National Theatre

Chris Campbell (Deputy Literary Manager) on Tony Harrison's Collected Poems

We're alive in a golden age of theatre writers: Pinter, Stoppard, Bennett, Churchill, Frayn et al. In that company, Tony Harrison stands out as our greatest living poet of the stage. If anything, his non-theatre poetry is even more powerful. It's simply thrilling to spend time with these poems. If possible, I'd also like the black polo shirt with the blue NT logo. In a large.

John Langley  (Theatre Manager) on Coda

Some twenty years ago, the Sky Sports channels were not as ubiquitous as they are today, and watching a test match beamed through the night from Australia was an almost magical experience. In those days the Groucho Club in Soho used to allow its members to stay long after lock-up to watch the games. It was a diverse crowd, united by a love of cricket and a certain nocturnal facility. The lunch break - which came around 2am local time - used to thin out the numbers dramatically, and as a result I found myself on one occasion watching the second session of play in the sole company of Simon Gray.

He didn't know me from Adam of course, and, while I recognised him, had never met him before. But, focused on our common pursuit, we passed what was for me an unforgettable two hours. Amiable, wise, and occasionally hilarious, he was great company. It was the only night we spoke, though he reappeared from time to time as the series moved towards its inevitable conclusion. When I discovered his published diaries, I fancied I could recognise some of the tone of his voice from that single encounter, and, in his memory, the book I would want from the NT Bookshop is Coda, the final volume.

Paul Murphy (Book Buyer, NT Bookshop) on State of the Nation

I would choose State of the Nation, Theatre Critic Michael Billington's panoramic of the British theatre since 1945. Weaving together various cultural strands along with key social and political events he presents a vibrant tapestry of the history British Theatre. Through the 1970's while Heath and Callaghan struggle with winters of discontent the National Theatre opens its doors on the South Bank. Writers such as David Hare and Howard Brenton emerge to tackle head on the shifting landscape of Britain, while Tom Stoppard combines moral conundrums and theatrical magic in Jumpers. Billington also charts the gradual shifts, from the abolition of the powers of the Lord Chamberlain and the breaking down of sexual and ethnic boundries and their influence on the generations of writer, actors and directors. Throughout, the author himself appears zelig like. And the joy of the book is his constant enthusiasm for the theatre. Not above admitting when he may have got things wrong, and the consequences (A disgruntled David Storrey once ‘cuffed him around the head' ). The pleasure of a book like State of the Nation is that the reader feels, like in all good stories, that he is being taken on a journey. Theatre's beauty lies partly in its transience, and State of the Nation is both an authoritative record and an evocative scrapbook. Here's to the next sixty years.

Lucinda Morrison (Head of Press) on Humble Beginnings

Of all the fascinating books in ‘The National Theatre at Work' series, this is my favourite.  Robert Butler followed the rehearsals of Charlotte Jones' play Humble Boy in 2001. It had a fantastic cast headed by Simon Russell Beale, Diana Rigg, and the beloved and much missed Dennis Quilley.  I wasn't the publicist for the production, but it came hard on the heels of Simon Russell Beale's Hamlet, which I had worked on; in fact, Humble Boy sort of resulted from Hamlet, because it was written by the wife of the actor who'd played Guildenstern (and the plot carries many deliberate echoes of Hamlet).   Even if you didn't see Humble Boy, this book is a delightfully written and immensely entertaining insight into the intricate and detailed preparation that goes into bringing a new play to the stage. I read it after seeing the production several times and was astonished and rather ashamed at how many details I hadn't truly appreciated. One day I'll plant  a Josephine Bruce rose in my own garden to remind me of it (oh - you'll have to read the book).

Sarah Nicholson (Studio Manager) on The Half 

I have always been interested in what goes on backstage and there's nowhere more intriguing than the actors' dressing rooms. They fundamentally have to be the safest place; where an actor knows they are protected from the outside world, particularly in those sacred thirty minutes.

The public rarely sees actors as themselves so it's wonderful that Simon Annand has captured the private reflection and extraordinary vulnerability of so many leading actors.

Having had a quick flick through, I am certainly going to add this to my Christmas wish list.

Sarah Mowat (Platforms) on A Strange Eventful History: The Dramatic Lives of Ellen Terry, Henry Irving and their Remarkable Families by Michael Holroyd

The title is the first thing that grabs you - the words ‘strange' and ‘eventful' seem to suggest something quite intriguing and exciting; the cover looks like a starry night on a stage backdrop designed by Ellen's son Edward Gordon Craig; and then there is the lure of the author's name, Michael Holroyd - you just know it's going to be interesting if it's written by him. Plus I find the Victorian theatre and its actors fascinating; they were so celebrated - fans queuing round the block as they do for modern-day film stars - and they all worked so hard, touring for years in long and heavy classics, often devoting their lives to one company led by a charismatic actor-manager like Irving. Can't wait to read it!

Clare Slater  (Development) on Waves

For Christmas I would love a copy of Waves - the record of Katie Mitchell's multi-media production.  After two years of working at the NT it remains, for me, one of the most beautiful pieces of stage craft I've seen, so when I stumbled across this evocative book of projections from the show I decided to add it to my wish list.

All of the above books are available to order from the National Theatre Bookshop online, in person and by phone 020 7452 3456. To guarantee delivery before Christmas order by 14 December.

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