Thank you to NetGalley and to Amber Books Ltd, Amber Books for an ARC of this book.

I am a theatre buff so I knew I wanted to check this book out as soon as I saw it on NetGalley.

What a beautiful, stunning book. The photos were lovely and this book was really well presented.

This would make a great coffee table book.

READ MY REVIEWS

Cover: I’m so in love with the Gardens cover. Theatres is magnificent too, but it impresses me less in comparison.

Cleaning up the backlog means it’s two-in-one today, on which ‘two’ stands for ‘a couple of impressive photography books’.

The topics couldn’t be any more different: one is about gardens and the other features theatres; nature and architecture are maybe on the opposite side of the spectrum, but I think they can complement each other in a beautiful way.

As it always happens with Amber Books, the quality of each picture is breathtaking. I’d give a fair amount of money to be a fly on the wall when someone from Amber gets to decide which photos they should use and someone else gets to approve the entire thing. Wow.

The structure is pure Amber, too. One continent, one section, that makes for easier browsing. I also appreciate the subtle approach concerning captions.

Complaints, I have two, one for each book.

Gardens, ]while I get the reasoning behind protecting PDFs, not letting me download it on the NetGalley app made for a truncated experience. Kindle is not the best when it comes to photography books, as it messes up with the formatting: word to the wise, keep the NetGalley app option open.] I spoke with the publisher and they informed me about an issue with the NetGalley app. *goes to complain at the help desk*

Theatres, I had no issues with the app—yay!—but I had a beef with the actual pictures, with the way they were chosen. Interiors are essential, of course, but what about the exteriors? I would have loved to see more of the actual buildings.

5 stars on GR.

Dominic Connolly's 'Amazing Theatres of the World' is a beautiful coffee-table-style book which would make a gorgeous gift for a lover of the Arts. Featuring an introduction by theatre royalty Sir Tim Rice, the book explores the history of theatre and its contribution to the community and economy. We gain an insight into different styles of architecture and design, and the ways in which the talented creators were influenced.

The book gives a truly all-encompassing representation of theatres across the world; we even get to see buildings in places like Ghana and Nigeria. A comprehensive guide packed with interesting facts and stunning photography, Dominic Connolly's book is a must-have for theatre fans across the globe.

A gorgeous book of photography covering a variety of theaters all over the world. Most of the book covers Europe and the Americas, with short chapters devoted to Africa/the Middle East, and Asia. Good for theater lovers, photography enthusiasts, and anyone who loves to travel.

Stunning and fascinating! This is a compelling exploration of theaters all over the world. Large, gorgeous photographs invite readers to admire the architectural splendor of these performing arts venues, and several backstage pictures are included too for a fun peek behind the scenes. The bits of information about the theaters were interesting without being overwhelming and added nice context while keeping the focus on the visual presentation. As is often the case, theaters "of the world" is heavily focused on the Western world--over 75% of the content from from Europe and North America. Still, this is entertaining and quite aesthetically pleasing. It would make a great coffee table book and a good read for both theater and architecture buffs.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

I’m not much of a photographer, but I can deeply appreciate imagery when it’s presented. Dominic Connolly put together a beautiful collection of some of the most beautiful theatres worldwide. The photos are stunning, although some were taken at weird angles.

In some cases, I felt like Connolly transported me to the theatre with the text he provided. Of course, some theatres had minimal text, but his photos and a brief overview piqued my curiosity. What I enjoyed the most about this book was looking at the architecture. It was nice to see the details and the differences between historic theatres and modern theatres. I would have preferred more of a selection from African and Asian countries, but some were included.

When I was younger, I drew the floor plans of what I thought my dream house looked like. So, it was nice to see the beautiful architecture of such amazing and beautiful buildings. This was well done. I enjoyed it.

“Amazing Theatres of the World” is great for architecture lovers, contains beautiful pictures, with fact filled information A great coffee table book.

A sincere thank you to NetGalley and Amber Books for providing me a copy of “Amazing Theatres of the World” in exchange for an honest review. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read this story and leave my review voluntarily.

This book is a photography and/or theatre lover's dream!

The photography, in particular, stands out in this read. I particularly enjoyed seeing inside locations I've only stood outside of (the Royal Albert Hall, for example, or various theatres in NYC--because they do, of course, have scads of them; who can visit all, let alone as a paying patron, in just one trip?). Behind-the-scenes pics of green rooms and stage doors lent added insight and sparked my imagination.

Each location gets a small text blurb; sometimes that was plenty, other times I would have loved more information. I did chuckle a bit at the blurb for Cornwall's Minack Theatre; it references its amphitheatre-style space--fine, aside from my Israel tour guide's voice in my head: "If it's half a circle, it's a _theatre_; full circle is an amphitheatre." #usetherightcircleword

I loved the rando trivia included, i.e. the Lyceum's [producer-manager David Frohman] would apparently signal his wife from the balcony when she was overacting. I also learned that the "Dumbo" neighborhood of Brooklyn is actually an acronym for "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass"--who knew? (Probably the people that live there. :D)

And allllll of the Roman (amphi- and otherwise) theatres just made me appreciate my recent Israel trip all the more, having seen several there too!

Pictures of full theatres and opera houses were both encouraging (amidst the pandemic) and also a little twitch-inducing (also amidst the pandemic, lol). I trust that one day that will no longer make me go "ahhhhh all the people sitting near each other, and without masks!" (and I look forward to it!).

I particularly enjoyed the theatres featured outside of "the norm" of NYC/London/Paris and other famed locations, as I learned something new. I really had no idea what to expect on those fronts, and was very pleasantly surprised and informed by the read. The Africa and Latin America sections could have been expanded even past what was there!

Theatres I'd now love to see in person:
- St. Michael's Cave, Gibraltar
- Palau de la Musica Catalana, Barcelona (that glass dome!!)
- Prague National Theatre, Prague
- Quarry Cave Theatre, Fertorakos, Hungary
- Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres, Toronto
- Ateneo Grand Splendid Theatre, Buenos Aires (true confession, partly because it's now a bookshop)
- Cairo Opera House (Cairo, of course) and Sayed Darwish Theatre (Alexandria), Egypt
- Sydney Opera House, Australia
- Auckland Civic Theatre, New Zealand

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

#AmazingTheatersOfTheWorld is filled with gorgeous pictures of theaters organized by continent. Most of the European and some of the North American ones I recognized, but not all- now I really want to visit Toronto! The other continents hold amazing theaters and I so wish I could just travel just to see them all! South America has beautiful ones, and while I did know of the Buenos Aires theater converted into a book shop, it's still on top of my must see places 🥰

If you have an interest in theater and architecture, then this is the book for you. "Amazing Theatres of the World" is five chapters of beautiful images of some of the most architecturally gorgeous theaters you will ever see. The tour begins in New York and London, progresses on to Europe, then the Americas, and concludes in Africa and the Middle East. Some of the highlights of the book:
1. the Lyceum Theater was once managed by Bram Stoker and it's where he wrote 'Dracula';
2. the Comedie Francaise is home to the oldest theater company in the world, being founded in 1680;
3. the San Carlo Theater (Italy) is the oldest continuously active venue for opera performances in the world;
4. the Dock Street Theater is the first playhouse in the United States exclusively built for theatrical performance;
5. the Dubai Opera theater is built in the shape of a dhou (sailing vessel), in honor of the area's maritime past.
There are so many interesting facts to learn reading this book. Only one thing could make this better, and that would be having some drawings of each theater's layout. Regardless, it is a great book to enjoy a lazy Sunday with. So get ready for a wonderful, enlightening armchair trip to the theaters of the world.

Great pictures and great places, a good way to armchair travel and discover new places.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As someone who LOVES history and architecture, this coffeetable book was a visual candy store. 🙌🏻 Beautifully illustrated with oodles of stunning photographs (of both the inside and out), along with small bits of history about each place. This would make such an amazing gift for any architecture history buff, and/or the theatre lover that you know (or yourself).

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Sure, we have all seen the beautiful opera houses with red velvet seating, private balconies and hand-painted ceilings, and of course, they are gorgeous, but have you been to a show at an amphitheatre cut into the rock of a cornish cliff? How about a real Roman amphitheatre in Spain? Or an amphitheatre in a cave?! I haven’t. More than a few of these are on my bucket list now!

This book features 150 theatres from around the globe, categorized by continent. I love the tidbits of history included with the photographs that were just enough to make me want to learn more about them. I would have loved to see even more niche and smaller theatres. As someone who loves Birmingham, AL, I was really excited to see the Alabama Theatre make it to this book

Thank you, NetGalley and Amberbooks for the advanced review copy in exchange for my honest review.

A really interesting range of photos from theatres across the world. Makes me want to visit them, I love how different some of the styles are and the inspirations behind them. Would have been good to see a bigger range however.

A beautiful coffee table book showcasing theaters around the world. I was happy to see several theaters I've visited in NYC and London. But this book goes beyond those and includes over 190 photographs of over 150 theaters around the world. I hadn't thought about including historic amphitheaters that continue to have performances. And while mosts theaters are historic there are modern buildings thrown into the mix. The book is sectioned by continents and the focus is on the photos giving a small blurb of something important about the theater itself. But the information is light, with only a few sentences, even though a theater may have been in use for hundreds of years. The only negatives for me was wishing for a little more information on some theaters and some of the photos were stock photos that were not as high quality as others. This will be of interest to true theater fans. Thank you to NetGalley and Amber Books Ltd. for a temporary eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The photographs in this book are gorgeous, and the accompanying brief text, including an introduction by Tim Rice ("Beauty and the Beast" lyricist), shines light on the importance of theatres everywhere. Mr. Rice writes, "The love of theatre spans cultures - every society cherishes performance in a communal setting."

The most novel and creative architecture is not necessarily on Broadway, the West End, or Europe but in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australasia. The author has selected pictures of the exteriors and interiors of the theatre proper but has included dressing rooms, backstage areas, and other unique details.

This book would make a wonderful gift for a theatre lover and you might want a copy on your coffee table!

Thank you to NetGalley / Amber Books Ltd, and the author for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

With many of us not regularly going to the theatre or other theatre based events, we can often forget what beauty and stunning architecture lies behind closed doors.

Incredible photos from around the world showcase stunning theatres, both inside and outside, most notably an amphitheatre built into the Cornish coastline.

It's a perfect publication to reignite passion of the arts and the awe-inspiring locations that house such.

Another fascinating book by Amber Books. What I love about books from this publisher is that they educate me without being boring, the photographs transport me to other countries and are truly atmospheric. There are depictions of theatres ancient and ultra modern with cutting edge architecture from every corner of the globe. Unusual to classic. basic to incredibly opulent. I loved the Winter Gardens in Toronto with its truly horticultural theme, the incredible design of a theatre in Vietnam. There are fascinating theatres here from Chile, Argentina, Ghana and ones we are familiar with in Sydney, London and New York. Some have had many changes of use over the years others have had a history of theatre lasting centuries. This is a lovely book to dip into and to lose yourself in. If you are not familiar with this publisher have a look at the other books they have produced - they are the perfect antidote to stress! My thanks to Netgalley and Amber books for allowing me access to an ARC in return for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this beautifully presented book. It would be a lovely addition to a coffee table, especially for theatre lovers!

I absolutely adore this book. The photographs are stunning and the history is fascinating. I enjoyed traveling around to see these amazing theaters without leaving my living room.