The Society for Theatre Research is delighted to reveal the shortlist for the Theatre Book Prize 2022. Judged by director Jatinder Verma, National Theatre archivist Erin Lee and theatre critic Paul Vale on a panel chaired by STR Committee Member Howard Loxton, the shortlist includes six titles ranging from the history of Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre to the candid account of the early career of actress Eileen Atkins.
The judges read over 50 books submitted by publishers, encompassing studies of the Victorian circus, to biographies of contemporary practitioners. The complete list of entries appears on the Society’s website.
The shortlist is as follows (listed alphabetically by author):
- Eileen Atkins: Will She Do? Act One of a Life on Stage (Virago)
- Stephen Bourne: Deep Are the Roots: Trailblazers Who Changed Black British Theatre (History Press)
- David Bratchpiece and Kirstin Innes: Brickwork: A Biography of the Arches (Salamander Street)
- Colin George and Tedd George: Stirring up Sheffield: An insider’s account of the battle to build the Crucible Theatre (Wordville)
- Dan Hutton: Towards a Civic Theatre (Salamander Street)
- David Storey: A Stinging Delight: A Memoir (Faber)
2022 marks the 24thSTR Theatre Book Prize, which was established in 1998 to celebrate the Society’s Golden Jubilee. The aim of the Book Prize is to encourage the writing and publication of books on British-related theatre history and practice.
Recent winners include Black British Women’s Theatre by Nicola Abram; Year of the Mad King: The King Lear Diaries by Antony Sher; Different Drummer: The Life of Kenneth Macmillan by Jann Parry; Margot Fonteyn by Meredith Daneman and Balancing Acts by Nick Hytner. Previous members of the judging panel include actors Cleo Sylvestre and Corin Redgrave, producer Thelma Holt, actress-director Yvonne Brewster and critics Michael Billington and Daisy Bowie-Sell.
The winner of this year’s prize will be announced on Thursday 9thJune 2022.
To find out more about the Society for Theatre Research, visit here…
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