Wondrous Strange

WONDROUS STRANGE by dramaturg director and long-lime literary manager Chris Mead is a high-wire musing on what makes great plays. For anyone who is into theatre of any kind read on ...From Aristotle's Poetics to Suzan-Lori Parks' 'bad math' to the neurochemistry of storytelling WONDROUS STRANGE takes the reader on a satisfyingly meandering journey through seven 'thoughts' on theatrical storytelling. Combining autobiography practice and theory Chris Mead has written a wondrous book for anyone who has ever grappled with what it means to tell a story on stage one that both comprehensively elucidates the key schools of dramaturgical thought while celebrating their disruption and transformation.'ANCHULI FELICIA KING Mead's wide-ranging deeply researched and erudite book makes it clear that there are no simple formulas to follow if you want to write a great play. It takes talent and great perceptive power but finally the process is so mysteriously complex as to make it 'wondrous strange'.'DAVID WILLIAMSON Chris Mead'theatre-geek extraordinaire'shines a magnifying glass on this wondrous and strange medium of ours with this deep exploration of theatre at a cellular level throughout the ages. More than a brain dump this is a carefully considered and finely crafted love poem to theatre that practitioners and theatre lovers from all walks of life can dive into and swim around in.'ANDREA JAMES Chris Mead promises '- vertigo whiplash forking paths and some thin ice ahead: but there is also insight and wonder'. He delivers each element superbly. His seven thoughts are provocative insightful wondrous yes and at times I felt the ice crack beneath me. This is not a manual a how-to book to write plays - I've been writing plays for a long lime and I learned heaps but most importantly I was reminded of how marvellous a play can be: full of wonder and as strange as can be.'PATRICIA CORNELIUS