The Society for Theatre Research: Theatre Book Prize 2012

Lena Ashwell, British actress, manager (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Press Release 11-04-13

The Society for Theatre Research and the judges are pleased to announce the following short list for the Theatre Book Prize for books published in 2012:

Mr Foote’s Other Leg by Ian Kelly  (Picador)

In Two Minds: A Biography of Jonathan Miller by Kate Bassett  (Oberon Books)

My Old Man: A Personal History of Music Hall by John Major  (Harper Press)

The Oxford Handbook of Tudor Drama edited by Thomas Betteridge and Greg Walker (Oxford University Press)

Lena Ashwell: Actress, patriot, pioneer by Margaret Leask (Hertford University Press/ STR)

The winner of the Theatre Book Prize will be announced on Thursday 2nd May at a reception in the Val Parnell Suite at the London Palladium when the judges will speak about the books

Judges actress Penelope Keith CBE, DL, Professor Gavin Henderson CBE (Royal Central School of Speech and Drama) and Evening Standard theatre critic Henry Hitchings will speak on the year’s books 

The STR thanks The Really Useful Theatres Group and Dewynters for their support. 

 ABOUT THE JUDGES

 Representing the theatrical profession

Penelope Keith, CBE, DL one of the country’s favourite actresses from her days in rep and with the Royal Shakespeare Company to West End and television stardom, in shows such as The Good Life and To the Manor Born.

Representing academia

Prof Gavin Henderson, CBE, Principal of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, whose distinguished career in the arts and academia began backstage on Brighton’s Palace Pier.

Representing theatre critics

Henry Hitchings, theatre critic of the London Evening Standard since 2009 and as well-known for his books as his journalism and theatre reviews.

The panel is chaired by Howard Loxton for the Society for Theatre Research.

ABOUT THE THEATRE BOOK PRIZE

The Theatre Book Prize is an annual award first presented in 1998 to mark the Jubilee of the Society for Theatre Research. It was created to encourage the writing and publication of books on British, or British-related theatre history and practice, both those which present the theatre of the past and those which record contemporary theatre for the future. All new works of original research first published in English on British or British-related theatre are eligible except for play texts and studies of drama as literature. The winner is chosen by an independent panel of judges which changes every year.

• Theatre Book Prize