Andrea Montgomery

A great read for directors, and the chapter on status is, I think, hugely relevant for everyday life, so I tend to refer to it a lot when training. The description of body language is very accurate and a real eye-opener to what is happening around us at work, in the bank, at the bus stop. Read for DRA304M2.

A great practical book on negotiation.  As a trainer I recommend it as fun background reading for taking the fear out of negotiation.  Also great for boosting the confidence of people in the arts who have to learn negotiation skills - it helped me when I suddenly had to sell my first tour.

A godsend of a book for managing difficult people and situations in rehearsal as a director or as a trainer.  IGNORE the fact that this looks like a self-help book if you're not into those.  And gentlemen, it definitely isn't just for women.  Lerner's description of "change back" behaviour is one of the most helpful I've read across the board and has applications in business change as well as relationships.  If your I.Q. is in good shape, polish your E.Q. with this book.

This book is a very interesting read for women in business, especially women operating in a traditionally male business environment, so I tend to think of it as a trainer's book.  I think it is a must for women who work in business in the unique environment that is Northern Ireland.  However, it can also give insight into rehearsal dynamics.

Many would say that THE TIPPING POINT, the book that brought Gladwell to most everyone's attention, is the better of his two books, but the information in BLINK on: voluntary and involuntary facial expressions; key aspects of behaviour in determining the success or failure of marriages; which doctor gets sued; has interesting juicey applications for people interested in human interaction.  I certainly count both directors and trainers in that category.  Some interesting stuff on "temporary autism" and how rehearsal helps.  An easy, accessible and satisfying read that prompts lots of questions.

Basically this is Harriet (see The Dance of Anger above) for kids.  And a number of you have been approaching me on trainings recently and asking how to apply the skills we are looking at in a parenting context, so I wanted you to have a good book here on the list to refer to.  I hope this does the trick.  Please email me with your views.

A great book for playwrights and for directors who work with them.  Quoted in the workshop Selling Your Grandma: Making the Personal Public on Stage.

An oldie but a goodie.  Packed with nerve-steadying tips on preparing your monologue, and generally what to do in audition.  I recommend it in my Audition Workshop.

A wonderful book for anyone seeking to improve their voice, or their confidence about speaking in meetings, in public, on-stage...anywhere really.

And now for one of those books that inspires me as a writer.  The chapter on the Greenland Norse is fascinating...

We listened to Ronald Wright give the Massey lectures on which this book was built while travelling across British Columbia this summer - I couldn't recommend a funnier, warmer, more lucid description of the issues of global development.   Also makes me want to write.

Well, my edition is called "The Director's Craft: A Handbook for the Theatre", but this appears to be the same book.  I bought mine at the National Theatre bookshop in London. This is a wonderful, wise, down-to-earth guide to directing.  Mitchell targets the younger or less experienced director, but even if you are more experienced, it is a wonderful refresher and a chance to have a "conversation" with a very talented director.