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A fascinating tale, The National Theatre Story is an absolute must for all theatre aficionados.

About the Author

Daniel Rosenthal was born in London in 1971. He has written on theatre and film for The Times, Independent and Observer, and his previous books include 100 Shakespeare Films (2007) and Student Editions of David Mamet's Oleanna and Patrick Marber's Closer. He has chaired 30 National Theatre Platforms and is Associate Producer of the BBC 4 Arena documentaries on the NT. He lectures on drama, film and journalism for the International Programmes department at Pembroke College, University of Cambridge, UK.

Reviews

'The story of the National Theatre is as packed with drama as anything it has staged - Covering 50 years during which the National has staged 800 or so shows, it can't help but prompt vivid memories in theatre-going reader.' Sunday Times 'This weighty tome is the definitive history, synthesising many of the previous works, incorporating extensive new interview material with privileged access to directors' files, administrative records, board papers and the restricted holdings in the NT archive... It's all here, summarised better than anywhere else - this is a story with guts, great actors, laughter, disaster, and other properties that most books don't possess - . It's the story of a campaign, a process, a fulfilment; of a triumph of the national character despite itself, of a celebration and a realisation of what we, as a nation, simply do better, probably thanks to Shakespeare, than anyone else: the theatre.' Michael Coveney, Independent 'The writing style is objective but lively. Over the years, there's a sense of the courtly manoeuvring of kingmakers and pretenders to the throne. As for the kings themselves, it's fascinating watching each artistic director's trajectory, which Rosenthal elegantly twists into the institution's bigger history...This is a book to dip in and out of, take it at a leisurely pace, and it will keep surprising and informing you for years to come.' The Stage 'Rosenthal gives a vivid and objective account of what goes on behind the scenes - This invaluable and monumental history, essential reading for anybody seriously interested in theatre history, is based not only on interviews with key figures, but also (and this is a real bonus) on the restricted holdings of the NT archives, admin records, Director's files and Board papers. It will be a major contender for the prize of best theatre book of the year.' Mature Times '[A] mighty tome... Rosenthal documents with precision and style' Herald Scotland