The Improv Handbook is the most comprehensive, smart, helpful and inspiring guide to improv available today. Applicable to comedians, actors, public speakers and anyone who needs to think on their toes, it features a range of games, interviews, descriptions and exercises that illuminate and illustrate the exciting world of improvised performance. First published in 2008, this second edition features a new foreword by comedian Mike McShane, as well as new exercises on endings, managing blind offers and master-servant games, plus new and expanded interviews with Keith Johnstone, Neil Mullarkey, Jeffrey Sweet and Paul Rogan. The Improv Handbook is a one-stop guide to the exciting world of improvisation. Whether you're a beginner, an expert, or would just love to try it if you weren't too scared, The Improv Handbook will guide you every step of the way.

A fascinating history of motion pictures through the lens of the Academy Awards, the Best Picture winners, and the box-office contenders. In Best Pick: A Journey through Film History and the Academy Awards, John Dorney, Jessica Regan, and Tom Salinsky provide a captivating decade-by-decade exploration of the Oscars. For each decade, they examine the making of classic films, trends and innovations in cinema, behind-the-scenes scandals at the awards ceremony, and who won and why. Twenty films are reviewed in-depth, alongside ten detailed "making-of" accounts and capsule reviews of every single Best Picture winner in history. In addition, each Best Picture winner is carefully scrutinized to answer the ultimate question: "Did the Academy get it right?" Full of wonderful stories, cogent analysis, and fascinating insights, Best Pick is a witty and enthralling look at the people, politics, movies, and trends that have shaped our cinematic world.

Return to 1960's Britain for more espionage with John Steed and Tara King! Contains three more thrilling episodes; 7.1 The Fabulous Sky Beam Dilemma by Nigel Fairs. Tara gets the cream and Steed has it licked. A visiting royal finds themselves caught up in a bizarre assassination plot where finding the method will be Steed and Tara’s greatest challenge. 7.2 A Tale in Tartan by Robert Khan and Tom Salinsky. Tara captures the castle and Steed crosses the border. A kidnapping leads Tara into Scotland where she finds herself with a suspiciously familiar sidekick… 7.3 This Train Terminates Here by John Dorney. Tara steams ahead and Steed goes off the rails. A series of railway-based crimes are occurring across the country and it would appear to be the work of a sinister station-master… Cast: Julian Wadham (John Steed), Emily Woodward (Tara King), Christopher Benjamin (Mother), Janet Amsden (Betty Grudge), Kenny Blyth (Professor Braithwaite / Reverent Utterson), Amerjit Deu (Said Ghabul / Cruikshank) Abi Harris (Bonnie Braithwaite / Clarrisa Kincaid), Harry Hart (Freddie / Terry), Damian Lynch (Colin Collins / Cyril / Railwayman), Paul O’Grady (Septimus Crump), Bridgitta Roy (Miss Sprogg), Andrew Spooner (Rupert). Other parts played by members of the cast.

On the planet Cicero Prime, the kingdom of Cardenas is divided, with the whole population forced to swear allegiance to either the effete Duke or the fiery, hard-edged Duchess. This is a situation both parties have grown tired of. What use is half a kingdom when, thanks to a carefully engineered murder, you could have it all? Surely, neither of them would be rash enough to summon the deadly off-world assassin The Scorpion to help with their problem? And surely, this terrifying figure wouldn't arrive wearing a long cream coat and striped trousers...? Big Finish have been producing Doctor Who audios since 1999, starring Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, David Tennant and John Hurt. This release's director Barnaby Edwards is not only a prolific Big Finish director, but as an actor is the lead Dalek operator on TV's Doctor Who. Cast: Peter Davison (The Doctor), Janet Fielding (Tegan Jovanka), Sarah Sutton (Nyssa), Matthew Waterhouse (Adric), Jonathan Firth (Sebastian, Duke of Cardenas), Charlotte Lucas (Duchess Miranda),Harriet Thorpe (Amelia), Tim Bentinck (Lord Crozion), Richenda Carey (Lady Crozion), Piotr Hatherer (Tomek),Patsy Kensit (Mercenary),Harry Smith (Additional Voices).

In 2014, Big Finish started a new range of Doctor Who stories, bringing back original cast members from the 1960s eras in order to tell new stories: they're audio tales in black and white! When the TARDIS lands in a house in Florence, Italy in 1514, it isn't long before the guards of Guiliano de Medici arrest Steven and Vicki. To rescue them, the Doctor has to employ the help of the house's owner - one Niccolo Machiavelli. But can he be completely trusted? Guiliano confesses to his brother Pope Leo X that he has angered the wealthy family of Ravelli and believes the newcomers may be part of an assassination plot. But when the Doctor arrives an already tricky situation starts to spiral out of control. As the city rings with plot and counter-plot, betrayal and lies abound. The Doctor and his friends must use all their ingenuity if they're not to be swept away by history. This conspiracy is about to get complicated. This range of era-authentic new stories has been hugely popular with fans, with a further two series already commissioned! Peter Purves is known to generations as one of the all-time great Blue Peter presenters, but this came after an acting career which he's returning to here to play both the Doctor and 1960s companion Steven Taylor. Maureen O'Brien - 1960s Doctor Who companion Vicki - is also a novelist whose works include Mask of Betrayal (1998), Every Step You Take (2004) and Deadly Reflection (2007). Guest star Olivia Poulet is well known for her role as Emma Messinger in The Thick of It. She's also recently played Emma Peel in Big Finish's revival of The Avengers - Steed & Mrs Peel. CAST: Maureen O'Brien (Vicki), Peter Purves (Steven Taylor/The Doctor/Narrator), Mark Frost (Niccolo Machiavelli), Jamie Ballard (Guiliano de Medici), Robert Hands (Pope Leo X), Olivia Poulet (Carla), Joe Bor (Guard Captain).

The Improv Handbook is the most comprehensive, smart, helpful and inspiring guide to improv available today. Applicable to comedians, actors, public speakers and anyone who needs to think on their toes, it features a range of games, interviews, descriptions and exercises that illuminate and illustrate the exciting world of improvised performance. First published in 2008, this second edition features a new foreword by comedian Mike McShane, as well as new exercises on endings, managing blind offers and master-servant games, plus new and expanded interviews with Keith Johnstone, Neil Mullarkey, Jeffrey Sweet and Paul Rogan. The Improv Handbook is a one-stop guide to the exciting world of improvisation. Whether you're a beginner, an expert, or would just love to try it if you weren't too scared, The Improv Handbook will guide you every step of the way.

Based on the adventures of Steed and Tara King in the TV comic strips, this full-cast audio drama is brought to life with eerily engrossing sound design and a brand new cinematic score. Starring Julian Wadham, Emily Woodward and Christopher Benjamin. Contains four adventures; 3.1 It’s a Wild, Wild, Wild, Wild West by John Dorney Steed is quick on the draw, Tara gallops away. After reports suggest a series of robberies in the New Forest were committed by cowboys, Mother sends the Avengers into action.The trail leads to the Western style ranch known as The Lazy J. But will it be high noon for Steed and King? 3.2 Under the Weather by Phil Mulryne. Steed is put on ice, Tara is blown away.Steed, Tara and Mother visit an air show to see a demonstration of a new aircraft. But the plane is stolen from under their noses... and seemingly... by a storm! Something strange is in the air. And it needs the Avengers to sort it out. 3.3 Spycraft by Robert Khan and Tom Salinsky. Steed meets his equal, Tara gets the cream. When a visiting dignitary is kidnapped on British soil, Steed and King have to leap into action. But with questions of diplomatic immunity getting in the way, they may need help from an unusual pair. 3.4 ...Now You Don’t by John Dorney. Steed finds things get tricky, Tara takes the stage. A strange gift leads to Steed and Tara King spending a night in the theatre. But who brought them here? And why? An old enemy of the Avengers is on the scene. And he will stop at nothing to get his revenge! Starring Julian Wadham, Emily Woodward and Christopher Benjamin, this full-cast audio drama is brought to life with eerily engrossing sound design and a brand new cinematic music score. CAST: Julian Wadham (John Steed), Emily Woodward (Miss Tara King), Christopher Benjamin (Mother), Hywel Morgan (Cody/ Jim), Daniel Easton (Billy / Sam), Karina Fernandez (Jessie), Leighton Pugh (Flight Lieutenant Tudor / Volkov), James Joyce (Flying Office Halliwell / Melnyk), David Sibley (Doctor Weatherby), Edward Dede (Miles Yeboah), Natalie Simpson (Ruby Sesay), Jude Owusu (Charlie Okonjo / Kasim), Ewart James Walters (General Babatunde), Nicholas Asbury (Margrave the Magnificent / Sir Godfrey Thorpe), Maggie Service (Circe /Mina). Other parts played by members of the cast.

A new Tory PM must unite his party's warring factions with his masterful plan for a final Brexit deal. Just... what was it again? A new satire by Robert Khan and Tom Salinsky.

"The Improv Handbook" is a great new guide that covers the history of improvisation and includes chapters on spontaneity and the fundamentals of storytelling.Although there are already several successful books on the market about the theory and practice of improvised theatre, there's nothing comprehensive, helpful, fun and full of experience and advice."The Improv Handbook" is a great new guide from a husband and wife team who have years of studying, performance and teaching behind them. Beginning with a history of improvisation, the book works through different types of format and performance including TheatreSports and the inventions of Keith Johnstone and Del Close. The core section of the book is called, simply, "How To Improvise" and includes chapters on spontaneity, the fundamentals of storytelling, working together, upping the ante and characters.Having established the fundamentals, the two authors go on to elaborate on more advanced techniques and skills. The book concludes with sections on how to improvise in front of an audience and - just as crucially - how to attract an audience in the first place." The Improv Handbook" should become a standard book in the field - it's smart, fun, helpful, and inspiring, and it's on a mission to bring Improv to a much wider audience.

"The Improv Handbook" is a great new guide that covers the history of improvisation and includes chapters on spontaneity and the fundamentals of storytelling.Although there are already several successful books on the market about the theory and practice of improvised theatre, there's nothing comprehensive, helpful, fun and full of experience and advice."The Improv Handbook" is a great new guide from a husband and wife team who have years of studying, performance and teaching behind them. Beginning with a history of improvisation, the book works through different types of format and performance including TheatreSports and the inventions of Keith Johnstone and Del Close. The core section of the book is called, simply, "How To Improvise" and includes chapters on spontaneity, the fundamentals of storytelling, working together, upping the ante and characters.Having established the fundamentals, the two authors go on to elaborate on more advanced techniques and skills. The book concludes with sections on how to improvise in front of an audience and - just as crucially - how to attract an audience in the first place." The Improv Handbook" should become a standard book in the field - it's smart, fun, helpful, and inspiring, and it's on a mission to bring Improv to a much wider audience.