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Articles
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Articles |
The Theatre Reference ShelfDateline: 116th July, 2000 "You must," people have said to me once or twice, "have an encyclopedic knowledge of theatre in Britain." Much as I would like to claim such an extensive fund of knowledge, I'm afraid I can't. It's not that I know a lot: it's simply that I know where to find what I don't know! And that, of course, is the secret behind the best journalism: having good sources. So, what are my sources? What is there sitting on my reference shelf which enables me to answer the questions that are thrown at me?
The Oxford Companion to the Theatre The Oxford Companion, of course, is an essential. With 1027 pages of entries , from Henry Eugene Abbey to Carl Zuckmayer, the fourth reprint of the third edition (1978), which is the one I own, is a fund of general and historical information. It also has a 45-page reading list and 176 illustrations and 13 pages of notes on the illustrations. No theatre library is complete without the Oxford and it is my first port of call. However, it is 22 years out of date, and although much - probably most - of the information doesn't date, a lot has happened since, so I need something more recent. The Cambridge Guide to Theatre I have the 1992 paperback edition (1101 pages - Abbey to Zuckmayer again), and I find it more useful than the Oxford, and not just because I'm a Cambridge man myself! I find it a little more detailed, as well as having more recent information. Having pictures in the text, rather than gathered together at the end, is a bonus, and makes it easier to use. It is a lot stronger on modern theatre, for the third edition of the Oxford was published in 1967 whereas the paperback Cambridge is based on the 1998 revised edition, which was reprinted with corrections in 1990 and the revised again in '92. The British Performing Arts Yearbook The Yearbook is packed with relevant facts and figures, and is published every year. I have just this week received the 2000/2001 edition, which runs to 551 pages, plus indices. It lists Performers, by which it means, generally, companies, in a number of categories: Dance, Drama, Community, Puppets, Mixed Media, Opera and Orchestras. It also lists agents and managers. Then there are lists of arts festivals, suppliers and services, education and training courses, funding organisations, support organisations, and venues in every part of the UK. Again, this is an indispensible tool, providing a huge amount of relevant information. The Spotlight Not a book, although there is a printed version, which is a very well established publication. I use the CD-ROMs (two: one for actors, one for actresses), simply because they take up less space than the books. The Spotlight is the casting director's bible and contains details of (almost) every actor and actress in the UK. The CDs enable you to search for particular actors or to compile a shortlist of actors who fit specific casting criteria. Clearly it is as useful for the theatre journalist as it is for the casting director. Equally clearly it's not cheap: in fact, the two CDs cost more than all the books on my reference shelf put together! The Encyclopedia of Pantomime Sometimes non-Brits do not realise the importance of pantomime in British theatre. For one thing, the income from their annual panto keeps many a theatre, both amateur and professional, afloat for the rest of the year. The Encyclopedia is the only book on the market which covers the history and traditions of panto in dictionary form. It is truly an "everything you need to know" book and hence invaluable for a proper study of British theatre. The Writer's Handbook Published every year, this covers all aspects of writing and markets for writers, including a most valuable list of literary agents, indicating clearly those who deal in plays and those who do not. It also lists theatre companies which are prepared to look at new writing, and tells how best to approach them. Finally, it has a useful summary of the law of copyright, whcih is essential knowledge for all writers. Articles Indices:
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