Twenty Theatres to See Before You Die by Amber Massie-Blomfield

Twenty Theatres to See Before You Die by Amber Massie-Blomfield

Shortlisted for the 2018 Theatre Book Prize From the tip of Cornwall to the Isle of Mull, through rural communities and the inner-city, Amber Massie-Blomfield takes the road less travelled to discover Britain's most astonishing and unexpected theatres. A ruined playhouse, haunted halls, a stage hewn from granite cliffs. Theatres on wheels, squeezed into a former public lavatory and rescued from fire. A theatre that is not there at all. Making the case for radical, quirky and non-conforming performance spaces alongside iconic venues, this book is a celebration of thriving against the odds. It also tells a personal account of a life-long love affair with the places where 'anything is possible': from open-air fry-ups and an impromptu can-can to paranormal manifestations. An adventure through theatre, place and the people who make it happen, Twenty Theatres to See Before You Die gives us reason to be hopeful.

Massie-Blomfield’s gorgeously written, heart-felt book is about the artists and the audiences and what they bring to each space and what they leave behind
Lyn Gardner, The Stage

This is a beautifully written book, informative and considered, offering hope about the arts and what they can achieve – and it’s also a handy travel guide that I’ll consult when planning weekends away or day trips.
Lynn Enright, The Pool

Wide-ranging, open-minded ... Massie-Blomfield conducts a sustained and deep inquiry into what theatre is and what it does, how it is affected by place, and how it can profoundly change individuals and communities.
Holly Williams, TLS

Twenty Theatres To See Before You Die doesn’t read like a dry, academic tome. Like theatre itself, it’s personable, has something to say, and as much a critique of the past as a gauge of what is yet to come.
★★★★ Michael Davis, Breaking the Fourth Wall

With a friendly and warm tone that mixes storytelling with analytical style, Amber Massie-Blomfield concisely examines theatre’s value to the wider community, whether it is its history, architecture or inclusivity that has made an impact.
★★★★ Phoebe Cole, The Spy in the Stalls

Passionate and insightful ... an important work for our times.
Benjamin Yeoh, Then Do Better

The communities, the gathering of strangers and the idea that anything is possible warms the heart. [...] This book is not a bucket list of theatres to check out, [but] a charming collection of stories featuring people, memories and communities.
Caroline King, Contrary Life

A fascinating read for anyone with an interest in the history of theatre.
Emma Clarendon, Love London Love Culture

I loved Twenty Theatres to See Before You Die more than I can say. It’s a beautiful, beautifully written book, that deserves to win prizes.
David Eldridge, playwright

Media coverage

The most spectacular theatres to visit in the UK.
Amber Massie-Blomfield writing in The i

The book that shows theatre can be a thing of beauty.
Jessie Thompson, Evening Standard

One of the best things about a theatre is how it provides a readymade community - you just turn up, and there they all are. It's a wonderful salve for loneliness.
Amber Massie-Blomfield interviewed for Run-Riot

Hidden gems open up theatre to a wider range of audiences.
Amber Massie-Blomfield writing in The Stage

Theatres are places where we learn to be compassionate and to celebrate difference.
Amber Massie-Blomfield writing in UK Theatre

Amber Massie-Blomfield interviewed by Jo Good on BBC London Radio

Amber Massie-Blomfield is a theatre producer and a non-fiction writer. Her work has been commissioned and published by Penned in the Margins, Standart, Unbound, Annexe Magazine, The Wrong Quarterly, The Independent, The Guardian, Exeunt and New Internationalist. As a playwright she has had work staged at The Tricycle, ICA, Theatre Royal Bath, and internationally. She is a columnist for The Stage. She received the 2016 Society of Authors’ Michael Meyer Award. She is Executive Director of Camden People’s Theatre, and a fellow of Birkbeck, University of London. Twenty Theatres to See Before You Die is her first book.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781908058454
ISBN 10	1908058455
Title	Twenty Theatres to See Before You Die
Author	Amber Massie-Blomfield
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Penned in the Margins
Year published	2018-05-25
Number of pages	350
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.