Kenneth Tynan: Theatre Writings

The Sharpest Theatrical Criticism of the 20th Century

A definitive collection of Kenneth Tynan's writings on theatre

About the Ebook

The best of Kenneth Tynan's theatre criticism, selected and edited by his biographer Dominic Shellard - with a foreword by Tom Stoppard.

This volume is an edited selection of theatre criticism by one of the most significant and influential writers on British theatre. Spanning the years 1944 to 1965, it includes all of Tynan's major theatre reviews and articles written for the Evening Standard, the Daily Sketch and the Observer.

It also includes the text of his substantial 1964 speech to the Royal Society of Arts, setting out his vision for the National Theatre.

Tynan's writings on theatre, according to eminent theatre historian Dominic Shellard, influenced the evolution of the whole of post-war theatre in Britain. And, with their characteristic mix of hyperbole, irreverence and prescience, they remain brilliantly entertaining today.

'You can open this book on almost any page and come across a phrase or a vignette which is the next best thing to having been there' Tom Stoppard, from his Foreword

Why You'll Love This Ebook

• Read the most influential theatre criticism of the modern era
• Experience Tynan's wit, insight, and command of language
• Discover his championing of new writing and theatrical revolution
• Access Nick Hern Books' authoritative collection of theatrical writing

Reviews

'Tynan was unique in that he combined the soul of an artist with the descriptive skill of a journalist. His style, blending voluptuous ease with verbal precision, was a constant instrument of pleasure' Michael Billlington - Guardian

'One can only wonder why Tynan’s theatre criticism, the crowning achievement of his professional life, has until now been mouldering out of print... His reviews aren't just a brilliant record of this or that production; as Tom Stoppard writes in a generous foreword, they stand "in lieu of an autobiography, the adventures of someone who happened to care very much about the theatre." ... To read Tynan is to be thrilled into paying better and closer attention - which, in short, is the point of criticism in the first place' Daily Telegraph

'A sentence from him is worth a book from all the rest' Time Out

About the Author

Kenneth Tynan (1927–1980) was a highly influential drama critic, writer, literary manager and theatre producer. He is above all revered for his incisive, passionate and stylish theatre criticism, and his Profiles of a wide variety of writers and performers.

Publication Details

ISBN (EPUB): 9781780010694
Publication Date: 05 April 2018
Pages: 304
Format: Ebook (EPUB)
Publisher: Nick Hern Books

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