Make Your Show a Success: Teach Yourself

Summary:
Is this the right book for me?

Wherever your theatre interests lies, this is an essential book for you. It covers a wide range of key issues, from tips on coping with first night nerves, to a full section on health and safety, to funding and taxation. Illustrated with handy guides to lighting and staging and containing essential resources, this book will enable you to have a successful show.

Make Your Show a Success includes:

Part one: Community theatre: getting involved
Chapter 1: Community theatre
Chapter 2: The actors
Chapter 3: The director
Chapter 4: The stage manager
Chapter 5: The lighting designer/technician
Chapter 6: The sound designer/technician
Chapter 7: The set designer
Chapter 8: Wardrobe
Chapter 9: The props team
Chapter 10: Musical societies
Chapter 11: Festivals

Part two: Community theatre: from registration to rehearsal
Chapter 12: Setting up a new community theatre group
Chapter 13: Budgeting and fundraising
Chapter 14: Getting the boll rolling
Chapter 15: Making the play happen

Part three: Other societies and legal requirements
Chapter 16: Community theatre production companies
Chapter 17: Safety and other legal requirements

Learn effortlessly with a new easy-to-read page design and added features:

Not got much time?
One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started.

Author insights
Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the author's many years of experience.

Test yourself
Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress.

Extend your knowledge
Extra online articles to give you a richer understanding of amateur theatre.

Five things to remember
Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts.

Try this
Innovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.

• Endorsed and promoted by the National Operatic and Amateur Dramatic Association
• Offers material for readers of all backgrounds, covering both the acting side and the production elements
• Illustrated with plates to help with lighting, staging and similar production issues

Table of Contents:
Introduction – providing a background to the subject and outlining the purpose of the guide and who it is aimed at.
Community theatre – providing definitions and statistics. This will provide an examination of what constitutes community theatre: amateur groups; amateur-run theatre buildings; the national and international festivals scene (full-length and one-act); the
Joining a drama group – how to audition; the rehearsal process; performances; who to turn to if you have a problem; how to cope with first night nerves etc. (including personal case studies).
Joining a musical theatre group – an explanation of how this makes different demands: auditions; rehearsals; performances etc. (including personal case studies).
The Production Team – who does what; Health & Safety (for the group and the audience); how to do a risk assessment; the production process (scenery, costume, props, make-up, lighting, sound); front of house.
Setting up a new group – how to go about it and the legal obligations: the committee structure; constitution; getting charitable status; incorporation; personal liability; insurance; contracts; copyright; taxation and VAT; child protection; equal opportun
Engaging professional personnel – eg. directors, musical directors, orchestras: contracts; fees, tax implications.
Scripts – publishers and rightsholders; copyright.
Marketing – how to promote a show to the media; print and publicity, including tips on good presentation.
Fundraising – sources of funds (lottery, local authorities); fundraising toolkit (sponsorship, donations, money-raising ideas).
Jargon-busting – a glossary of commonly used terms, to demystify theatre jargon.
Useful contacts – representative bodies; funding agencies; regional, national and international organizations.
Index

About the Author(s):
Nick Gibbs is a writer and journalist who has produced and directed a number of successful plays and productions for stage and radio.

Readership:
Those interested in all aspects of amateur theatre

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