{"product_id":"questors-jesters-and-renegades-michael-coveney-9781350265752","title":"Questors, Jesters and Renegades: The Story of Britain's Amateur Theatre","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis is the vital story of the amateur theatre as it developed from the medieval guilds to the modern theatre of Ayckbourn and Pinter, with a few mishaps and missed cues along the way. Michael Coveney - a former member of Ilford's Renegades - tells this tale with a charm and wit that will have you shouting out for an encore. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBetween the two world wars, amateur theatre thrived across the UK, from Newcastle to Norwich, from Bolton to Birmingham and Bangor, championed by the likes of George Bernard Shaw, Sybil Thorndike, and J B Priestley. Often born out of a particular political cause or predicament, many of these theatres and companies continue to evolve, survive and even prosper today. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis is the first account of its kind, packed with anecdote and previously unheard stories, and it shows how amateur theatre is more than a popular pastime: it has been endemic to the birth of the National Theatre, as well as a seedbed of talent and a fascinating barometer and product of the times in which we live. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSome of the companies Coveney delves into - all taking centre stage in this entertaining and lively book - include the Questors and Tower Theatre in London; Birmingham's Crescent Theatre; The Little Theatre in Bolton, where Ian McKellen was a schoolboy participant; the Halifax Thespians; Lincolnshire's Broadbent Theatre, co-founded by Jim Broadbent's father and other conscientious objectors at the end of World War II; Crayford's Geoffrey Whitworth Theatre, where the careers of Michael Gambon and Diana Quick were launched; Anglesey's Theatr Fach, a crucible of Welsh language theatre; and Cornwall's stunning cliff-top Minack.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Michael Coveney\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1350265756\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781350265752\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Methuen Drama\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/10\/2022\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 216\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.68lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.21h x 6.14w x 0.46d","brand":"Michael Coveney","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44127858360575,"sku":"9781350265752","price":21.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_1dc3a145-3698-4dfd-83d2-caed9f2f99c4.jpg?v=1687455639","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/questors-jesters-and-renegades-michael-coveney-9781350265752","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}