Dear Oberon Books, the small but beautifully-formed publishers of handy tomes big and small – including this rattling good read. It comes into the category ‘Books That Do What They Say On The Cover’ – How to Direct A Play with the charades-busting sub-title A Masterclass in Comedy, Tragedy, Farce, Shakespeare, New Plays, Opera and Musicals. At a mere 134 pages, how does acclaimed director Braham Murray do it?
Conversational in style, sometimes a stream of consciousness, the reader is carried along by Murray’s enthusiasm, passion and knowledge of his craft. The arrival of this book onto my desk came at a great time as I had just the night before agreed to direct my first play for the little village am-dram group I spend my spare time with. So I read with gusto. Murray writes for the professional director but the amateur and student can pick up loads of tips.
Particularly useful is the section on Working on Script – a critical part of the process, where the director learns the nuances of the piece – and early parts of the rehearsal process. In addition, Murray has a chapter each devoted to the different elements identified in the book’s
sub-title.
There are some fascinating insights to working with actors – I noted with amusement that the world of am-dram also has its fair quota of prima donnas. It was interesting to see how the professional director deals with difficult ‘names’ – which were not named here, sadly!.
If you are thinking of directing for the first time, or wish to guide a student to possibly a more satisfying career than ‘being famous’, hand them this book. It will restore flagging enthusiasm and be a handy guide.
