or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
17 used & new from £10.61
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Backwards and Forwards: a Technical Manual for Reading Plays
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

Backwards and Forwards: a Technical Manual for Reading Plays (Paperback)

by David Ball (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
RRP: £16.50
Price: £13.72 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £2.78 (17%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, November 10? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
10 new from £10.61 7 used from £10.66

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with The Art of Dramatic Writing: Its Basis in the Creative Interpretation of Human Motives by Lajos Egri

Backwards and Forwards: a Technical Manual for Reading Plays + The Art of Dramatic Writing: Its Basis in the Creative Interpretation of Human Motives
Price For Both: £19.09

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Art of Dramatic Writing: Its Basis in the Creative Interpretation of Human Motives

The Art of Dramatic Writing: Its Basis in the Creative Interpretation of Human Motives

by Lajos Egri
4.1 out of 5 stars (8)  £5.37
Three Uses of the Knife (Diaries, Letters and Essays): On the Nature and Purpose of Drama

Three Uses of the Knife (Diaries, Letters and Essays): On the Nature and Purpose of Drama

by David Mamet
5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £8.30
Stage Writing: A Practical Guide

Stage Writing: A Practical Guide

by Val Taylor
4.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £7.49
Woyzeck (Drama Classics)

Woyzeck (Drama Classics)

by Georg Buchner
4.8 out of 5 stars (4)  £2.88
Alternative Scriptwriting: Successfully Breaking the Rules

Alternative Scriptwriting: Successfully Breaking the Rules

by Ken Dancyger
3.9 out of 5 stars (7)  £15.06
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 104 pages
  • Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press; 2nd edition (31 Dec 1998)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0809311100
  • ISBN-13: 978-0809311101
  • Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 13.5 x 1 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 580,930 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #28 in  Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences > Linguistics > Semantics > Discourse Analysis
    #95 in  Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Performing Arts > Stagecraft > Playwriting
    #95 in  Books > Reference > Writing > Play & Scriptwriting

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)
   Technical Manual For opens new browser window
www.Fixya.com/Technical+Manual+For  -  Free Repair Manuals and Support. Find Manuals for any Product 
  
 

Product Description

Synopsis

Explains how plays are structured, looks at theatrical exposition, theme, and images, and shows how to analyze a play and understand its production.

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
 
script analysis
playwriting
directing
structure
plays
theatre
text analysis
scriptwriting
reading plays
best writing books
american drama

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An eye-opener for writers, readers, and play- & movie-goers, 25 Dec 1998
By A Customer
A friend who teachs drama and directing at a local college recommended this book to me after he'd read a script I'd written. Not only is it a fast and interesting read, it offers simple and sometimes brilliant techniques for understanding and evaluating plays, movies, and even books. Even if you never plan to act or write, this well-written little book will enhance your appreciation of good story-telling. And if you ever had to endure discussions of "Hamlet" in high-school or college, you'll likely be surprised by Ball's unique take on the character as an example of dramatic writing.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
5.0 out of 5 stars A great book for analysing plays, 21 Feb 2005
By A Customer
Perhaps one of the strongest play-analysis manuals of our time. David Ball really knows the art of analysing a play and through clear and easy examples, creates a manual that can be read and understood by all ages, from ones twelveth years of age up to its hundreth can read and discuver the mysteries that lie in the art of play analysis. I would strongly recommend that book for all practicians and everyday people since it is a good book for one to spend his or her time with but then again to be tought from it. (No restraining thoughts, just by it)
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
5.0 out of 5 stars For screenwriters too..., 26 Aug 2007
By Plug "cfoinfo" (Shaftesbury, UK) - See all my reviews
As someone who's done a masters in screenwriting and now in the middle of a PhD, I've read many of the screenwriting manuals out there and this is one of the best. It's a quick but pithy read. Much of what is recommended in this book (in 1983) is simply repeated by many others over the following two decades, but they do it less succinctly. Although targeted at playwrights, most of the content is equally applicable to screenwriting. The basic premise of the book, to work backwards rather than forwards through your script when rethinking/rewriting it, seems simple but is very powerful advice. No apprentice screenwriter sholud be without this in their library.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject























i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Ad

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.