Reading List

In a feature shamelessly stolen from the excellent Eric Idle's blog I thought I'd share my current reading list with you all. This is aimed at actors and writers and is just a suggestion of some of the plays, biographies, film & theatrical books that have really helped me over the years, ever since John Murtagh, Actor & Director at Borderline Theatre Company gave me 'A Bluffer's Guide To Acting.." many, many years ago when I was just starting out ! Over the years I have amassed a library of over 2000 books. Here are my latest acquisitions, check them out if you get the chance :
    

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POSTCARDS - (Annie Proulx) - July 2014 - A present from my book-mad sister, this bleak tale of the lonelyVermont countryside and 40 years in the wilderness for the central character of Loyal Blood. Having just finished Sunset Song recently this reminded me very much of it. Same love/hate relationship with the land and the sheer effort and misery of trying to eke out a wartime living. Sublime read.

A BROKEN WORLD - (Sebastian Faulks) - July 2014 - I have been researching our family's links to WW1 and this riveting book of soldiers and others caught up in the events of 14/18 is a poignant and moving read. Again amazingly well researched and beautifully put together book and read this one in a matter of hours!

HIGHLANDER - History of The Highland Soldier - (Tim Newark) - June 2014 - Spellbinding history of individuals and regiments raised from the Highlands of Scotland since the Civil War. Beautifully written and researched and contains some fantastic tales of bravery and sacrifice as well as explaining the political background to most of the encounters.

GONE GIRL - (Gillian Flynn) - May 2014 - Soon to be released as a film this was excellent reading! A missing wife and errant husband and the unravelling of a marriage, told partly in real-time and partly in flashbacks through the wife's diary entries. Clever use of various styles and very filmic so little wonder the movie is due out soon!

THE PSYCHOPATH TEST - (Jon Ronson) - April 2014 - Read this with a growing terror as I crossed off most of the questions and answers! Mercifully there is a line..If you're reading this and worried you're a psychopath...you're not. The relief! Brilliant book, fascinating topic and will make you view the world differently... maybe.

SHERLOCK HOLMES - AT THE VARIETIES - (Val Andrews) - April 2014 - Bought this wee volume on tour in Chesterfield at a book fair and loved it. Andrews returns Holmes & Watson to the Music Hall and is a great story concerning murderous intent on a young star of the reputedly haunted House On The Green.

LAST WALTZ IN VIENNA - (George Clare) - March 2014 - I read this voraciously on tour of KIDNAPPED and reminded me of the wonderful time I spent in Vienna last year. Superbly written, desperately sad story of a Jewish family destroyed by the rise of the Nazis and the outbreak of war. Clare's descriptions of 19th Century imperialist Austria and the sights, sounds and white uniforms of the army brought this period to vivid technicolour. I adored this book.

THE GOLDFISH CLUB - (Danny Danziger) - March 2014 - Continuing my interest in all things RAF and was intrigued by these personal accounts from airmen(and Richard Branson!) from all eras and their tales of crashing into the sea. Fascinating and brave men and all honoured to be members of such a prestigious 'club'. My paternal grandfather was a member of the 'Caterpillar Club' for those shot down who made their way back!

THE MASTER OF BALLANTRAE - (RL Stevenson) - March 2014 - Picked up a lovely copy of this classic in Horsham whilst touring KIDNAPPED. I remember being enthralled with the evil brother The Master as a kid and enjoyed reading it again. Delighted to see Mr Alan Breck popping up again on page 55 and again a little extra nugget to add to my own research of this wonderful character.

LOST VOICES OF THE RAF - (Max Arthur) - March 2014 - Loved these sometimes harrowing tales from RAF members from the inception to the Gulf War. The bravery and sheer horror of it all has stayed with me as I am researching my own grandfathers' RAF WW2 service in Bomber Command and Coastal Command. Check out my blog on Lancaster PB265 for more info.

WOULD YOU KILL THE FAT MAN? - (David Edmonds) - February 2014 - Another superb gift from my father for Christmas and the great pholosophical quandry of what to do in various scenarios, based on the 'Trolley Problem' with fascinating historical examples to highlight these very situations. In answer to the title, No I would not, but I do understand why the skipper ate the cabin boy...!

THE GOLDEN RULES OF ACTING - (Andy Nyman) - February 2014 - Picked this little gem up on tour with KIDNAPPED and have been quoting from it ever since. Just superb and underlines so much of what I have thought and discovered throughout my own career. A must buy for anyone even thinking about becoming an actor and well user-friendly!!

CATRIONA - (Robert Louis Stevenson) - December 2013 - Again as part of my research into Allan Breck this follow up to KIDNAPPED was devoured in days! The final appearance of Alan in literature and the story of the Campbell trial of James Of The Glen and the fugitive James More, again mixing fantasy and history in Stevenson's own inimitable style. Tremendous.


THE APPIN MURDER - (Seamus Carney) - December 2013 - Brilliantly researched and well written true story of the most famous unsolved murder in Scottish history. Features accurate descriptions of Allan Breck and James Of The Glens and vividly recounts the famous mistrial and execution of an innocent man.

WAVERLEY - (Sir Walter Scott) - December 2013 - Required reading for me as I delved once again into the world of the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion with KIDNAPPED. The classic story of a young English soldier caught-up in the revolt and captivated by the wild Highlanders he encounters. Vital in my research of the Battle Of Prestonpans and beautifully written by a master storyteller.


FOUR MAJOR PLAYS - (Henrik Ibsen) - November 2013 - In preparation for a possible audition I read this collection of Ibsen classics, including GHOSTS, currently about to transfer into the West End. Really enjoyed this and looking forward to seeing it. A tale of society's hypocrisy which shocked Victorian audiences when first performed.My kind of play!

PIMP - (Iceberg Slim) - November 2013 - With a fascinating foreward by Irvine Welsh, this is a true American classic. The true story of the pimp game in 40s USA and written in street slang of the era. I could not put this down and can imagine this as a brilliant Blaxploitation movie. If Quentin Tarantino is reading this...get that book!

KIDNAPPED - (Robert Louis Stevenson) - November 2013 - Every 6 years or so I return to this novel. Whilst researching the Jacobite period I re-read this classic tale again. The story of David Balfour and Alan Breck's escape from the redcoats is as vivid and electrifying as they were when first published. In my view, Stevenson was Scotland's Shakespeare and this is the evidence. Superb. In an amazing co-incidence I then auditioned for Sell-A-Door's tour of the show in London whilst working on The Merchant Of Venice!

THE HOPE THAT KILLS US - (Various) - November 2013 - Published by Freight, this is a book of football related stories in Scotland. Superb in every way. Alan Spence, Denise Mina, Gordon Legge and others, but Andrew C Ferguson's 'Nae C**t Said Anyhin' is my favourite short story. Memories of the Austrian Writers team yelling this in Vienna will stick with me always. Proper cultural exchange!

THE FIERY CROSS (Diana Gabaldon) - October 2013 - Another epic journey with Jamie & Claire Fraser as the action moves to North Carolina and some old faces reappear! Expat community of Scots settling in The Americas and superbly researched once again. The action clicks along relentlessly and this book alone would be an excellent movie. The tv show is in production now..!

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE (William Shakespeare) - October 2013 - Time once again to do this one onstage as I played Bassanio in 1996 with The Arches Theatre Company. Now I am to play The Duke and loved going back into the world of Venice and Belmont once again. Touring from October 2013.

BETWEEN THE ASSASSINATIONS - (Aravind Adiga) - October 2013 - Having been to this part of India I adored this book and was instantly transported again to the sounds and smells and sights that ONLY India can display. Set in Kittur, near Goa, the characters are defined in a paragraph and each tale, sadder and more unfair every time really gets to the heart of the caste system and the gulf between the rich and the poor in this enormous country.

KING LEAR - (William Shakespeare) - October 2013 - In preparation for an audition at The National Theatre it was time again to absorb this, one of my favourite plays of all time. Some wonderful speeches and characters and action, bothshocking and horrifying in equal measure.

PAST IMPERFECT - (Julian Fellowes) - September 2013 - Superb tale of Damian Baxter and his trail of destruction through the last days of the debutante season, at it's height in 1968. Brilliantly written and reeks of the end of a way of life, of a world far more glamorous and removed from the present. Having worked with Julian on 'Monarch Of The Glen' I can hear his voice on every page! Thrilling.

SHAKESPEARE - (Martin Fido) - September 2013 - Epic tome devoted to the life of The Bard, set against the backdrop of the history of the time as well as sections on The Problem Plays, Histories & Commentaries, The Globe and the characters and influences behind Shakespeare's writing. Necessary reading when embarking on these plays again.

DRUMS OF AUTUMN - (Diana Gabaldon) - August 2013 - The next book in the OUTLANDER series sees our heroes in frontier America in 1767. Thrilling and again wonderfully researched and pulls together further strands of the story together, with the usual quota of birhs,deaths & marriages and sheer bloody excitement, following o from Voyager. Another superb read. Finished it 'verra,verra' quickly and off to buy the next one! What a series this could be!!

ZUGZWANG - (Ronan Bennett) - August 2013 - Set in one of my favourite periods, 1914 St Petersburg and Tzarist Russia, this thriller by Irish writer Bennett is brilliant. It follows the story of Dr Otto Spethman, a psychoanalyist and his disturbing new patients and uses the game of chess to illustrate the narrative. Clever and dark, this has twists and turns at every corner. Loved it! Would make an excellent tv film.

THE YEAR OF THE KING - (Anthony Sher) - August 2013 - Possibly the best book ever written about the playing of a single character and one year of a top theatre actor's life in the 80s. Have had to re-read this as research and it's tortured musings on what choices physically and emotionally, in tone and in 'not doing Olivier' is fascinating. The author struggles to find the correct deformity and fills this excellent book with scribblings, sketches & theatrical tales from the likes of Michael Gambon.

VOYAGER - (Diana Gabaldon) - August 2013 - Addictive. The action moves to Jamaica and the high seas with the aftermath of Culloden, imprisonment and pirates...What more could you want? Again, took me three days to read 1059 pages. Utterly absorbing stuff. Wrinkly skin from hours of reading in the bath and now the action moves to Georgia.

DRAGONFLY IN AMBER - (Diana Gabaldon) - August 2013 - Raced through the next installment and really impressed by the research and care that went into this. Clever plot has the lead characters 20 years later and the 1745 Rebellion in full. Great to see the almost forgotten Prestonpans battle featuring heavily as I have been a bit obsessed with that one and spent a lot of time in East Lothian. Superb!

CROSS STITCH - (Diana Gabaldon) - July 2013 - In the hope of an audition for this upcoming series being filmed in Scotland this autumn I instantly fell in love with these books! I am a bit of a Jacobite history buff and this combines my favourite periods in time, 1945 and 1743. Read this in three days, utterly absorbing and loved the fact that the Jamie character uses my ancestors name of MacTavish..!

CRIME & PUNISHMENT - (Fydor Dostoyevsky) - July 2013 - Meaty old tome this one! Bought in preparation for The Citz production later this year, but unfortunately this is fully cast. Battled through it though and intrigued by Raskolnikov and his evasion from the law following an existentially driven double murder. On reflection I should have bought 'The Idiot' instead...

REHEATED CABBAGE - (Irvine Welsh) - July 2013 - Picked this up in the Hippy Bookstore in Brixton, purveyors of excellent & hard to find books! Loved this and great further reading on the likes of Carl Ewart(N-Sign) and the fantastic Juice Terry Lawson. Really nice touch was the 'Blackie' story and his moralising crusade to Miami. Incongruous and hysterical setting and an excellent read.

A POSITIVELY FINAL APPEARANCE - (Alec Guinness) - July 2013 - Whimsical and beautifully written anecdotes by one of the greatest actors to creep the boards. His 3rd autobiography and his recollections of wartime theatre and of his career are fascinating and the whole thing is tinged with a sadness of an actor retired. Brilliant.

THE GOLDEN KEEL - (Desmond Bagley) - June 2013 - Based on the true story of Mussolini's Missing Treasure...I adored this old book. It was another 10p purchase from the charity shop. This would be a fantastic feature film and crosses the continents from South Africa to Italy and back again. Great central 'goog guy' character of Hal and various well-written villains. Out in 1963, am surprised it hasn't made it to the big screen.

THEATRE LORE - (Nick Bromley) - June 2013 - The best alternative theatre dictionary I have read for years and bang up to date! Funny and informative and a nice addition to my theatrical collection! Good forward from Mr Callow too..

BEING AN ACTOR - (Simon Callow) - June 2013 - Had to re-read this one again whilst in London. This copy was sent to me many years ago by the author and inspires and terrifies me every time I lift it up. Vital reading for actors of any age!

RICHARD III - (William Shakespeare) - June 2013 - My favourite of the classics and so many excellent scenes for an actor. Adore the opening speech and how the plot unravels as The Duke Of York manipulates his way to the throne. Brilliant.

EDWARD II - (Christopher Marlowe) - June 2013 - In advance of a trip to The National I romped through this excellent play, chronicling the life and loves of the much-maligned monarch, forever in his father's shadow. Due for a revival soon and would KILL to play Lightborne (Lucifer) the eventual killer...

LAURENCE OLIVIER - (Donald Spoto) - June 2013 - Excellent huge tome on the life of the great theatrical knight. Superbly researched and a serious biography! I am fascinated by theatre and early filmmaking and the birth of quality television and am still in awe of how much of Shakespeare's dialogue he could retain at once. Bought this book for 10p in a charity shop. Now that is value for money!!

THE LOST WORLD - (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) - June 2013 - Picked-up an excellent reprint of this old favourite recently and was once again swept up in the story as I was when I first came across the epic tale as a young fella. I think I enjoyed it even more this time.Absolutely superb original tale with superbly drawn characters and a romping good read..

THE THIRD POLICEMAN - (Flann O'Brien) - June 2013 - Given to me by ma wee pal Heather Stewart I devoured this madness in 3 days. Surreal in the style of Joyce but a black-humoured joy of a tale. Murder, guilt & bicycles..it has it all. Reminded me of my favourite The Master & Margerita. Get it read!

GLUE - (Irvine Welsh) - June 2013 - Back to my favourite author's rich back-catalogue for this 'middle tale' in the pantheon. The prime reason to mine as much info about Juice Terry,a part I was born to play and the cast includes the birrells, Ewart as well as Renton & Franco & Murphy's cameos.

THE ASCENT OF RUM DOODLE - (W.E.Bowman) - May 2013 - A funny and long-forgotten novel of the spoof 1937 mountaineering tale. Central Narrator Binder's increasingly baffled scribblings of the attempt to scale the Himalayan fictional peak of Rum Doodle. Loved every one of it's 171 pages and Bill Bryson's excellent foreward. An unknown classic this one, Monty Python meets Everest...

ALEC GUINNESS - THE UNKNOWN - (Garry O'Connor) - May 2013 - Summer reading in Zante for this one and a really interesting exploration into this most private of men & one of my favourite actors of all time. Still trying to get over the image of Obi wan lusting after C3PO...Read the book, you'll understand!

TERRENCE RATTIGAN - (Geoffrey Wansell) - May 2013 - A camp and theatrical feel to my reading list this month with Wansell's exposition of a very secret and talented playwright, one of my favourites..A theme is emerging here! Superbly researched and a fascinating look nto the theatre and film world of the 40's onwards. Great to see interest in his plays resurface and as we speak The Winslow Boy is on in the West End.

CAPITAL (John Lanchester) - April 2013 - Excellent storyline of the mysterious goings-on in Pepys Road, South London and brings the city vividly to life. Loved this and read it in a few days. Would make a good wee 2 part BBC series.

THE SIMPLE TRUTH (David Baldacci) - April 2013 - Described by the Independant On Sunday as 'a plot strong enough to make the bath go cold around you'..Amen to that, I nearly froze to death. Another cracking legal adventure from the author of 'The Camel Club'.

HEMINGWAY'S BOAT (Paul Hendrickson) - March 2013 - Superb biography of one of my literary heroes, all related to his adventures onboard his beloved boat PILAR. A fascinating read.

MICHAEL PALIN DIARIES 1969-79 (Michael Palin) - Feb 2013 - Inspired me to keep up my own diary and to beaver away at my own writing projects. Interested to note we share the same birthday..Quite a cathartic read as I'm turning 40 this year!

PORNO (Irvine Welsh) - Jan 2013 - What better way to kick off a new year than in the company of Sick Boy, Spud, Renton & Begbie. Re-reading this and praying I get the part of Juice Terry Lawson when Danny Boyle makes this Trainspotting sequel in 2016...Spice Ay Life!

VANISHED YEARS (Rupert Everett) - Dec 2012 - Achingly truthful latest tome from the film actor which begins and ends in my beloved Jamaica. Read this in days.Could not put it down. Rivetting and quite moving experience. Determined to read more of his caustic scribblings soon.

FIRST LIGHT (Geoffrey Wellum) - Dec 2012 - This is as close to being in a Spitfire during the Battle Of Britain than you will ever get. You can smell burning oil and cordite from this tale and a magnificent read and a story so well told.My mum bought me this one..my favourite Christmas present this year!

TOMMY COOPER (John Fisher) - Nov 2012 - Loved this book as it too was an honest and well-researched, knowledgable tome on the late,great Magician. Heavy focus on the magic part which is great as it was overshadowed by the comedy, but this is a great chart of the rise&decline of an international superstar.

FROM THE ELEPHANT TO HOLLYWOOD (Michael Caine) - Oct 2012 - Picked this one up in a bookshop in Balham.Read it voraciously as I have become a huge fan of Sir Michael recently. This is a good read in his own words and his voice is as clear as a bell on every page. Found myself reading this in Michael Caine's voice.