{"product_id":"the-reluctant-escapologist-adventures-in-alternati","title":"The Reluctant Escapologist: Adventures in Alternative Theatre","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Maverick's Journey Through Britain's Fringe Theatre\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMike Bradwell's candid memoir of alternative theatre-making\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\u003c!-- Access Your Content --\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"border: 2px solid #ddd; padding: 16px; border-radius: 6px; background: #f9f9f9; margin-bottom: 20px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: bold; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eAccess Your Content in Seconds\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col style=\"margin-left: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComplete your purchase on our store.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDownload \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/thegreyhill.com\/pages\/the-grey-hill-app\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Grey Hill App\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e (free).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLog in using the same email from checkout.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYour ebook will appear instantly in your library.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size: 14px; color: #555;\"\u003eAll content is securely delivered through our app and not offered as a Shopify download.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Ebook\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn unrivalled unofficial history of the rise – and partial fall – of fringe theatre, Mike Bradwell's deadpan account of his adventures is one of the funniest and angriest books to come out of theatre today. Winner of the 2010 Theatre Book Prize awarded by the Society for Theatre Research.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs he travels through a counterculture peopled by nutters, chancers, dreamers and prophets, Bradwell makes us marvel at his resilience and creativity, captured in a succession of vivid – and often laugh-out- loud – episodes such as: creating a character with Mike Leigh; enjoying the onstage mass orgasms of The Living Theatre; eating fire with Bob Hoskins; becoming an underwater escapologist (reluctantly) in the Ken Campbell Roadshow; creating Hull Truck; and doing battle with the Health and Safety brigade, the funding bodies and a Polish heavy-metal disco during his ten years running the famous Bush Theatre in West London.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBradwell was a passionate champion of the alternative as well as an admired and successful director. In this book, he makes a compelling – and urgent – case for preserving the true and subversive spirit of theatre from castration at the hands of bankers, consultants, stakeholders, cultural-diversity compliance monitors and the Arts Council. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Towards the end of this brilliant account of his epic forty-year journey, Mike tells us, 'I don't believe that theatre is safe in the hands of grown-ups', and it is his healthy, eternal youthfulness that makes the book so inspiring' \u003c\/b\u003eMike Leigh, from his Foreword\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy You'll Love This Ebook\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExperience the wild creative energy of British alternative theatre history\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDiscover the founding principles of fringe and devised performance\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLearn from a director who shaped Hull Truck and the Bush Theatre\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRead Nick Hern Books' celebrated history of unconventional theatre-makers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eReviews\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A practical, accessible, friendly book with the potential to support anyone whose emotional health could, potentially, be challenged' \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInk Pellet magazine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A refreshing look at how to sustain mind, body and brain… this handy pocket guide offers great insight into the modem creative industries… It is grounded in real-life experience and offers many active exercises for the reader… actively useful with real world application… it's a highly engaging and soothing balm to ensure that we start to take seriously the craft of looking after ourselves' \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDrama \u0026amp; Theatre Magazine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Invaluable advice and support... This is the first book, to my knowledge, that looks specifically at how people who work in the creative industries can develop and support their own mental health... It is a timely book, as it explores the triggers for mental health issues, such as unstable work, low pay and lack of support... It is well structured and easy to navigate, and being pocket sized makes it an ideal travelling companion... Each chapter begins with a slice of learning and is strongly evidenced by science... The accompanying online recordings are soothing, relaxing and insightful, and fully complement the exercises in the book. I was impressed with how they engage the reader with the topics it covers... Developing Your Emotional Health should be given to all students at the end of their training as an arts practitioner' \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWord Matters (Journal of the Society of Teachers of Speech \u0026amp; Drama)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMike Bradwell (1948-2025) was a leading theatre director. He founded Hull Truck Theatre Company in 1971, was Artistic Director of the Bush Theatre from 1996 until 2007, and subsequently worked widely as a freelance director. His book on alternative theatre, \u003cem\u003eThe Reluctant Escapologist\u003c\/em\u003e, won the Society for Theatre Research's Theatre Book Prize for 2010.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePublication Details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN (EPUB):\u003c\/strong\u003e 9781788502252\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e 22 August 2019\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 336\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ebook (EPUB)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Nick Hern Books\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow do I access my ebook?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDownload \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/thegreyhill.com\/pages\/the-grey-hill-app\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Grey Hill App\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e and log in using the same email you used at checkout. Your ebook will appear instantly in your library.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCan I read it online?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes — you can also access your purchases via our online reader at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reader.thegreyhill.com\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ereader.thegreyhill.com\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eI can't see my ebook — what should I do?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTap the refresh button in the app or online reader. If it still doesn't appear, ensure you're logged in with the same email used at checkout. If issues continue, contact us and we'll help right away.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCan I gift this ebook?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes — you can purchase a Grey Hill Gift Card here: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/thegreyhill.com\/products\/the-grey-hill-gift-card\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBuy a Gift Card\u003c\/a\u003e. The recipient can redeem it on our store, and the ebook will appear in The Grey Hill App.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nick Hern Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57104881877365,"sku":"9781788502252","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0921\/5662\/5269\/files\/9781788502252.jpg?v=1777215410","url":"https:\/\/thegreyhill.com\/products\/the-reluctant-escapologist-adventures-in-alternati","provider":"The Grey Hill","version":"1.0","type":"link"}