Recommended Reading

Reading these books will NOT guarantee that you become a great actor or that you will have a great career as an actor. If, however, you are serious about acting, have an interest in how to improve and how to get ahead in both the art and the business of acting then reading these books, along with taking part in acting classes and most importantly in doing as much acting as possible, will certainly help. You may find it useful to experiment with a variety of different techniques of acting. It is not an exact science and there is no ONE way of doing it. You need to find out what suits YOU…

Acting

  • An Actor Prepares / Building a Character OR An Actor’s Work (Konstantin Stanislavski)
  • Creating a Role (Stanislavski)
  • On the Technique of Acting (Michael Chekhov) OR To the Actor (Michael Chekhov)
  • Respect for Acting (Uta Hagen)
  • A Challenge for the Actor (Uta Hagen)
  • Stanislavski and the Actor (Jean Benedetti)
  • Sanford Meisner on Acting (Sanford Meisner)
  • A Dream of Passion: The Development of the Method (Lee Strasberg)
  • True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor (David Mamet)
  • Voice and the Actor (Cicely Berry)
  • The Empty Space (Peter Brook)
  • Voice-Overs: A Practical Guide (Bernard Graham Shaw)
  • Radio Acting (Alan Beck)

The Business of Acting

Like in any other business, there are quite specific ways of doing things. The help and advice contained in these books could just stop you from making silly mistakes and looking unprofessional…

  • Contacts (published yearly by Spotlight)
  • Actors Yearbook (published yearly by A&C Black)
  • An Actor’s Guide to Getting Work (Simon Dunmore)

Audition & Monologue Books

To give yourself ‘the edge’, you should always try to choose audition pieces that are NOT in an audition or monologue book. These books are, however, good for using as exercises or emergencies…

  • The Faber book of Monologues: Men (Jane Edwardes)
  • The Faber book of Monologues: Women (Jane Edwardes)
  • The Methuen Audition Book for Men (Annika Bluhm)
  • The Methuen Audition Book for Women (Annika Bluhm)
  • The Methuen Audition Book for Young Actors (Anne Harvey)
  • Audition Speeches for Men (Jean Marlow)
  • Audition Speeches for Women (Jean Marlow)
  • Audition Speeches for 6 – 16 year olds (Jean Marlow)
  • The Contemporary Monologue: Men (Michael Earley & Philippa Keil)
  • The Contemporary Monologue: Women (Michael Earley & Philippa Keil)
  • The Classical Monologue: Men ((Michael Earley & Philippa Keil)
  • The Classical Monologue: Women ((Michael Earley & Philippa Keil)
  • Classical Audition Speeches for Men (Jean Marlowe)
  • Classical Audition Speeches for Women (Jean Marlowe)
  • Alternative Shakespeare Auditions for Men (Simon Dunmore)
  • Alternative Shakespeare Auditions for Women (Simon Dunmore)
  • More Alternative Shakespeare Auditions for Men (Simon Dunmore)
  • More Alternative Shakespeare Auditions for Women (Simon Dunmore)

Biographies & Autobiographies

Not absolutely essential reading, but you may be interested in how other actors have become successful…

  • Beginning (Kenneth Branagh)
  • Kenneth Branagh (Mark White)
  • Judi Dench: With a crack in her Voice (John Miller)
  • Confessions of an Actor: The Autobiography (Lawrence Olivier)
  • Olivier: The Authorised Biography (Terry Coleman)
  • Rich: The Life of Richard Burton (Melvyn Bragg)
  • Richard Harris: Sex, Death and the Movies (Michael Feeney Callan)
  • What’s It All About? (Michael Caine)
  • Being an Actor (Simon Callow)
  • What’s My Motivation? (Michael Simkins)