Verbatim, Verbatim
Contemporary Documentary Theatre
Published on 15. July 2008
Book
Paperback/Softback
192 pages
978-1-84002-697-9 (ISBN)
Description
Five specially commissioned discussions of verbatim theatre - in the words of the people who make it.
'What a verbatim play does is flash your research nakedly. It's like cooking a meal but the meat is left raw.' - Max Stafford-Clark
Plays which use people's actual words as the basis for their dramaare not a new phenomenon. But from the stages of national theatres to fringe venues and universities everywhere, 'verbatim' theatre, as it has come to be known, is currently enjoying unprecedented attention and success. It has also attracted high-profile criticism and impassioned debate. In these wide-ranging essays and interviews, six leading dramatists describe their varying approaches to verbatim, examine the strengths and weaknesses of its techniques and explore the reasons for its current popularity. They discuss frankly the unique opportunities and ethical dilemmas that arise when portraying real people on stage, and consider some of the criticisms levelled at this controversial documentary form.
'The intention is always to arrive at the truth.' - Nicolas Kent
'What a verbatim play does is flash your research nakedly. It's like cooking a meal but the meat is left raw.' - Max Stafford-Clark
Plays which use people's actual words as the basis for their dramaare not a new phenomenon. But from the stages of national theatres to fringe venues and universities everywhere, 'verbatim' theatre, as it has come to be known, is currently enjoying unprecedented attention and success. It has also attracted high-profile criticism and impassioned debate. In these wide-ranging essays and interviews, six leading dramatists describe their varying approaches to verbatim, examine the strengths and weaknesses of its techniques and explore the reasons for its current popularity. They discuss frankly the unique opportunities and ethical dilemmas that arise when portraying real people on stage, and consider some of the criticisms levelled at this controversial documentary form.
'The intention is always to arrive at the truth.' - Nicolas Kent
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 10 mm
Weight
230 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84002-697-9 (9781840026979)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
09/2012
1st Edition
Oberon Books Ltd
€18.49
Available for download
Persons
Richard Norton-Taylor was born in 1944 and joined the Guardian in 1975. Since then, he has investigated official secrecy, behind-the-scenes decision-making in Government, and the activities of the security and intelligence services. His works for stage include 'Half the Picture' (an adaptation of the Scott 'arms to Iraq' enquiry), 'Nuremburg', 'Srebrenica' and 'The Colour of Justice'.