National Theatre: All About Theatre gives readers an insight into the roles required to make a play. There are various vibrant production images, bold headlines and text boxes dotted throughout. However, there is so much colour and information on one page it is overwhelming; you can miss information and be tempted to skim read.
The overload of information aside, you may be inclined to recommend the book to Key Stage 3 or 4 pupils due to the drum revolve or set fit-up descriptions and the one sentence explanation of iambic pentameter – but those pupils would not need an explanation of comedy or what make up remover does. Surely if we are teaching how to create a knap during a stage fight those pupils will know what a script is without an explanation?
There is a place for the book in drama departments. Those already interested in drama will find elements insightful and engaging. But my concern is that, presented with excessive information, a reader will flick past verbatim and immersive theatre because they know a ‘character is the person speaking’ and that ‘tragedies end sadly’, losing the reader through the dumbing down of information. For a book to challenge and engage young people it needs to keep its momentum throughout. Why not create a book for Key Stage 1 and 2 students which includes the explanation of scripts, scenes and characters? Through the attempt to engage everyone they will reach few.