Oberon Books
Encyclopedia
Oberon Books is an independent publisher which specialises in drama
and the performing arts
. Whilst the majority of Oberon's catalogue is made up of play texts
, in recent years it has begun to publish theatrical biographies as well as books on ballet
, opera
, illustration
, photography
and cinema
.
Oberon is one of the most prolific publishers of drama in the UK, with over 800 titles in its back catalogue and approximately 80 new books going into production each year. In 2009/10 plays were published alongside productions at the Royal Court
, the National Theatre
, RSC
, Trafalgar Studios
, West Yorkshire Playhouse
, Belgrade Theatre
, National Theatre Wales, Tricycle Theatre
, Donmar Warehouse
, Soho Theatre
, the West End
and Broadway
.
For nearly a decade Oberon Books has sponsored the annual Illustration Prize at the Royal College of Art
, now known as the Oberon Books Award. Oberon also administers the inaugural Sheridan Morley
Prize for best theatre biography.
Red
was the winner of six Tony Awards in 2010
, including Best Play and Best Direction (Michael Grandage
). Red
was also the winner of the 2010 Drama Desk Award
for Outstanding Play
. The following Oberon plays were also nominated for Olivier Awards in 2010:
A number of Oberon playwrights have been nominated for the 2010 Evening Standard Awards:
Nominees for the 2010 TMA Theatre Awards
include:
Oberon's previous award winners include:
, previously thought to be lost, were discovered in the British Library
's archives. Both plays predated Look Back in Anger
and were published together for the first time by Oberon Books, as Before Anger.
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
and the performing arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
. Whilst the majority of Oberon's catalogue is made up of play texts
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
, in recent years it has begun to publish theatrical biographies as well as books on ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
, opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, illustration
Illustration
An illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...
, photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
and cinema
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
.
Oberon is one of the most prolific publishers of drama in the UK, with over 800 titles in its back catalogue and approximately 80 new books going into production each year. In 2009/10 plays were published alongside productions at the Royal Court
Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
, the National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
, RSC
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
, Trafalgar Studios
Trafalgar Studios
Trafalgar Studios, formerly The Whitehall Theatre until 2004, is a West End theatre in Whitehall, near Trafalgar Square, in the City of Westminster, London....
, West Yorkshire Playhouse
West Yorkshire Playhouse
The West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds, England is a theatre which opened in March 1990 as part of the regeneration of the Quarry Hill area of the city...
, Belgrade Theatre
Belgrade Theatre
The Belgrade Theatre is a live performance venue seating 858 and situated in Coventry, England. It was the first civic theatre to be built after the Second World War in Britain and as such was more than a place of entertainment...
, National Theatre Wales, Tricycle Theatre
Tricycle Theatre
The Tricycle Theatre is located on Kilburn High Road in Kilburn in the London Borough of Brent, England. During the last 30 years, the Tricycle has been presenting plays reflecting the cultural diversity of its community; in particular Black, Irish, Jewish, Asian and South African works, as well as...
, Donmar Warehouse
Donmar Warehouse
Donmar Warehouse is a small not-for-profit theatre in the Covent Garden area of London, with a capacity of 251.-About:Under the artistic leadership of Michael Grandage, the theatre has presented some of London’s most memorable award-winning theatrical experiences, as well as garnered critical...
, Soho Theatre
Soho Theatre
Soho Theatre is a theatre in the eponymous Soho district of the City of Westminster. It presents new works of theatre, together with comedy and cabaret....
, the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
and Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
.
For nearly a decade Oberon Books has sponsored the annual Illustration Prize at the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
, now known as the Oberon Books Award. Oberon also administers the inaugural Sheridan Morley
Sheridan Morley
Sheridan Morley was an English author, biographer, critic, director, actor and broadcaster. He was the eldest son of actor Robert Morley and grandson of actress Dame Gladys Cooper, and wrote biographies of both...
Prize for best theatre biography.
Notable contemporary authors
|
Nell Leyshon Nell Leyshon is a British dramatist and novelist.She was born in Glastonbury, England, and lives in the county of Dorset. She attended the University of Southampton, gaining a first in English Literature.Leyshon writes regularly for Radio 4 and 3... Richard Norton-Taylor Richard Norton-Taylor is a British editor, journalist and playwright.He is a security-affairs editor of the British newspaper The Guardian.-Early life and education:... Anya Reiss Anya Reiss is an award-winning British playwright who has also voiced ambitions to become an actress. She is the youngest playwright ever to have had a play staged in London.... Will Eno Will Eno is an American playwright based in Brooklyn, New York.His plays include Tragedy: a tragedy, The Flu Season, King: a problem play, Thom Pain , Middletown, Oh, the Humanity and other good intentions and an adaptation of Ibsen's Peer Gynt titled Gnit... Oladipo Agboluaje Oladipo Agboluaje is a British playwright. He was born in Hackney and educated in Britain and Nigeria, studying theatre arts at the University of Benin... Douglas Maxwell Douglas Maxwell is an award-winning Scottish playwright, whose work has been performed throughout Scotland, the UK and abroad.... Robert David MacDonald Robert David MacDonald , was a Scottish playwright, translator and theatre director.-Work as a Theatre Director:... Christopher Fry Christopher Fry was an English playwright. He is best known for his verse dramas, notably The Lady's Not for Burning, which made him a major force in theatre in the 1940s and 1950s.-Early life:... Mustapha Matura Mustapha Matura is a Trinidadian playwright living in London.In 1971 his play As Time Goes By was first performed at the Traverse Theatre Club in Edinburgh and the Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre, with a cast of noted Caribbean actors including Stefan Kalipha, Alfred Fagon, Mona... Julia Pascal Julia Pascal is a British atheist Jewish playwright and theatre director.Her stage plays include Theresa, based on the true story of a Jewish woman on Guernsey during the German occupation in the Second World War. This is the first in The Holocaust Trilogy... |
Theatre group partners
Oberon also publishes plays from the following theatre companies:- Kneehigh TheatreKneehigh TheatreKneehigh Theatre is an international theatre company based in Cornwall, England.Kneehigh was started in 1980 by Mike Shepherd. Early productions were performed in village halls, marquees, cliff-tops and quarries...
- CompliciteCompliciteThe British theatre company Complicite was founded in 1983 by Simon McBurney, Annabel Arden, and Marcello Magni. Its original name was Théâtre de Complicité. "The Company's inimitable style of visual and devised theatre [has] an emphasis on strong, corporeal, poetic and surrealist image supporting...
- OperaUpCloseOperaUpCloseOperaUpClose is a resident opera company at the Kings Head Theatre London OperaUpClose is a resident opera company at the Kings Head Theatre London OperaUpClose is a resident opera company at the Kings Head Theatre London (also called "London's little opera house". It started at The Cock Tavern...
- Out of Joint
- The Red Room Theatre CompanyThe Red Room Theatre CompanyThe Red Room Theatre Company is one of the most high profile London theatre companies.It was founded in 1995 by as a voluntary organisation, and became regularly funded by Arts Council England in 2002 and then achieved charitable status in 2006...
Critical acclaim and awards
John Logan'sJohn Logan
-Politicians and judges:* John Alexander Logan , Australian judge* John Logan , Australian judge of the Federal Court of Australia* John William Logan , civil engineering contractor and British Member of Parliament...
Red
Red (play)
Red is a play by American writer John Logan about artist Mark Rothko first produced by the Donmar Warehouse, London in December 2009. The original production was directed by Michael Grandage and performed by Alfred Molina as Rothko and Eddie Redmayne as his assistant Ken.The production, with its...
was the winner of six Tony Awards in 2010
64th Tony Awards
The 64th Annual Tony Awards took place on Sunday, June 13, 2010, held again at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The host was Sean Hayes. These awards recognize Broadway productions during the 2009–2010 season. The cut off-date for Tony eligibility was April 29, 2010, and the nominations...
, including Best Play and Best Direction (Michael Grandage
Michael Grandage
Michael Grandage CBE is a British theatre director and producer, and current Artistic Director at the Donmar Warehouse, London. Grandage won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for Red.-Early years:...
). Red
Red (play)
Red is a play by American writer John Logan about artist Mark Rothko first produced by the Donmar Warehouse, London in December 2009. The original production was directed by Michael Grandage and performed by Alfred Molina as Rothko and Eddie Redmayne as his assistant Ken.The production, with its...
was also the winner of the 2010 Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
for Outstanding Play
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play
This is a list of winners of the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play initially introduced in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award for Outstanding Achievement in Theatre.-1950s:Vernon Rice Award for Best Production...
. The following Oberon plays were also nominated for Olivier Awards in 2010:
- Ìyà Ilé (The First Wife) by Oladipo AgboluajeOladipo AgboluajeOladipo Agboluaje is a British playwright. He was born in Hackney and educated in Britain and Nigeria, studying theatre arts at the University of Benin...
nominated for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre - Afghanistan: The Great Game by various authors, nominated for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre
- England People Very NiceEngland People Very NiceEngland People Very Nice is a play by Richard Bean. It opened at the National Theatre in February 2009. The play, directed by Nicholas Hytner, is about four waves of immigrants - French Huguenot, Irish, Jewish and Bangladeshi - that have arrived in the district of Bethnal Green, East London, over...
by Richard BeanRichard BeanRichard Bean, born in East Hull in 1956, is an English playwright.-Early years:Bean studied Social Psychology at Loughborough University of Science and Technology and graduated with a 2-1 BSc Hons, and went on to become an occupational psychologist, having previously worked in a bread plant for a...
, nominated for Best New Comedy - Our Class by Tadeusz Slobodzianek, nominated for Best Director for Bijan SheibaniBijan SheibaniBijan Sheibani is a British-Iranian theatre director. He is Artistic Director of ATC Theatre.His production of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s The Brothers Size was greeted with universal acclaim and was variously described by UK critics as “Psychologically subtle and emotionally powerful“ , “faultless” ...
A number of Oberon playwrights have been nominated for the 2010 Evening Standard Awards:
- Richard BeanRichard BeanRichard Bean, born in East Hull in 1956, is an English playwright.-Early years:Bean studied Social Psychology at Loughborough University of Science and Technology and graduated with a 2-1 BSc Hons, and went on to become an occupational psychologist, having previously worked in a bread plant for a...
's "The Big Fellah" for Best New Play. - Laura WadeLaura WadeLaura Wade is a British playwright. Wade grew up in Sheffield, where her father worked for a computer company....
's "PoshPosh (play)Posh is a play by the British playwright Laura Wade which was first staged at the Royal Court Theatre downstairs in 2010. The play set in an Oxford student dining club called "The Riot Club" a fictionalised version of the Bullingdon Club...
" for Best New Play. - Anya ReissAnya ReissAnya Reiss is an award-winning British playwright who has also voiced ambitions to become an actress. She is the youngest playwright ever to have had a play staged in London....
and Atiha Sen Gupta, both nominated for the Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright
Nominees for the 2010 TMA Theatre Awards
TMA Awards
The TMA Awards, established in 1991, are presented annually by the Theatrical Management Association in recognition of creative excellence and outstanding work in United Kingdom theatres...
include:
- "Mrs Reynolds and the Ruffian" by Gary OwenGary Owen (playwright)Gary Owen is a Welsh playwright and winner of the Arts Council England 2003 Meyer-Whitworth Award for new writing for the theatre....
for Best New Play. - "Spur of the MomentSpur of the Moment (play)Spur of the Moment is the debut play from Anya Reiss who wrote it at age 17. It premiered at the Royal Court Theatre London in 2010 and was directed by Jeremy Herrin.-Plot:...
" by Anya ReissAnya ReissAnya Reiss is an award-winning British playwright who has also voiced ambitions to become an actress. She is the youngest playwright ever to have had a play staged in London....
for Best New Play. - "KurskKursk (play)Kursk is a play produced by the theatre company Sound and Fury, written by the British playwright Bryony Lavery, and directed by Mark Espiner and Dan Jones...
" by Bryony LaveryBryony LaveryBryony Lavery is a British dramatist, known for her successful and award-winning 1998 play Frozen. In addition to her work in theatre, she has also written for television and radio...
for Best Touring Production.
Oberon's previous award winners include:
- A Disappearing NumberA Disappearing NumberA Disappearing Number is a 2007 play co-written and devised by the Théâtre de Complicité company and directed and conceived by English playwright Simon McBurney. It was inspired by the collaboration during the 1910s between two of the most remarkable pure mathematicians of the twentieth century,...
by Simon McBurneySimon McBurneySimon Montagu McBurney, OBE is an English actor, writer and director. He is the founder and artistic director of Théâtre de Complicité in England, now called Complicite.-Early life:...
and CompliciteCompliciteThe British theatre company Complicite was founded in 1983 by Simon McBurney, Annabel Arden, and Marcello Magni. Its original name was Théâtre de Complicité. "The Company's inimitable style of visual and devised theatre [has] an emphasis on strong, corporeal, poetic and surrealist image supporting...
, winner of the both the Evening Standard Award and the Olivier Award for Best New Play in 2008 - Bloody Sunday: Scenes from the Saville InquiryBloody Sunday: Scenes from the Saville InquiryBloody Sunday: Scenes from the Saville Inquiry is a 2005 dramatisation by English journalist Richard Norton-Taylor of four years of evidence of the Saville Inquiry, distilled into two hours of stage performance by Tricycle Theatre in London....
by Richard Norton-TaylorRichard Norton-TaylorRichard Norton-Taylor is a British editor, journalist and playwright.He is a security-affairs editor of the British newspaper The Guardian.-Early life and education:...
, winner of the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre in 2006 - Nell LeyshonNell LeyshonNell Leyshon is a British dramatist and novelist.She was born in Glastonbury, England, and lives in the county of Dorset. She attended the University of Southampton, gaining a first in English Literature.Leyshon writes regularly for Radio 4 and 3...
, winner of the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright for Comfort Me With Apples in 2005
John Osborne discovery
In September 2008 two early playscripts by John OsborneJohn Osborne
John James Osborne was an English playwright, screenwriter, actor and critic of the Establishment. The success of his 1956 play Look Back in Anger transformed English theatre....
, previously thought to be lost, were discovered in the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
's archives. Both plays predated Look Back in Anger
Look Back in Anger
Look Back in Anger is a John Osborne play—made into films in 1959, 1980, and 1989 -- about a love triangle involving an intelligent but disaffected young man , his upper-middle-class, impassive wife , and her haughty best friend . Cliff, an amiable Welsh lodger, attempts to keep the peace...
and were published together for the first time by Oberon Books, as Before Anger.