Theatre Shop
Actors—Let's Talk Shop. By Barbara Burnham. (Allen and Unwin. 5s.)
To talk shop about acting in the theatre with Miss Barbara Burnham is to be quite serious on the subject, but not too heavy ; the little volume itself is light in the hand, but at the same time we are spared funny stories, gossip and intimate personal details of the author's friends. Miss Burnham takes us behind the counter of the actor's shop and shows us some of the tricks of the trade or, to speak with more reverence, the anatomy of the art of the theatre. Briefly and brightly, with enthusiasm and with charm, she holds up such subjects as Technique, Temperament, The Author, The Audience, Style and Character.
These are quite big subjects to tackle, and here is the most up-to- date assay at them. Straight away Miss Burnham says that this is not a text-book on acting ; it is a book of talk for theatre-lovers. Acting has always eluded the text-book, but this does not seem to matter. There are actors and actresses with private theories about acting poles apart from each other, yet these stars are known to sing in harmony upon the stage together. So there is no need to quarrel with the opinions expressed on these tricky subjects ; what is so interesting is that we are shown what kind of things an actor thinks about.
There are other vocations about which it would be delightful to have books of this kind: "Engine Drivers—Let's Talk Shop." The chapter headings could remain the same ; " Temperament," " Apprentice Years," " Style and Character " would all be most interesting. " The Author " and " The Audience " could be changed to " The Timetable and " The Passenger " ; then we could have " Shop " from the Chief and from the Water Diviner. The treatment is all, and this book of Miss Burnham's gives us a taste for more.
RALPH RICHARDSON.
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