The Society for Theatre Research held its annual jamboree to award its prestigious Theatre Book Prize for books published in 2009 on 26th April in the magnificent Grand Saloon of the Drury Lane Theatre, London.
Theatre practitioners, academics, publishers, historians and theatre-lovers gathered beneath the venue’s glittering chandeliers to hear Tim West introduce the event. Acknowledging the prize’s establishment to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Society that was founded in 1948, West confirmed its remit, since 1997, of encouraging the writing and publication of books on theatre history and practice, both of the past and the present.
Presented annually for a book on British or British-related theatre, the prize’s independent panel of judges for 2009 were the actor Matthew Kelly, the theatre critic Mark Shenton and the academic Professor Jane Moody. Each had the enviable task of reading the books, and the unenviable task of deciding an outright winner.
The short listed titles for 2009 were:
- The Cambridge Introduction to Theatre Historiography
by Thomas Postlewait (Cambridge University Press) - Different Drummer: the Life of Kenneth Macmillan
by Jan Parry (Faber) - Opera for Everybody: The Story of English National Opera
by Susie Gilbert (Faber) - The Oxford Handbook of Early Modern Theatre
edited by Richard Dutton (Oxford University Press) - The Pantomime Life of Joseph Grimaldi
by Andrew Stott (Canongate)
Howard Loxton, as Chair of the panel of judges, then introduced his three eminent readers, but not before announcing that, up until the evening before, there had been no outright winner, so close was the competition. Indeed, the judges present did not even know which book had won. We would be the first to know!
In turn, the judges spoke of their respective responsibilities and of the potential pitfalls of selecting between such disparate titles. Shenton admitted his own interest in theatre stems primarily from his reviewing of performance on stage, rather than the page, although he welcomed the opportunity to learn more about subjects particularly close to his heart. Describing the English National Opera’s policy of inviting theatre critics to their London Coliseum openings as ‘enlightened’, Shenton proceeded to share the high points of those books delivered into his care, and his own delight in reading outside his professional expertise.
Professor Jane Moody expressed her general discomfort, as a lowly ‘audience’ member at past Theatre Book Prize events, at the criticism levelled at traditional ‘academic’ theatre research. Admitting that some of her university colleagues write with “slightly less than fabulous clarity”, she nevertheless defined what she considers a great prize-winner as one that identifies questions for the next generation to solve, is delivered with a lightness of touch, and that is alert to the ‘felt pleasures of theatrical experience’.
Finally, via a pre-recorded video, because of his commitment waiting for Godot down under, Matthew Kelly regaled us with his own very personal take on book-judging. Noticeable was the unassuming way he responded to the variety of books and the honour he felt in being permitted to read so many. This was obviously a labour of love for Kelly who found joy and fun, mingled with intellectual stimulation, at a time when he is professionally very busy as an actor himself.
Finally, Sheila Hancock announced the winners, although not before light-heartedly plugging her own triptych of books, none of which had ever been entered for the Theatre Book Prize because, in her words, she was “obviously not posh enough!” A winner there has to be, and Jan Parry was invited to receive the Theatre Book Prize for 2009 for Different Drummer: the Life of Kenneth Macmillan.
A close run thing, but Parry’s excellent research and easy writing style gained her this just reward. Yet again, the Society for Theatre Research has demonstrated its commitment an important part of our British cultural heritage. The Theatre Book Prize recognizes both the academic benefit, and the artistic need, for the written record of that most ephemeral of human experiences, the theatrical event.