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Daniel Rosenthal’s The National Theatre Story (Oberon Books) has won the 2013 Theatre Book Prize.
The National Theatre Story chronicles the political, architectural and artistic history of the theatre from its nineteenth-century origins through to the present day. It took Rosenthal 10 years to write, during which time he interviewed over one hundred actors, directors, playwrights and producers and had access to the National’s archives, and is almost 1,000 pages long.
Rosenthal beat off competition from almost 50 books. The other shortlisted contenders were: Michael Blakemore’s Stage Blood (Faber & Faber Plays), The Other National Theatre: 350 Years of Shows in Drury Lane by Robert Whelan (Jacob Tonson), Speaking the Speech by Giles Block (Nick Hern Books) and Wooden Os: Shakespeare’s Theatres and England’s Trees by Vin Nardizzi (University of Toronto Press). The prize was judged by Times’ theatre critic and author Kate Bassett, theatre director Charlotte Westenra, and Andy Lavender, professor of Theatre & Performance at the University of Surrey.
Speaking on behalf of the judging panel, Bassett said: “This is an extremely impressive history of the flagship institution. Rosenthal has digested all his research terrifically intelligently but what's really astonishing is how easy a read it is.”
Rosenthal, who was presented with the award by actress Maureen Lipman at a ceremony at the London Palladium, commented on his win: “I’m absolutely thrilled… I set out to do justice to the story of the National because I was so amazed by it, and at the same time felt that a lot of its story had yet to be told. The STR prize feels like a strong endorsement of what I set out to do.”
Rosenthal is also the author of Shakespeare on Screen (Hamlyn) and 100 Shakespeare Films (BFI Publishing). He has worked as an arts journalist and was editor of the International Film Guide, as well teaching in film and theatre. He was an associate producer of the two-part Arena documentary "The National Theatre", broadcast on BBC Four in October, and presented "The National Theatre" at Fifty for Radio 4 Extra.
Previous recipients of the Theatre Book Prize have included Peter Brook, Richard Eyre, Nicholas de Jongh and current Guardian theatre critic Michael Billington.