This limited edition volume includes twenty select scripts from the hit radio programs starring Barry Morse and Alan King. The book is an incredible 549 pages in length and includes a special introduction written by Barry Morse detailing the history and background of these shows. This material was the genesis for Barry's television series Presenting Barry Morse and his long-running one man show Merely Players. This volume contains material on such luminaries as George Bernard Shaw, Ben Jonson, Charles Macready, Peg Woffington, Moliere, Henry Irving, William Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde and many, many more figures of the Stage. The programs also featured a whole range of guest actresses, including Toby Robins, Ruth Springford, Margaret Griffin, Kate Reid, and a number of others. Drama, tragedy and comedy combine with tales of actors, actresses, playwrights and critics to take you on a remarkable theatrical journey!
"Totally enjoyable" For all of you who opted out of the 'History of Theatre' class at school, here is your chance to make it right. "Stories of the Theatre" gives one glimpses into specific people and plays and critics of the early years of theatre. Totally enjoyable, each chapter of the book takes you into the world created by Barry Morse and Alan King for their half hour radio program on the CBC in the 50s. This book gives you a taste of what an actor's life was like and what words were being said on stage. I was personally struck by the more poetic plays, having to re-realise that people other than Shakespeare wrote in verse for the stage. Stories of the first actors working to gain respect for their profession are present throughout the book and shine a light on how far the profession has really come. The great thing about this book is that any chapter can lead you to read further about the people, plays or critics involved if that chapter has touched your... More > fancy. There are chapters on well-known writers such as Oscar Wilde, Anton Chekhov and Moliere. There are chapters on people that we may not have heard of, but who were influencial in theatre such as Henry Irving and David Garrick. And there was even a surprise chapter on the only play that poet Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote. This is a book to be enjoyed bit by bit, letting the words transport you to a different time and place. It may take you a couple reads to come anywhere near absorbing all the information that is packed into this book, but that is the pleasure. The book itself is a great piece of history of a radio show, but the history that it speaks of tells us much about the life and times of ourselves as theatre took shape as a respected forum for presenting ideas.< Less
