'I wish I'd had this book when I was starting out as a young director… I cannot recommend it highly enough' Marianne Elliott, from her Foreword
This dip-in, flick-through, quick-fire resource book in the bestselling Drama Games series offers dozens of ideas and exercises to energise and inspire a bold, creative rehearsal process for any play, of any period or genre.
Aimed at directors of all levels, it covers every aspect of rehearsal, including:
– Warm-up exercises to prepare the body, voice and mind, and to create a strong ensemble
– Ideas for approaching the text, tackling the 'Story of the Play'
– A wealth of games for unlocking the 'World of the Play', including developing characters, finding a physical style, understanding genre and investigating themes
– Suggestions for exploring sound and music, whether for use in the production or simply to encourage a sense of fun in rehearsals This essential 'go-to' book will provide you with a host of original and illuminating games, perfect for the play you're rehearsing, be it Shakespeare or Greek tragedy, a Restoration comedy, physical theatre, Modern Naturalism – or even a brand new play.
Marianne Elliott, one of the most innovative and exciting directors working anywhere in the world, describes it as a 'beautiful, and very clearly written book' which will become her 'constant companion in future'.
About the author
Jessica Swale is a writer and director, and the Artistic Director of Red Handed Theatre Company.
Her first play, Blue Stockings, premiered at Shakespeare's Globe and won her a nomination for Most Promising Playwright in the Evening Standard Awards 2013. Other plays include Nell Gwynn and Thomas Tallis (both Shakespeare's Globe); All's Will That Ends Will (Bremer Shakespeare Company); adaptations of Far from the Madding Crowd, Sense and Sensibility (Watermill Theatre), The Secret Garden (Grosvenor Park) and The Jungle Book (UK tour 2017 & 2018); and an original play, The Mission, about illegal adoptions in the 1920s.
She has directed a number of award-winning productions for Red Handed, which is dedicated to creating new work and rediscovering forgotten plays. Recent productions include The Rivals starring Celia Imrie, the London premiere of Palace of the End by Judith Thompson, and the first major revival of Hannah Cowley's The Belle's Stratagem, which won her a nomination for Best Director at the Evening Standard Awards.
Other direction includes Bedlam (Shakespeare's Globe); Sleuth (Watermill); Fallen Angels (Salisbury Playhouse); Winter (TNL, Canada); The Busy Body, Someone to Watch Over Me (Southwark), The School for Scandal (Park Theatre); and productions at RADA and LAMDA. She was Max Stafford-Clark's Associate Director at Out of Joint from 2007–2010.
She is an associate artist with Youth Bridge Global, an international NGO which uses theatre as a tool for promoting social change in war-torn and developing nations.
She has written three titles in Nick Hern Books' popular Drama Games series: Drama Gamesfor Classrooms and Workshops, Drama Gamesfor Devising, and Drama Gamesfor Rehearsals.
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