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THEATRE BOOK PRIZE
A large crowd in the Grand Saloon at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane heard theatre veteran Sir Donald Sinden declare the winner of the Theatre Book Prize to be The Guardian's theatre critic Michael Billington for his book which surveys the relationship between theatre and society over the last sixty years. It seemed a very popular winner with those present and has, of course, already been greeted enthusiastically by both critics and readers. This year the judges were actress Siân Phillips, Claire Allfree, both theatre and book reviewer for Metro, and Professor Jeffery Richards, short-listed for this prize a couple of years ago for his fine book on Henry Irving. A mixture of writers, publishers, theatre people and academics heard the judges speak about their short-list choices and some other titles they that they particularly liked. Miss Phillips appeared on video, for she is just about to open on Broadway in a revival of Les Liasons Dangereuse. This year there was a particularly large entry from publishers. The judges received more than eighty titles for their consideration. The reception at Drury Lane was supported by Really Useful Theatres Group and the producers of The Lord of the Rings, which is currently playing at the theatre, and by dewynters. For a full text of the judges speeches click here. A recording of the event is available at TheatreVoice |
Introduction to the Theatre Book Prize
To mark the occasion of its Golden Jubilee in 1998 the Society decided to sponsor an annual Theatre Book Prize, with the first award being made in 1998 to a book published during the calendar year 1997.Eligibility is confined to books, in English, of original research into any aspect of the history and technique of the British theatre, but not restricted only to authors of |British nationality nor to books solely from British publishers.
The current value of the Prize is £400, given to the author. The Prize money, and administrative expenses, are derived from investment capital already accrued from donations from Society members and other sympathetic donors. It is our aim to increase the capital fund by further appeals in the future, and all contributions will be gratefully welcomed so that a more generous Prize may be given in future years.
Past Winners
1997 Peggy: the Life of Margaret Ramsay-------by Colin Chambers (Nick Hern)
1998 Threads of Time
-------by Peter Brook (Methuen)
1999 Garrick
-------by Ian McIntyre (Allen Lane)
2000 Politics, Prudery and Perversion: Censorship 1906-68
-------by Nicholas de Jongh (Methuen)
2001 Reflecting the Audience: London Theatregoing 1840-1880
------- by Jim Davies and Victor Emeljanow
-------(Iowa University Press/University of Hertfordshire Press)
2002 A History of Irish Theatre 1601-2000
-------by Christopher Morash (Cambridge University Press)
-------Report of 2002 Prize Giving
2003 National Service
-------by Sir Richard Eyre
-------Report of 2003 Prize Giving
2004 Margot Fonteyn
-------by Meredith Daneman (Penguin/Viking)
-------Report of 2004 Prize Giving
2005 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare
-------by James Shapiro (Faber and Faber)
-------Report of 2005 Prize Giving
2006 John Osborne: a Patriot for Us
-------by John Heilpern (Chatto & Windus)
-------Report of 2006 Prize Giving
2007 The State of the Nation
-------by Michael Billington (Faber & Faber)
-------Report of 2007 Prize Giving
The Society for Theatre Research, PO BOX 53971, London SW15 6UL.
theatrebookprize@btinternet.com
For general enquiries about the Society for Theatre Research please contact:
The Society for Theatre Research, PO BOX 53971, London SW15 6UL.
e.cottis@btinternet.com