Books by Max Stafford-Clark

Max Stafford-Clark, former artistic director of the Royal Court Theatre and founder of the award-winning company Out Of Joint, touches on the highs and lows of a fascinating fifty-four-year career in a series of letters, both professional and personal.

A truthful, personal and insightful exploration of the state of arts funding and carrying on in the face of adversity, by the renowned founder of Out of Joint. One March morning, out of the blue, Max Stafford-Clark learned that the Arts Council had drastically cut their grant to his theatre company, Out of Joint, leaving it in danger of imminent collapse. Journal of the Plague Year is his account of what happened next, as he sets out to contest the cut, make the case for public funding of the arts, and continue producing the work for which he and his company are renowned. Max's journal often takes on an autobiographical flavour, including the unexpectedly moving story of his two fathers, his surreal encounter with the New York theatre world, and the shocking details of what it is to suffer a massively debilitating stroke. By turns funny, alarming and deeply personal, Journal of the Plague Year offers a fascinating expose of the often Kafkaesque workings of arts subsidy in England, and the financial and artistic manoeuvrings which are a fact of life for every arts organisation today. It is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the state of our arts, from students to theatregoers, and from struggling arts workers right up to the Secretary of State for Culture. 'Fascinating... reads like an unpublished work by Franz Kafka... both horrifying and startling' British Theatre Guide

A study guide on Timberlake Wertenbaker's modern classic play Our Country's Good. In the Page to Stage series of authoritative introductions to classic texts by theatre professionals. Ideal for A-Level students and their teachers, as well as actors, directors and theatregoers encountering the play.

Drawing on diaries, photos, and interviews, this book recreates the evolution of nine of Max Stafford-Clark's famous and influential productions, three from each of his three main companies. It not only assesses Stafford-Clark's own role as director, but also the roles of actors and writers in this essentially collaborative creative process.