As if by Chance
Journeys, Theatres, Lives
Published on 3. June 2021
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-0-571-35780-2 (ISBN)
Description
David Lan evokes a unique theatre of life. Sometimes hilarious, always deeply felt we travel with him to Peter Brook's Paris, to Chekhov's Yalta, to Lithuania in search of his great grandparents, to Broadway for the Tony Awards. There's escaping the South African army, the Royal Court in the 90s, spirit mediums in Zimbabwe. And his years running the Young Vic, drawing in great artists such as Ivo Van Hove, Jude Law, Gillian Anderson, Stephen Daldry and shows such as Yerma, The Jungle and The Inheritance.
'Exceptional. Rich, warm and sparkling.' Peter Brook
'He is the Chagall of theatre, hurtling over his colourful life and the world, his shirt flying, dreaming on behalf of humanity.' Fiona Shaw
'Sincere, passionate, vulnerable, open, serious, loving. A great read for fans of theatre and of humanity.'
Ivo Van Hove
'Exceptional. Rich, warm and sparkling.' Peter Brook
'He is the Chagall of theatre, hurtling over his colourful life and the world, his shirt flying, dreaming on behalf of humanity.' Fiona Shaw
'Sincere, passionate, vulnerable, open, serious, loving. A great read for fans of theatre and of humanity.'
Ivo Van Hove
More details
Edition
Main
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
268 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-571-35780-2 (9780571357802)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
David Lan was born in Cape Town. He has lived in London since 1972. His plays have been produced by the National Theatre, the Royal Court, the RSC and the Almeida. He has published an ethnography Guns and Rain: Guerrillas and Spirit Mediums in Zimbabwe. He was writer in residence at the Royal Court 1995 to 1997 and artistic director of the Young Vic 2000 to 2018. In 2018 he received the Laurence Olivier Special Award, the Critics' Circle Special Award and the RAI 'Anthropology in the World' award. He is Theatre Associate at BAM in New York.