Rough Magic: Making Theatre at the Royal Shakespeare Company

As a long-time aficionado of the Royal Shakespeare Company, it was with great pleasure that I discovered Steven Adler's book about the greatest theatre in the English-speaking world. This book provides a treasure-trove of insights into the company, and he seems to have conducted an unbelievable amount of research. Interviews with actors, directors, designers, and a ton of behind-the-scenes folks make this book even richer, as they depict myriad personal perspectives of how the RSC works. I've seen many shows at the RSC over the years and I found this book an indispensable aid to understanding this important theatre company. It will not only make going to the theatre there in the future a richer experience, but has vastly increased my understanding about theatre production in general. I noticed that the author is a professor. Well, the pleasure is that he avoids the use of academic jargon. It's written in a completely accessible style and crammed with wonderful details about how theatre is made at the RSC. A perfect holiday gift for anyone who loves theatre and loves British theatre especially. It's amazingly readable and you literally feel yourself transported into the backstage and behind the scenes life of this theatre.