Robert Leach : Books for students

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Theatre Studies : the Basics Routledge, 2008; 194pp. This is an essential read for anyone setting out to consider the thrilling world of the theatre, in depth and for the first time. Introducing you to all the aspects of drama and theatrical performance from the theoretical to the practical, you will be guided through the following topics and more: dramatic genres from tragedy to political documentary theories of performance the history of the theatre in the west acting, directing and scenography the audience Drawing on a wide range of examples, from Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus to Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti’s controversial Behzti, and including chapter summaries and pointers to further reading, Theatre Studies: the Basics has all you need to get your studies off to a flying start.

Makers of Modern Theatre Routledge, 2004; 226pp. Who were the giants of the twentieth century stage, and exactly how did they influence modern theatre? The key theatre-makers who shaped the drama of the last century are Konstantin Stanislavsky, Vsevolod Meyerhold, Bertolt Brecht and Antonin Artaud. Robert Leach’s Makers of Modern Theatre is the first detailed introduction to the work of these practitioners. In it, Leach focuses on the major issues which relate to their dominance of theatre history.: What was significant in their lives and times? What is their main legacy? What were their dramatic philosophies and practices? How have their ideas been adapted since their deaths? What are the current critical perspectives on their work? Never before has so much essential information on the making of twentieth century theatre been compiled in one brilliantly concise, beautifully illustrated book. This is a genuinely insightful volume by one of the foremost theatre historians of our age.