of climate change, she finds herself increasingly vilified and is forced to ask if the issue is becoming political as well as personal. Could the belief in anthropogenic global warming be the most attractive religion of the 21st century. What evidence do we need before deciding on policy?Winner of the 2011 Evening Standard Theatre Best New Play Award.'a riotous comedy … by Richard Bean, one of our drama’s most wittily maverick voices…. it keeps the great one-liners whizzing and the scientific arguments airborne.' 4 stars – Independent 'an absolute corker, funny, provocative and touching, and absolutely resolute in its refusal to lapse into the apocalyptic gloom that usually attends this subject… exceptionally generous with the jokes… The Heretic is a play on the side of life and optimism, with a faith in humanity that goes markedly against the grain of current thinking.' 4 stars – Telegraph 'it’s a tsunami of jokes, a meltdown of piety and po-facedness… what’s especially pleasing is the combination of unremitting intelligence with unremitting laughs. The Heretic makes most plays look underwritten.' – Observer 'delicious… Above all, though, it is Bean’s writing that scintillates. Pulsing with shrewd humour, it’s risqué and linguistically rich. There are some blissfully surreal touches… The Heretic is clever, imaginative and entertaining theatre.' 4 stars – Evening Standard

Подробнее

Collected here for the first time are Richard Crane’s seminal stage adaptations of four heavyweights of Russian literature; Pushkin, Gogol, Bulgakov and Dostoyevsky. This volume contains Satan’s Ball , an adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s Master and Margarita , (winner of the 1977 Edinburgh Fringe First Award) Vanity , a response to Alexander Pushkin’s verse novel Eugene Onegin ; Brothers Karamazov , a dramatisation of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s epic final novel; and Gogol , a one-man play which meditates on the life of the Ukrainian novelist and playwright Nikolai Gogol.

Подробнее