Words Into Action

A Master Director on the Art of Working with Text

William Gaskill's essential approach to script-based theatre

About the Ebook

Packed with insights from a lifetime of directing theatre, Words into Action is a fascinating read and a vital masterclass for actors and directors.

Renowned theatre director William Gaskill was one of the founders of the Royal Court, whose ethos, as Christopher Hampton says in his Foreword, 'this book goes a long way towards defining'.

Gaskill's acclaimed work as a director always began with the words of the playwright, and here, starting with a chapter on 'Trusting the Writer', he takes the actor through the vital steps needed to find the life of the play and then to articulate it on stage.

Drawing instances from his own work in the theatre and from teaching at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he looks at action and intention, stillness and movement, sentences and rhetoric, punctuation and pauses. He pays detailed attention to staging Shakespeare's plays, and there are also chapters on masks, on language as character, and on verse and prose. Gaskill was, says Maggie Smith, 'the best teacher in the world.'

Why You'll Love This Ebook

• Learn from a co-founder of the English Stage Company at the Royal Court
• Discover proven methods for translating text into living performance
• Master the rehearsal techniques that shaped post-war British theatre
• Study from Nick Hern Books' celebrated director's manual collection

Reviews

'relays profound wisdom and very specific, useful tips from a career of directing... the book provides unique and thorough insight into many specifics of Gaskill's career' Ann M. Shanahan - 'Theatre Artists Writing About Practice: A Review Essay', 2011

'a fount of wisdom that should prove invaluable to any reader' British Theatre Guide

'a fastidiously lucid and frank set of essays packed with practical advice, useful observations, and acute close readings' Helen Simpson - TLS, 'Books of the Year'

About the Author

William Gaskill (1930-2016) was a major theatre director who, in a wide-ranging freelance career, directed many productions of Brecht, Beckett and Shakespeare. He was closely associated with the Royal Court, where he directed Edward Bond's Saved. He co-founded Joint Stock Theatre in 1974 with Max Stafford-Clark, going on to stage some of the most significant work of the 70s and 80s.

Publication Details

ISBN (EPUB): 9781780011202
Publication Date: 20 December 2017
Pages: 192
Format: Ebook (EPUB)
Publisher: Nick Hern Books

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