{"product_id":"the-secret-life-of-plays","title":"The Secret Life of Plays","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Stories Theatre Tells Behind Every Performance\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDiscover what drives the plays we love\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\u003eA guide to the hidden workings of plays and the trade secrets that govern their writing - by the acclaimed playwright Steve Waters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDrawing on a wide range of drama, both historical and modern, Waters takes the reader through the key elements of dramatic writing – scenes, acts, space, time, characters, language and images – to show how a play is more than the sum of its parts, with as much inner vitality as a living organism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlmost uniquely amongst accounts of playwriting, Waters' book looks at the ways in which good plays move their audiences, generating powerful emotional responses that often defy conventional analysis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Secret Life of Plays\u003c\/em\u003e is for playwrights at any stage of their career, and will inspire and inform drama students as well as working actors and directors. Most of all it is for anyone who has ever laughed or cried in the theatre – and wants to know why.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Theatre is a live medium, about bodies, sweat and feeling, even if it is informed by ideas and reason. How a thing composed of words manages to carry within it the currents of energy that generate that impression of life is what I want to explore…'\u003c\/b\u003e Steve Waters \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Steve Waters' book is like his plays: clear, elegant and stimulating throughout'\u003c\/b\u003e David Edgar\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy You'll Love This Ebook\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUnlock the hidden narratives shaping theatre from the inside\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaster the craft with exclusive insights from seasoned professionals\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTransform your understanding of play development and production\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGain access to stories Nick Hern Books authors rarely share in public forums\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSteve Waters is a playwright whose plays include: \u003cem\u003eThe Last King of Scotland\u003c\/em\u003e, adapted from the novel by Giles Foden (Sheffield Theatres, 2019); \u003cem\u003eLimehouse\u003c\/em\u003e (Donmar Warehouse, 2017); \u003cem\u003eTemple\u003c\/em\u003e (Donmar Warehouse, 2015); \u003cem\u003eWhy Can’t We Live Together?\u003c\/em\u003e (Menagerie Theatre\/Soho\/Theatre503, 2013); \u003cem\u003eEuropa\u003c\/em\u003e, as co-author (Birmingham Repertory Theatre\/Dresden State Theatre\/Teatr Polski Bydgoszcz\/Zagreb Youth Theatre, 2013); \u003cem\u003eIgnorance\/Jahiliyyah\u003c\/em\u003e (Hampstead Downstairs, 2012); \u003cem\u003eLittle Platoons\u003c\/em\u003e (Bush Theatre, 2011); \u003cem\u003eThe Contingency Plan\u003c\/em\u003e (Bush Theatre, 2009; revived in a new version at Sheffield Theatres, 2022); \u003cem\u003eFast Labour\u003c\/em\u003e (Hampstead, in association with West Yorkshire Playhouse, 2008); \u003cem\u003eOut of Your Knowledge\u003c\/em\u003e (Menagerie Theatre\/ Pleasance, Edinburgh\/East Anglian tour, 2006-8); \u003cem\u003eWorld Music\u003c\/em\u003e (Sheffield Crucible, 2003, and subsequent transfer to the Donmar Warehouse, 2004); \u003cem\u003eT\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003ehe Unthinkable\u003c\/em\u003e (Sheffield Crucible, 2004); \u003cem\u003eAfter the Gods\u003c\/em\u003e (Hampstead Theatre, 2002); and \u003cem\u003eEnglish Journeys\u003c\/em\u003e (Hampstead Theatre, 1998).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis writing for television and radio includes \u003cem\u003eSafe House\u003c\/em\u003e (BBC4), \u003cem\u003eThe Air Gap\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Moderniser \u003c\/em\u003e(BBC Radio 4), \u003cem\u003eScribblers\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eBretton Woods\u003c\/em\u003e (BBC Radio 3).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe ran the MPhil in Playwriting at Birmingham University between 2006 and 2011, and is now Professor of Scriptwriting at the University of East Anglia, where he convenes the MA in Creative Writing: Scriptwriting programme. He is the author of \u003cem\u003eThe Secret Life of Plays\u003c\/em\u003e, published by Nick Hern Books.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePublication Details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN (EPUB):\u003c\/strong\u003e 9781780011974\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e 16 May 2013\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 224\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":57097588769141,"sku":"9.78178E+12","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0921\/5662\/5269\/files\/9781780011974_9b691b4a-c528-4d5b-b0d4-a55741269acb.jpg?v=1776963358","url":"https:\/\/thegreyhill.com\/products\/the-secret-life-of-plays","provider":"The Grey Hill","version":"1.0","type":"link"}