Individual actors Books

Book SynopsisArden Performance Editions are ideal for anyone engaging with a Shakespeare play in performance. With clear facing-page notes giving definitions of words, easily accessible information about key textual variants, lineation, metrical ambiguities and pronunciation, each edition has been developed to open the play's possibilities and meanings to actors and students. Each edition offers: -Facing-page notes -Short, clear definitions of words -Easily accessible information about key textual variants -Notes on pronunciation of difficult names and unfamiliar words -An easy-to-read layout -Space to write notes -A short introduction to the playTrade ReviewWe’ve been working from the Arden Performance Edition on our latest production of The Tempest. Its clarity, layout and robustness make it perfect for actors and creatives to work from. Eminently playable, clear and practical, it’s the ideal rehearsal resource. * Sean Holmes, Shakespeare’s Globe *Table of ContentsIntroduction The Tempest Longer Notes

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Book SynopsisPractical, positive and uplifting, the advice in this book is designed to lead to the best outcomes possible for you, the actor, making the transition from craft to career. The reader is given insight into the various types of casting directors across the industry and how that practical knowledge can benefit you and increase your chance of success. While providing an in-depth insight into the role of the casting director, this book explains the jobs of all the other people involved in the casting process including producers, network executives, writers and how they influence casting decisions. As the collected wisdom Merri Sugarman's 20+ years of experience in different aspects of professional casting within television, film and theater, this book is a treasure trove of advice to help the actors and those who support them in their career goals, learn what it takes to be a pro. For those who choose to make their craft a career, it's an invaluable resource.Table of ContentsForeword Introduction: My path from actor to casting director Chapter 1: What exactly does a casting director do? Chapter 2: How to begin Chapter 3: Where to live and why there? Chapter 4: Your two different day jobs Chapter 5: Unions: when it's time to join Chapter 6: Representation and submissions Chapter 7: Pictures, resumes, reels and websites Chapter 8: The self-tape and virtual audition Chapter 9: The casting director and audition process Chapter 10: In the audition room Chapter 11: Auditions: Being prepared Chapter 12: Curious kids Chapter 13: Where do I find the work? Chapter 14: Booking it - or not Chapter 15: The first day of school Chapter 16: Networking Chapter 17: Continuing education Chapter 18: Alternate career path Chapter 19: That's a wrap Chapter 20: Casting in a post-pandemic world Appendix 1: Useful resources Appendix 2: Glossary Index

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Book SynopsisIt shouldn't surprise us that politicians, clerics, rock singers as well as actors queue up to train their voices under the supervision of Patsy Rodenburg. This book will explain her popularity among her pupils. Sir Ian McKellen Practical, passionate and inspiring, this book teaches how to use the voice fully and expressively, without fear and in any situation. Patsy Rodenburg is one of the world's foremost voice and acting coaches, having trained thousands of actors, singers, lawyers, politicians, business people, teachers and students: her book distils that knowledge and experience so that everyone can enjoy the right to speak. Part one is a discursive account of our right to speak which examines impediments to clear, natural, confident speech and establishing habits that will help overcome these, while part two is a practical workbook' containing exercises and practical tips, providing a step-by-step approach to using the voice effectively. Covering speech and phonetics, diTrade ReviewPatsy Rodenburg wants to free your voice so that you can express yourself fully and honestly in public. Her revelation in The Right to Speak is that sound, like sense, can respond to the heart of our inner selves. -- Sir Ian McKellenPatsy is one of the handful of people in the world who understand that the use of the voice by actors and public speakers engages the heart, the mind and the body. There is no teacher, in my experience, who brings all of these together with such wisdom and patience. -- Sir Richard EyrePatsy Rodenburg is one the best teachers I've known: she is a constant source of strength and inspiration. -- Sir Anthony SherTable of ContentsForeword by Ian McKellen Preface Introduction Part One: The Right to Speak 1. Declaring Your Vocal Rights 2. 'God Doesn't Mind a Bum Note' 3. The Roots of Habits 5 Settling into Habits 6. Deep Habits and Release Part Two: Working with the Voice 7. An Owner's Manual of the Voice 8. The Voice Workout 9. Speech and Phonetics 10. Working Further with the Voice Index

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Book SynopsisRobert Cohen (1938-2024), Founding Chair and Professor Emeritus of Drama of the Drama Department at the University of California, Irvine, USA, was a renowned theatre director, playwright, and critic. He authored notable theater books such as Acting Power, Acting One, Advanced Acting, Acting With Shakespeare, and Creative Play Direction, and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Theatre in Higher Education. Joel Veenstra, current Chair of the Drama Department at the University of California, Irvine, USA, specializes in stage management, improvisation, and collaborative production. He served as the Western Regional Director of the Stage Management Association, the national professional organization for stage managers. Veenstra, an active figure in improvisation, co-directs the Global Improvisation Initiative and has served on the Applied Improvisation Network's international board. He was hono

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Book SynopsisThe greatest American dramatist of our age - Evening Standard In this third volume of collected works, three of Arthur Miller's stage plays from the early 1980s are brought together in a new edition. Expanding on the themes and explorations of his earlier work, this volume also contains an introduction from the playwright himself, as well as an afterword by acclaimed Miller scholar Christopher Bigsby. A sweeping, hard-hitting look at the Great Depression of the 1930s, The American Clock(1982) is a vaudevillian celebration of American resilience and optimism in the face of national crisis, and was later performed on Broadway. Set in an Eastern European capital, The Archbishop''s Ceiling (1984), examines the relationship between four writers, and the erosion of personal integrity during the cold war: a thrilling study of the effects of surveillance and political pressure on an individual''s actions Also included is a revised version of Two-Way MirrorTable of ContentsIntroduction by Arthur Miller The American Clock – 1982 The Archbishop’s Ceiling – 1984 Two-Way Mirror – 1984 Afterword by Christopher Bigsby

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Book SynopsisSarah Siddons grew up as a member of a family troupe of travelling actors,always poor and often hungry, resorting to foraging for turnips to eat. Butbefore she was 30 she had become a superstar, her fees greater than any actor -male or female - had previously achieved. Her rise was not easy. Her London debut, aged just 20, was a disaster and couldhave condemned her to poverty and anonymity. But the young actress alreadya mother of two - rebuilt her career, returning triumphantly to the capital afteryears of remorseless provincial touring. She became Britain's greatest tragic actress, electrifying audiences with herperformances. Her shows were sell-outs.Adored by theatre audiences, writers, artists and the royal family alike, Sarahgrasped the importance of her image. She made sure that every leading portraitpainter captured her likeness, so that engravings could be sold to her adoringpublic. In an eighteenth-century world of vicious satire and gossip, she also battled tomanage he

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Book SynopsisTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ''wonderful... raw, gossipy, funny, delicate, endlessly compassionate, at moments devastating, at others spectacularly wise'' THE TIMES''This is the best, truest, most shocking Hollywood memoir I''ve ever read. It is also one of the most loving'' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH''Emboldened by each day''s revelations and driven by their abiding love for each other, [Dern and Ladd] wade into deeper confessions. The book is at its most memorable and affecting when they work up the courage to excavate heavy, sharp-edged emotional artifacts. . . They yell, grow quiet, accuse and forgive, allowing us to witness their relationship evolving, walk by walk.'' NEW YORK TIMES''Even the hardest of hearts might shed a tear or two thanks to the ways in which this book forces the reader to consider their own relationship with their mother.'' MAIL ONLINE*WITH A FOREWORD BY REESE WITHERSPOON*

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Book SynopsisWhat does a forty-two-year-old, small-town pastor do when he wins one of the most popular singing competitions in the world? Todd Tilghman and his wife, Brooke, share how decades of unrelenting challenges have taught them a joyful mindset of embracing not only winning The Voice but also 'every little win' along the way.

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Book SynopsisA biography, reissued to coincide with the twentieth anniversary of her death.Trade Review'An extraordinary life of an extraordinary woman ... Gardner's genius was not her work, but, as this book proves, her life' Observer 'Server gets movie stars, and he gets movies ... That's quite a trick for a biographer to pull off - both to immerse himself in his subjects, yet make them utterly his own' Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisAn incredibly moving story of fatherhood and family - good and bad - from the star of Eastenders and Gavin and StaceyTrade Review'What a life! I loved it. Almost as good as sitting with him and listening to his stories.' * Rob Brydon *'What a life! It's a very gentlemanly book. Inspiring. I do hope that many parents read this book and take a good hard look at themselves.' * Roberta Taylor *'A wonderful story of survival against the odds told with compassion and humour. This is so much more than a showbiz autobiography.' * Anne Robinson *This captivating and honest book is a warts and all look at love, marriage, family and showbiz. What is loveable about Larry Lamb is that he is just as happy to tell us about the toe curling fiascos as he is about the triumphs that have led to leading roles on Broadway and on British television . * Julia Gregson *'[A] rich life story, packed with anecdotes.' * News of the World *'A captivating read.' * Inside Soap *'Mummy's Boy manages to be touching, funny and uniquely warm all at once. A must-read.' * Best *Searingly honest...and hugely entertaining. * Irish News *

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Book SynopsisWho''d have thought a potty-mouthed Dublin mammy with a cream cardigan and elasticated tan tights could storm British TV screens and leave a nation helpless with laughter? Brendan O''Carroll performs to tens of thousands of people a night in packed-out stadiums across the country. In the last four years his TV show has become a number 1 ratings success and he''s even making a movie. But Brendan has had to battle hard for success. The youngest of eleven children, his mother was Maureen O''Carroll, a former nun who went on to become the first woman to be elected to the Irish parliament. Brendan adored his strong, widowed mother - and she later became the inspiration for his indomitable character Agnes Brown. However, the family endured poverty reminiscent of Angela''s Ashes and Brendan saw no option but to leave school at 12 to work. He married young and for decades struggled to make ends meet. Eventually, bankrupt and desperate, Brendan went to see a Trade ReviewThis is the amazing story of the man behind the matriarch * Choice *

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Book SynopsisThe icon and legend at last tells his story his way -- without the boring bits Paul Hogan first appeared on Australia's screens in 1971 as a 'tap-dancing knife thrower' on TV talent show New Faces. The then father of four and Sydney Harbour Bridge rigger from Granville did it as a dare, but when the network's switchboard lit up, he was invited back. So popular was he with viewers, Hogan became a regular on Mike Willesee's A Current Affair. The rest, as they say, is history. In collaboration with his business partner and best friend, John Cornell (who played his sidekick, Strop), 'Hoges' went on to become Australia's favourite TV comedian. His hugely popular comedy shows and appearances in unforgettable and ground-breaking ads for cigarettes, beer and tourism, came to personify Australia and Australians here and overseas, helping to change the perception of who we are as people and as a nation. Then, in 1986, Crocodile Dundee, the movie he conceived, co-wrote and starred in, became

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Book Synopsis''A great celebration of one of our most loved national treasures'' Felicity KendalThe term ''national treasure'' has seldom been more appropriate. Richard Briers was not only the nation''s favourite next-door neighbour thanks to his work in the iconic BBC sitcom The Good Life, he was an actor you felt like you really knew, despite having only seen him on stage or screen.While his role as Tom Good might be considered the pinnacle of Richard''s sixty-year career, it sits atop a mountain of roles that combined represent one of the most productive and varied careers in British entertainment history. Indeed, Richard''s television work alone makes up a not insignificant portion of our country''s best endeavours on the small screen, from Jackanory and the anarchic Roobarb and Custard through to Dr Who, Inspector Morse, Ever Decreasing Circles, Extras, and the long-running comedy drama, Monarch of the Glen. On the big screen RTrade ReviewA charming biography of Richard Briers, spotlighting the rich diversity of the much-loved actor's career * Choice *This lively biography reveals a modest, self-deprecating and likeable person * Irish Times *Packed with anecdotes * Reader's Digest *

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Book SynopsisOmid Djalili''s childhood was unconventional, to say the least. He was raised in a beautiful, chaotic, cramped, colourful and legally dubious guesthouse where his parents fed and watered Iranian nationals flocking to the UK. Over twenty years almost 2000 ''cousins'' passed through the Djalili''s doors and the young Omid played translator to each. Although these years taught him a lot about the rich tapestry of life, this parenting by committee led to a slightly chequered school career which saw Omid taking his A levels a record six times and eventually fake his own university entrance papers. Desperate to be free of his cramped living quarters he escapes to the University of Ulster where he lives a life of wonderful solitude.Full of the warmth and intelligence that makes Omid such a successful comedian and sought-after actor, this memoir takes us on an incredible and laugh-out-loud funny journey through an unusually British life.Trade ReviewWatching him live is like settling into business class on a long-haul flight - you know you're going to enjoy it, and you wish it would go on just a little bit longer. - Sunday Times

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Book Synopsis''Besides the deliciously well executed fake-dating, How to Fake it in Hollywood delivers a raw, character-driven and heart-touching read. I absolutely loved it'' ELENA ARMASA talented Hollywood starlet and a reclusive A-lister enter into a fake relationship . . . and discover that their feelings might be more than a PR stunt in this sexy chemistry-filled debut for fans of Beach Read and The Unhoneymooners.Early readers can''t get enough!''Super fun, spicy and has a core of overwhelming love. The banter is amazing, characters are brilliant and the ending is EVERYTHING!! (I cried)'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review''I''m giving this book all of the stars. I can''t believe that this is Ava Wilder''s debut novel, it''s really something''⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review''Ava Wilder has a

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Book SynopsisThe Actor's Business Plan is a self-directed practical guide for actors graduating from formal training programs, as well as for those already in the business whose careers need to move ahead more successfully. Using the familiar language of acting training, the book offers a method for the achievement of dreams through a five-year life and career plan giving positive steps to develop a happy life as an actor and as a person. It assists performers to flourish using the same kind of business/career planning that is a necessary part of life for entrepreneurs and business people. This introduction to the acting industry provides essential knowledge not only for how the business actually works, but also describes what casting directors, agents, and managers do, demystifies the role of unions, discusses how much things cost, and offers advice on branding and marketing strategies. It differs from other such handbooks in that it addresses the everyday issues of life, money, and jobs thTrade ReviewSince actors spend much more time seeking and preparing for roles than actually acting, a career in acting should be viewed as a business. An actor, like any other professional, needs career plans, which pretty much sums up the main message of this work by veteran actor, director/producer, and agent Brody. Individual chapters cover the development of a five-year plan to achieve one's goals, getting an agent, and trying to land a job in a desired theater. Also covered are topics such as taking coaching classes, trying out for roles, handling life-plan obstacles (e.g., student debt), and dealing with business expenses (e.g., headshots, union fees, relocation expenses, or health insurance), along with tips on how to make contacts and write query letters or resumés. There is a section on what casting directors, agents, and managers actually do. The second half of the book focuses on the major acting centers of the country: Chicago, Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles, Austin, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and the Washington, DC-Baltimore area. For each of these areas, the author provides a selection of agents, casting directors, photographers, drama schools, management, and theater companies with contact information. Summing Up: Recommended. All audiences. -- C. E. King, Iowa State University * CHOICE *The book promises to be an extremely practical and helpful guide for the young actor embarking on a professional acting career . . . I wish such a book existed when I was graduating -- Lucien Douglas, Head of Acting, University of Texas, Austina smart approach, and one that I think will make the information very accessible to young professionals in the industry * Melia Bensussen, Chair, Performing Arts Department, Emerson College, Boston *Since actors spend much more time seeking and preparing for roles than actually acting, a career in acting should be viewed as a business. An actor, like any other professional, needs career plans, which pretty much sums up the main message of this work by veteran actor, director/producer, and agent Brody. Individual chapters cover the development of a five-year plan to achieve one's goals, getting an agent, and trying to land a job in a desired theater. Also covered are topics such as taking coaching classes, trying out for roles, handling life-plan obstacles (e.g., student debt), and dealing with business expenses (e.g., headshots, union fees, relocation expenses, or health insurance), along with tips on how to make contacts and write query letters or resumés. There is a section on what casting directors, agents, and managers actually do. The second half of the book focuses on the major acting centers of the country: Chicago, Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles, Austin, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and the Washington, DC-Baltimore area. For each of these areas, the author provides a selection of agents, casting directors, photographers, drama schools, management, and theater companies with contact information. Summing Up: Recommended. All audiences. * CHOICE *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction Chapter 1: Dreams for Your Life Play Chapter 2: Given Circumstances of Your Life Play: Obstacles Chapter 3: Your Life Play’s Five Year Plan: Objectives, Events, Tactics, Beats, and Tasks Chapter 4: Making Your Five Act Life Plan Happen Chapter 5: Handling the Obstacles in your Life Play Chapter 6: Access to the Fulfillment of your Life Plan Chapter 7: The Cast of your Life Play: Casting Directors, Agents, and Managers; Who They Are and What They Do Chapter 8: Building a Character: Type versus Brand Chapter 9: Doing Your Life’s Play, Action! Chapter 10: Your Life Play’s Experience: Resumes Chapter 11: The Album of Your Life Play: Pictures, Reels, and Websites Chapter 12: Learning Your Lines and Showing up for Your Life Play: Auditions Chapter 13: The Location of Your Life Play: Markets Appendix: Resources and Recommended Reading

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Book SynopsisWhat it takes to be a 21st century woman.Trade ReviewJessi Klein is a brilliant comedic mind and this book is a perfect reflection of that. It's like having a glass of wine with the best friend you wish you had. * Amy Schumer *Her writing is equal parts funny, strange and poetic. Think Miranda July meets Tina Fey * The Pool *Hilarious... In these 24 short pieces, her irreverent and inventive brand of humor almost seamlessly transfers to essay form. Riffs on dating, aging, marriage, infertility and childbirth have the zing-and-run rhythm of sketch comedy, but structured for the page... These pieces often have a let-me-level-with-you directness reminiscent of Ephron without being too imitative... One of the higher echelons of praise for confessional essays is that they mimic the experience of listening to your best friend. Klein's read as if you're texting with her and have been for your whole life. * New York Times *Klein shares her eccentric path to adulthood, from her tomboyish girlhood to sidesplitting dating tales and beyond in this uproarious, relatable, and irresistible memoir. * Harper's Bazaar *[Jessi Klein's] astute, hilarious essays about the perilous path to modern womanhood will have you wincing in recognition. * People *You'll Grow Out Of It does an amazing job making me understand what my life might be like if I were a woman. Or if I were Jessi Klein. I laughed. Lots. Not at what it's like to be a woman! That would be sexist. I laughed at the parts that you're supposed to. Which are plentiful. Because Jessi Klein is truly really funny. * Ira Glass *Is it really a surprise that comedian Jessi Klein, head writer and executive producer for Inside Amy Schumer, would write a book of personal essays brimming with sharp observations and insights and poignant recollections but that above all is very, very funny? ...We guarantee that this book will quickly become one of your summer favorites. * Entertainment Weekly *Chances are Jessi Klein made you ugly-laugh... laugh even harder with the comedian's essay collection * Marie Claire *Her arguments are sharp, her confessions just light enough, and-most crucially-her quips LOL-worthy on almost every page * Vulture *[Klein's] collection of mini rants strike that rare balance of honesty, brutality, and soul * Glamour *This book, her first, is the kind you dog-ear to death because there are so many good lines * New York Post *Fans of Amy Schumer (i.e., everybody?) will fall in love with funny-woman-and Emmy Award-winning Inside Amy Schumer writer-Jessi Klein's relatable collection of humor essays....Klein is a truly witty PRINZESS. * Bust *Never afraid to share insights and reveal the raw truth behind her own stories, Klein makes readers laugh while inspiring them, a feat that calls to mind the work of the late Nora Ephron. This uplifting and uproarious collection of personal essays will be repeatedly shared among friends. * Publishers Weekly *A gifted comedian turns the anxieties, obsessions, insecurities, and impossible-to-meet expectations that make up human nature into laughter. * Kirkus *Words of wisdom ... everything from breakups to pregnancy to ageing -- Abby Haglage * The Guardian *

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Book SynopsisThis book analyses the distinctive screen art of Geraldine Chaplin and uncover parallels between her performances and her father's work on film and thereby explores the rich and surprising relationships between art cinema and silent film comedy, and between modernist and classical cinematic performance.

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Book SynopsisExamines the star persona of Argentine actor Ricardo Dar nTrade Review"In this brilliant book, Clara Garavelli presents an incisive and comprehensive analysis of Argentina's leading actor. Garavelli places Dar n within the national context of the Argentine cultural industries and traces his rise to transnational stardom. A must read for anyone interested in Argentine cinema and culture, star studies and Ricardo Dar n." -Deborah Shaw, University of Portsmouth

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Book Synopsis Mary Nolan (1905-1948), also known as Imogene Bubbles Wilson, was the subject of two infamous court cases--one with Frank Tinney and the other with Eddie Mannix--in the 1920s. Like many Ziegfeld Follies girls, she had the beginnings of a promising career, but by the 1930s it had been destroyed by adultery, drugs and physical abuse. This biography follows Nolan''s life from the backwoods of Kentucky to her death in 1948. Included is a series of newspaper articles published in 1941 that were to be expanded into her memoir, which she was unable to complete before her death.

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Book Synopsis Judy Garland was an entertainment icon whose performances on stage, screen and television had a tremendous impact across decades and media. This film-by-film study of her work follows her progression from pig-tailed child to a top motion picture star, with such timeless classics as The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St Louis, and A Star is Born. Garland''s talent and versatility as an actress are explored through each of her movie roles. More than just a reference filmography, this work examines how Garland''s talents were realized and understood by producers and the world. It analyzes the star''s relatonships with various co-stars and directors and details how she balanced her painful insecurities with her often focused and driven approach to her work. Through the context of her work on film, Judy Garland''s innate and enduring star power is readily appreciated and acknowledged.Table of Contents Acknowledgments  vi Preface  1 The Early Years: From Frances Gumm to Judy Garland  3 Pigskin Parade  5 Every Sunday  10 Broadway Melody of 1938  13 Thoroughbreds Don't Cry  18 Everybody Sing  22 Love Finds Andy Hardy  26 Listen, Darling  30 The Wizard of Oz  33 Babes in Arms  48 Andy Hardy Meets Debutante  55 Strike Up the Band  58 Little Nellie Kelly  64 Ziegfeld Girl  69 Life Begins for Andy Hardy  76 Babes on Broadway  79 For Me and My Gal  83 Presenting Lily Mars  89 Girl Crazy  95 Meet Me in St. Louis  100 The Clock  109 The Harvey Girls  116 The Pirate  123 Easter Parade  129 In the Good Old Summertime  137 Summer Stock  142 Back on Stage: 1951–1954  150 A Star Is Born  153 Returning to the Concert Stage  161 Judgment at Nuremberg  163 Gay­Purr-ee  166 A Child Is Waiting  171 I Could Go on Singing  175 The Final Years  182 Chapter Notes  185 Bibliography  189 Index  191

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Book SynopsisElizabeth Taylor's electrifying performance in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The milkshake scene in There Will be Blood. Leonardo DiCaprio's turn as Arnie in What's Eating Gilbert Grape? What makes these performances so special? Eloquently written and engagingly laid out, Murray Pomerance answers the tough question as to what makes an exceptional, or virtuosic performance. Pomerance intensively explores virtuosic performance in film, ranging from classical works through to contemporary production, and gives serious consideration to structural problems of dramatization and production, actorial methods and tricks, and contingencies that befall performers giving stand-out moments.Looking at more than 40 aspects of the virtuosic act, and using an approach based in careful meditation and discursion, Virtuoso moves through such themes as showing off, effacement, self-consciousness, performative collapse, spontaneity, acting as dream, acting and femininity, virtuTrade ReviewIn 44 epigrammatic chapters, Pomerance examines the work of literally hundreds of screen actors, capturing the essence of their performances in isolated gestures, speech patterns, facial expressions, and other bits of cinematic legerdemain … The depth, range, and scope of this volume is stunning, as is the precision with which Pomerance unpacks these moments from more than a thousand films, shedding new light on the actor's craft. Summing Up: Highly recommended. * CHOICE *An interesting and compelling read throughout … the book is a joy to read from start to finish, whether one knows the performances being discussed or not, and makes a wonderful addition to the growing body of scholarly writings on performance and star studies. * Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television *In this extraordinary volume, Murray Pomerance acts as something like a spirit guide to the mysteries of cinematic performance. The text conjures a pageant of gestures, voices, faces and moments that exemplify virtuosity, accompanied by critical reflection that is never less than compelling. Pomerance’s prose is itself virtuosic: lucid, penetrating, brilliant. It asks questions we didn’t know could be asked, and never resorts to easy answers. This makes the book essential reading, not just for scholars and students of film performance, but for anyone interested in the art and magic of the cinema. * Dr. Alex Clayton, Senior Lecturer in Film and Television, University of Bristol, UK *From detailed examinations of such singular talents like James Dean and Cary Grant, to the subtler, fleeting, performative moments by virtuosos as varied as John Barrymore and Kristen Stewart, Murray Pomerance offers a new way of approaching, as well as a language for addressing, the riddling qualities of great film acting. What magic the actors explored in this book do with gesture, expression and inflexion, Pomerance does here with incisive description, analysis, and an often delightful turn of phrase. * Dr. Daniel Varndell, Senior Lecturer in English Literature, University of Winchester, UK *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Overture Chapter 1: A Brief History of the Virtuosic Moment Chapter 2: Showing Off Chapter 3: Effacement and Allure Chapter 4: Money Chapter 5: “I Am Acting” Chapter 6: “I Am On Show” Chapter 7: Charisma as Commodity Chapter 8: Outstanding Chapter 9: Virtuosity Superimposed Chapter 10: Spontaneity Chapter 11: In Dreams Awake Chapter 12: A Feminine Mystique Chapter 13: Tortures Chapter 14: Secret Virtuosity Chapter 15: (In)Credible Belief Chapter 16: Touched by the Camera Chapter 17: Improvise Chapter 18: Breathe Chapter 19: Director/Virtuoso Chapter 20: Heimlichkeit Chapter 21: Collapse Chapter 22: Bigger Than Life Chapter 23: The Spectacle of Things Falling Apart Chapter 24: Limping On Chapter 25: The Eternal Return Chapter 26: Borders Chapter 27: Facing Chapter 28: Louder Louder, Softer Softer Chapter 29: Virtuosity Classical Chapter 30: Near Misses Chapter 31: Discounts Chapter 32: Virtuosic Silence Chapter 33: Virtuosic Support Chapter 34: Control Chapter 35: Virtuosic Play-Within-Play Chapter 36: Upstairs Downstairs Chapter 37: Lost in the Stars Chapter 38: Virtuosity Pianissimo Virtuosity Forte Chapter 39: Virtuosity as Event Chapter 40: Indelibles Chapter 41: Virtuosity and “The Virtuoso” Chapter 42: Negative Virtuosity Chapter 43: Virtuosic Slippage Chapter 44: The End or “End” of Virtuosic Performance Coda: A Thought of Conclusion Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisLeonard Nimoy and William Shatner first crossed paths as actors on the set of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Little did they know that their next roles, in a new science-fiction television series called Star Trek, would shape their lives in ways no one could have anticipated. In seventy-nine television episodes and six feature films, they grew to know each other more than most friends could ever imagine.Over the course of half a century, Shatner and Nimoy saw each other through personal and professional highs and lows. In this powerfully emotional book, Shatner tells the story of a man who was his friend for five decades, recounting anecdotes and untold stories of their lives on and off set, as well as gathering stories from others who knew Nimoy well, to present a full picture of a rich life.As much a biography of Nimoy as a story of their friendship, Leonard is a uniquely heartfelt book written by one legendary actor in celebration of another.Trade ReviewShatner delivers a raw and honest look at the life of Leonard Nimoy through the filter of someone who loved him like a brother. "Star Trek" fans aren't the only ones who should read this definitive biography of the man who was much more than Mr. Spock * Daily Mail *Nimoy was an impressive man, and Shatner's warm and engaging book does him justice. -- Simon Griffith * Mail on Sunday *This book works as an enjoyable, affectionate biography. * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisLook closely behind the lives of the stars who appeared in a host of legendary war films and discover how memories of their real-life experiences in the armed forces were haunted with heartbreak and yet filled with extraordinary heroism. Just what did America's most decorated soldier Audie Murphy go through in battle which led him to star as himself in the classic war film, To Hell and Back? When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Murphy joined the US Army aged just 17. He went on to fight at Anzio, the Colmar Pocket, and Nuremberg. And for single-handedly holding off an enemy attack he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. But Murphy's military and celebrity stardom did little to extinguish the pain of his private battle to fit in to a new post-war world he perceived as disappointing, shallow and unfulfilling. Tormented by PTSD Murphy was a man unable to escape from his past. Only the great director and decorated wartime documentary maker John Huston gained Murphy's true respect. When war broke out on 3 September 1939, a number of British stars, including Laurence Olivier, his future wife Vivien Leigh, and David Niven, were in the United States under contract to the Hollywood Studios. Keen not to 'shirk their duties at home', and against advice from the British Consul, they made their way back to Blighty. Olivier joined the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm as a pilot. Then with Churchill's approval he directed and starred in powerful propaganda films, including Shakespeare's Henry V. In 1943 the beautiful Vivien Leigh ruined her health by enduring the brutalities of the North African climate to entertain the troops in the desert. Meantime, Dirk Bogarde was a British Army intelligence officer seconded to the pioneering RAF Medmenham where he studied aerial photographs and pinpointed enemy targets for Bomber Command. As Lieutenant van den Bogaerde he was posted to France just after D-Day. He went on to star in many leading war films such as Appointment in London (1953) and King and Country (1964). Years later in 1991 Sir Dirk Bogarde was interviewed by the author of this book. He had witnessed the horrors of Belsen in April 1945 and said it changed his attitude to life forever. In this book, the author honours the real-life stories of some big screen idols who showed true grit behind the glamour.

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Book SynopsisCharlie Chaplin's career has been described, critiqued, and scrutinized. There are book-length studies on Chaplin's music hall career, his career at Keystone Studios and the Mutual Studios. Somehow, his tenure with First National studios, however, has been largely neglected, even though it was during this several-year contractual time period that Chaplin built and occupied his own studio for the first time, that he attempted and succeeded in filming a comedy feature (The Kid) and that he helped to set up United Artists, an organization that protected the salaries and creative freedom of actors in Hollywood. This period in Chaplin's story is especially interesting because such landmark moments are accompanied by Chaplin's first marriage and divorce, the death of his first child, his friendship with French silent film comedian Max Linder, World War I and the role he would play in it, and the production and release of several unsuccessful films that marked Chaplin's first creative blockage - one that threatened his future career. This book will discuss the transitional periods just before and after the First National contract, as well as the all-important period satisfying it. Archival evidence provides most of the support for the book's assertions, from the Chaplin archive (property of Roy Export, digitised by Cineteca di Bologna, Italy), and the personal archives of other individuals or institutions discussed. Rare photos will illustrate the story.

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Book SynopsisWinner at the 2022 Parlimentary Book AwardsBaroness Floella Benjamin is an inspiration, an actress and much-loved children’s television presenter who is a member of the House of Lords. But how did the girl from Trinidad end up lunching with the Queen?In What Are You Doing Here? Floella describes arriving in London as a child, part of the Windrush generation, and the pain caused by the racism she encountered every day. It was offset by the love of her parents, who gave her the pride in her heritage, self-belief and confidence that have carried her through life. From winning a role in groundbreaking musical Hair (while clearly stating she would not take her clothes off) to breaking down barriers on Play School, from refusing to be typecast in roles to speaking out for diversity at the BBC and BAFTA, she has remained true to herself.She also reveals how she met husband Keith, became a mother of two, was befriended by Kenneth Williams, hugged President Obama, and found a purpose that would underpin everything she did – campaigning for the needs of children. Sharing the lessons she has learned, imbued with her joy and positivity, this autobiography is the moving testimony of a remarkable woman.

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Book SynopsisA National Bestseller!In this intimate memoir, actress and musician Jamie Lynn Spears opens up for the first time, telling her unfiltered story on her own terms. You've read the headlines, but you don't know Jamie Lynn Spears. The world first met Jamie Lynn as a child star, when it was her job to perform, both on set and for the press. She spent years escaping into different characters - on All That, Zoey 101, and even in the role as Britney's kid sister. But as she grew up, faced a teen pregnancy, raised her daughter on her own, pursued a career, and learned to stand on her own two feet, the real Jamie Lynn started to take centre stage - a raw, blemished, and imperfect woman, standing in her own power.Despite growing up in one of America's most tabloid-famous families, Jamie Lynn has never told her story in her own words. In Things I Should Have Said, she talks frankly about the highs and lows, sharing what it was like traveling the world as a kid, how she moved into acting and performing herself, what life as a child star took from her, and the life-changing reality of becoming a teen mom. She talks about how she finally found love and how the mistakes she has made have taught her more than anything else. She also shares vulnerably about how the ATV accident that nearly took her daughter's life brought her back to her faith and caused her to re-evaluate and redirect her life.Frank, courageous, and inspiring, Things I Should Have Said is a portrait of a wife, momma, sister, daughter, actress, and musician doing the best she could to show up for herself and teach her daughters to have the courage to love every part of themselves, too.

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Book SynopsisAt 102 years of age, Louise Tobin is one of the last surviving musicians of the Swing Era. Born in Aubrey, Texas, in 1918, she grew up in a large family that played music together. She once said that she fell out of the cradle singing and all she ever wanted to do was to sing. And sing she did. She sang with Benny Goodman and also performed vocals for such notables as Will Bradley, Bobby Hackett, Harry James (her first husband), Johnny Mercer, Lionel Hampton, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Peanuts Hucko (her second husband), and Fletcher Henderson.Based on extensive oral history interviews and archival research, Texas Jazz Singer recalls both the glamour and the challenges of life on the road and onstage during the golden age of swing and beyond. As it traces American music through the twentieth century, Louise Tobin's story provides insight into the challenges musicians faced to sustain their careers during the cultural revolution and ever-changing styles and tastes in music.In this absorbing biography, music historian Kevin Edward Mooney offers readers a view of a remarkable life in music, told from the vantage point of the woman who lived it. Rather than simply making Tobin an emblem for women in jazz of the big band era, Mooney concentrates instead on Tobin's life, her struggles and successes, and in doing so captures the particular sense of grace that resonates throughout each phase of Tobin's notable career.

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Book SynopsisA lavish hardback containing Orson Welles' Portfolio, much of which has never been seen before. Orson Welles, famous as an accomplished actor, writer, producer and visionary director, had originally aspired to become a musician or artist. Having studied at the Art Institute of Chicago for one summer, he continued to draw and paint throughout his life. The majority of his artwork, including costume and set designs and caricatures, has been unavailable to the public. Until now.Trade Review“a treasure trove of previously unseen [work]” - Flavorwire Gallery Feature“[a] fascinating new coffee table book” - The Daily Beast“an essential read for Welles fans...Welles was a fascinating man for various reasons, and more than anything, this book highlights just how one-of-a-kind and unique he truly was” - Film School Rejects “Wondrously illuminating” - The Film Stage

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Book SynopsisWilfrid Brambell was one of Britain’s most loved and complex character actors. As Albert Ladysmith Steptoe, the unscrupulous rag-and-bone man with questionable habits in Ray Galton and Alan Simpson’s long-running Steptoe & Son, he quickly became a household name with co-star Harry H. Corbett. But despite scores of other successes in roles on stage, TV and film, Brambell died a sad and lonely man.Alongside fame and fortune, ‘You Dirty Old Man!’ reveals how Brambell suffered unbelievable personal heartache, battling an inner turmoil that eventually drove him to drink as his marriage collapsed in the most deceitful circumstances imaginable. His torment led to a secretive life off camera where he did everything possible to stay out of the public eye.Featuring original interviews with film directors Richard Lester, Terence Davies and Tony Palmer, as well as recollections from his own family members, the family of Harry H. Corbett and those who worked alongside him, author David Clayton seeks to re-examine the legacy of a man whose loyal fanbase remains undiminished sixty years on from his heyday.

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Book SynopsisIt was love at first taste for fifteen-year-old Tadhg Hickey when he drank a can of Scrumpy Jack on the night of his exam results. Straight away it provided a cure for that constant feeling of 'something wrong, something not quite right', a way of numbing anxiety and childhood trauma. He realised he was extraordinarily good at drinking and energetically threw himself into a life of pubs, parties and staying pissed, while also managing to become a comedian. But alcohol had the last laugh ...A Portrait of the Piss Artist as a Young Man shows us the often-hilarious lengths of self-deception an alcoholic will go to, the horrific consequences of addiction and the redemptive process of recovering from this deadly but ultimately treatable illness, and remaining sober. A deeply touching memoir and with a side of self-help, Tadhg's easy-going writing style belies his serious message - that each of us has the power to change our lives.

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Book SynopsisIn this much-anticipated autobiography, Raymond Gubbay brings to life his extraordinary fifty-year career as one of the most experienced and well-connected impresarios in British music and entertainment. With a provenance rich in history and talent, he retraces the musical legacy of his family, growing up in a liberal Jewish household in 1950s post-war London with the challenges he faced while embarking on his musical journey after a few failed attempts at corporate conformity. Beginning his career at the Royal Albert Hall, his introduction to the entertainment industry commenced under the guidance of the late Victor Hochhauser – Britain’s foremost promoter of Russian ballet and classical music. Passionate and enigmatic, this memoir delves right into the heart of 1960s performing arts, with Gubbay absorbingly recounting both the stress and excitement that came with marshalling three coach loads of Russian performers around the country at a time of conflicting traditions, theatrical decline, amid Soviet tensions – and this was only the beginning… Setting up on his own, he started with a handful of performers touring to modest venues around the country, building a brand and a style which seemed very much in tune with the times. Later, working alongside some of the most prestigious classical and popular artists of our time – from Yehudi Menuhin, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Luciano Pavarotti and the English National Ballet to Ray Charles, Miles Davis and Andrew Lloyd-Webber – Gubbay has witnessed and played a hand in promoting and producing some of the most iconic performances of opera, ballet and classical music ever staged in some of the largest music venues in Britain, the Royal Festival Hall, Symphony Hall Birmingham – and not least of all the Royal Albert Hall. He was in at the start of the Barbican in the City of London and provides a keen insight into the early years there. Lowering the Tone is rich with stories of showbusiness and the behind-the scenes business of the great musical venues, with appearances from a wealth of household and international names. This is the story of achievement, imagination and a desire to bring happiness and entertainment to generations of music lovers.Trade ReviewA rollicking account of a unique working life and as such, hard to put down.Open, honest and funny, this book is a very good read indeed.It affords an insider’s glimpse behind the scenes and is fascinating for anyone with an interest in music-making in the UK over the past 60 years. It is told with love, wit and recalls a time when classical music was part of the country’s fabricIf there’s one thing he understands, it’s how to please an audience. People love fireworks? Give them fireworks.The legendary impresario has worked with some of our greatest performers and transformed the UK’s musical scene.Raymond Gubbay is widely recognised as the promoter and events producer who’s brought classical music to more people in the UK than anyone elseIconic impresario Raymond Gubbay shares incredible memories from his colourful careerThe legendary impresario is known up and down the landRaymond Gubbay, the impresario with a flair for spectacle

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Book SynopsisPeter Bowles was born in London to parents who were servants to two of the most influential families in Britain. From New York''s Broadway in 1956 to London''s Theatre Royal Haymarket in 2006, Peter has starred in many successful plays, whilst playing villains in such iconic TV series as THE SAINT, THE AVENGERS, THE PERSUADERS, SPACE 1999 and THE PRISONER. He has also starred in many hit TV series including RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY, ONLY WHEN I LAUGH, THE IRISH R.M., LYTTON''S DIARY and, of course, TO THE MANOR BORN. ASK ME IF I''M HAPPY is the personal story of an actor who was told on leaving drama school that he would never play an Englishman (and didn''t), to becoming known as the quintessential Englishman (and isn''t).

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Book Synopsis'A part we have played is like a person we once met, grew to know, became intimately enmeshed with and finally moved away from. Some of these characters remain friends, others are like ex–lovers with whom we no longer have anything in common. All of them bring something out in us that will never go back in the box.' In a varied and distinguished career, Harriet Walter has played almost all of Shakespeare's heroines, notably Ophelia, Helena, Portia, Viola, Imogen, Lady Macbeth, Beatrice and Cleopatra, mostly for the Royal Shakespeare Company. But where, she asks, does an actress go after playing Cleopatra's magnificent death? Why didn't Shakespeare write more – and more powerful – roles for mature women? For Walter, the solution was to ignore the dictates of centuries of tradition, and to begin playing the mature male characters. Her Brutus in an all–female Julius Caesar at the Donmar Warehouse was widely acclaimed, and was soon followed by Henry IV. What, she asks, can an actress bring to these roles – and is there any fundamental difference in the way they must be played? In Brutus and Other Heroines, Walter discusses each of these roles – both male and female – from the inside, explaining the particular choices she made in preparing and performing each character. Her extraordinarily perceptive and intimate accounts illuminate each play as a whole, offering a treasure trove of valuable insights for theatregoers, scholars and anyone interested in how the plays work on stage. Aspiring actors, too, will discover the many possibilities open to them in playing these magnificent roles. The book is an exploration of the Shakespearean canon through the eyes of a self-identified 'feminist actor' – but, above all, a remarkable account of an acting career unconstrained by tradition or expectations. It concludes with an affectionate rebuke to her beloved Will: 'I cannot imagine a world without you. I just wish you had put more women at the centre of your world/stage… I would love you to come back and do some rewrites.' 'A glorious reminder that genuine diversity on stage offers astonishing creative benefits… Harriet Walter is mesmerising in one play after another, bringing her classical training to bear as a conflicted Brutus, then a Henry IV who wears his crown heavily, and finally a Prospero who knows that the steel bars of prison are resistant to all magic… this is genuinely art to enchant' The Guardian on the Donmar Warehouse's Shakespeare Trilogy Trade Review'Intelligent, thoughtful… a strong combination of actor's guide to interpreting text and more general reflections on Shakespeare, but it's the book's element of female empowerment - whether through cross-casting or making judicious choices - which makes this such a potent read… an invaluable tool for actors, but more than that, this is a battle cry for us all to demand better' * Broadway World *'An entertaining, informative and interesting read for anyone involved with acting, language and performance, but above all Shakespeare' * Word Matters (Journal of the Society of Teachers of Speech & Drama) *'Illuminating… provides fascinating insights that come out of researching, rehearsing and performing the roles… will be of interest to scholars as well as actors of either gender playing those characters' * BritishTheatre.com *'Delightful... intelligent, entertaining and informative' * British Theatre Guide *'A quiet jewel of a book… perhaps only a great actress with a lot less narcissism than average could write such an intelligent, hard-nosed book about Shakespeare, and about gender… any actor who wants to master their art should read it and take notes' * The Australian *'Enlightening and entertaining… Harriet Walter has a real gift for an account which is part personal journey and part practical analysis of Shakespeare’s words and how they can be interpreted – by someone who really knows... if you want insights into playing Shakespeare’s roles for women in the widest sense then look no further than this penetrating, very readable book' * Ink Pellet *'One of those startling one-offs that seem to resist categorisation… [asks] lively questions, and Walter is restless and intelligent in pursuit of answers... this is a clever, energetic, principled mind at work' * The Oldie *'Walter understands Shakespeare’s language instinctively… drama students approaching these parts themselves will find it a helpful textual guide' * Spectator *'No book has given me a greater insight into the mind of an actor and I thoroughly enjoyed flicking through the pages to find out about the next character to sink her teeth and magnificent mind into' * Female Arts *'What Harriet Walter has to say about acting and the insight into the roles she has played will be of interest not only to actors but to anybody studying Shakespeare and searching for clues about the characters' * Mature Times *

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Book SynopsisHarriet Walter's wonderfully practical - and personal - introduction to acting. 'Acting is what I do with who I am', writes Harriet Walter. And in this book she takes us step by step through the processes involved in performance. Each step of the way is illuminated with brilliantly precise examples from her own career. So we are introduced to the Workshop, the Rehearsal, and the Roots and Pathways into a role. Then follows the main meat of the book: six Keys to the Development and Exploration of character. The closing section deals with Performance on stage and screen. Every insight, every suggestion is firmly rooted in the author's own experience. Harriet Walter's book is full of unparalleled insights into the everyday working life of an actor, and into quite how much hard work is needed before they can convincingly put themselves in other people's shoes. 'My advice to a young actor: read this book' Richard EyreTrade Review'Buy it, and be delightfully and unhectoringly informed about exactly what it is that actors get up to and why... Harriet Walter is sharp, clear, elegant, sturdily sensitive' * Observer *'A fascinating insight into the working life of an actor... very enjoyable' * The Times *

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Book SynopsisOther early 'stand-out' roles came in the premieres of Caryl Churchill's Cloud Nine (1979) and Mike Leigh's Goose Pimples (1981). He was Malcolm Bradbury's History Man on TV (1981) before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1982, where he has played a huge variety of leading role in modern plays such as David Edgar's Maydays (1983) and Peter Flannery's Singer (1989) but chiefly in Shakespeare. He was the Fool to Michael Gambon's Lear, a famous Richard III, Shylock, Malvolio, Leontes, Macbeth with Harriet Walter, and, currently, Iago. For the RSC he was also Cyrano and Tamburlaine and the Malcontent. Interspersed with these were appearances at the National Theatre - as Astrov to Ian McKellen's Uncle Vanya, as Stanley Spencer in Pam Gems's play and as Titus Andronicus, which he originated at the Market Theatre, Johannesburg. In October 2004 he will appear at the National again in his own play based on Primo Levi's This was a Man. Following his debut as a writer with Year of the King, he has written four novels - Middlepost, Indoor Boy, Cheap Lives and The Feast - as well as an autobiography, Beside Myself (2001), and a play, I.D. (premiered at the Almeida, 2003).Trade Review"'One of the finest books I have ever read on the process of acting' Time Out; 'This is a most wonderfully authentic account of the experience of creating a performance' Sunday Times; 'A brilliant compulsive account' Michael Billington, Guardian; 'It is very funny... The drawings are miraculous too. Is there no end to the man's talent, damn him?' Evening Standard"

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Book SynopsisInside accounts of the making of some of the most influential theatre productions of the last four decades. Max Stafford-Clark has been at the cutting edge of theatre in Britain for more than thirty years. Taking Stock draws on diaries, photos and interviews to recreate the evolution of nine of his most famous and influential productions: Fanshen by David Hare Epsom Downs by Howard Brenton Cloud Nine by Caryl Churchill Rita, Sue and Bob Too by Andrea Dunbar Serious Money by Caryl Churchill Our Country's Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker The Steward of Christendom by Sebastian Barry Some Explicit Polaroids by Mark Ravenhill Macbeth by William Shakespeare The result is one of the richest, most intimately informative books on the making of theatre.Trade Review'a rare opportunity to get inside the mind of one of British theatre's most original practitioners... a fascinating view of an incredibly diverse body of work' * British Theatre Guide *'a splendid portrait of the vicissitudes of the collective life' * Times Literary Supplement *'fascinating... By pioneering the workshop method of rehearsal, where actors and director all contribute ideas before sending the playwright off to pen the text, Stafford-Clark made a major innovation in the evolution of British drama... He also tells a good story' -- Aleks Sierz * Independent *'a terrific read... an absolute treasure trove of insights, tips, reminiscences and lessons in the 'process' of how a new play comes into the world' * Rogues and Vagabonds *

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Book SynopsisNorfolk Summer presents the story about the making of a film starring Julie Christie and Alan Bates Joseph Losey's award-winning movie The Go-Between was filmed entirely on location in Norfolk in 1970. The film charts the tragic story of a young boy's loss of innocence during a hot summer and stars Julie Christie and Alan Bates as a pair of lovers crossing class boundaries in late Victorian England. The production brought together the playwright Harold Pinter, who adapted L.P. Hartley's elegant novel for the screen, the acclaimed director Joseph Losey and a cast of international stars for ten weeks' filming in and around Melton Constable Hall in north Norfolk - a time of happy creativity, some tension and a good deal of comedy. But the idyllic summer only came about after years of bitter battling over the rights of the book, and it was to be followed by yet more intrigue and high drama, which culminated in the film's triumph at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Palme d'Or.Trade Review'A brilliant new book' - Ian Collins, Eastern Daily Press; 'Charming and generously illustrated' - Lewis Jones, The Spectator; 'Can fill you in further on the background [to the making of the film]' -Rupert Christiansen, Daily TelegraphTable of ContentsContents: Foreword 1 Summer's Day 2 Long Road 3 Norfolk Idyll 4 Release 5 Legacy Synopsis of the Film Film Credits Sources Index

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Book SynopsisMichael Coveney has been writing theatrical obituaries alongside reviews for several decades and makes a telling, sometimes surprising, selection of the best performers of our time, from Laurence Olivier to Alan Rickman, Peggy Ashcroft to Helen McCrory, Richard Briers to Ken Dodd. Most of these obits appeared in the Guardian, several in the Observer, the Financial Times and the Evening Standard. The fifty articles are arranged in chronological order of each actor’s demise and constitute a vivid history of postwar theatre through the lives of the actors, ‘the abstract and brief chronicles of the time’ as Hamlet called them. There are happy/sad juxtapositions of shooting stars Robert Stephens and Alan Bates; tragic niece and aunt, Natasha Richardson and Lynn Redgrave; classical queens Diana Rigg and Barbara Jefford; and versatile showtime hoofers Una Stubbs and Lionel Blair.Trade Review'Great idea, great cover, great writing. The Final Curtain is a book we need.' Simon Callow

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Book SynopsisFilm star. Icon. Agitator. Martyr. Paul Robeson was a twentieth-century icon; the most famous African-American of his time. The son of a former slave, he found worldwide fame as a performer, travelling from Hollywood to the West End, and even to communist Russia. A champion of social justice and equality, he would go on to lose everything for the sake of his principles. Here, Jeff Sparrow traces Robeson’s remarkable life. Part travelogue, part biography, this is a story of political ardour, heritage, and trauma — a luminous portrait of a man and an urgent reflection on the politics that define us now. Trade Review‘Sparrow shows how this admittedly splendid actor, this marvelous singer, this charismatic speaker, had somehow evolved into something more: he had for many people become the embodiment of the global longing for a better world, a juster dispensation … Sparrow has made perfect and haunting sense of him.’ * New York Review of Books *‘In a chronologically methodical and delightfully insightful approach that might best be described as “bio-tourism”, Australian author, journalist, and broadcaster Sparrow tells the story of preternaturally gifted Paul Robeson … [A]n excellent and perhaps timely reboot of Robeson’s singularly incredible life, especially as its trajectory now intersects with contemporary racial issues.’ * Library Journal *‘Written with an exhilarating combination of insight and passion … A necessary book. A social movement that calls itself “Black Lives Matter” exists because those lives are being treated as if they don't. Sparrow knows that when he writes of the past, “If you believed in nothing, you’d fall for anything”, he is also writing about now.’ * Anna Funder, author of Stasiland *‘This is an inspiring biography of a really remarkable human being.’ -- Johann Hari, author of Chasing the Scream‘Brilliantly told by Jeff Sparrow, Paul Robeson's story is compelling and important. No Way But This is a challenge to history and a reminder of what unites us.’ -- Owen Jones, Guardian columnist and author of The Establishment‘Jeff Sparrow is the latest biographer to tackle this riveting subject and he ably demonstrates how journalistic method can contribute to historical understanding.’ * TLS *‘Urgent and compelling … A mix of essay, journalism, history and biography [that is] engaging, original and insightful … Fascinating, instructive and full of astute observations on race and politics, No Way But This: In Search of Paul Robeson will appeal to readers passionate about social justice and the history of 20th-century political movements.’ STARRED REVIEW * Books+Publishing *‘An amazing story I didn't even know I didn't know. Jeff pulls us through the grubby terrain of race, Jesus, prison, and fascism.’ -- John Safran, author of Murder in Mississippi‘With sensitive inquisition; fierce curiosity; razor-sharp observation; crisp, engaging prose; and a fondness and respect for his subject that fairly sings, Sparrow once again proves himself one of the finest nonfiction writers we have.’ -- Maxine Beneba Clarke, author of The Hate Race‘Part journalist, part historian, Jeff Sparrow writes with loving discernment about a remarkable man and the forces that shaped his unmistakable voice. [This is] a gripping story of courage and commitment, told by one of our finest chroniclers of the human capacity for tenderness amid the squalor. Sparrow takes us on a global journey, revealing that beyond an old man and a river, there lies a deep valley of hatred and hope, sadness and solidarity.’ -- Claire Wright, Stella Prize-winning author of The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka‘Jeff Sparrow's No Way But This is a major addition to what we know of, and how we may know, this 20th-century giant … It's impossible to do justice in a brief space to such a life of commitment — or to suggest just what a compelling narrative Sparrow has made of it. He has aptly brought this giant to the attention of later generations.’ * Sydney Morning Herald *‘Paul Robeson was truly a giant of a man, in physical stature, courage, intellect, and creative endeavour. With this intimate and engaging portrait, we are able to gain an invaluable insight into a major political and artistic talent of the twentieth century. Ours is a time requiring inspiration, affiliation, and solidarity. Paul Robeson surely provides the inspiration we desperately need.’ -- Tony Birch, author of Blood and Ghost River‘A great book about a fascinating man. Read it and be inspired!’ -- Srdja Popovic, author of Blueprint for Revolution‘Both moving and illuminating … It is timely that in an era when there are more African-American men in jail or on parole in the United States than there were men in bondage at the height of slavery and when the Black Lives Matter movement is gathering momentum that there is a book to remind us about this astonishing individual and the political climate in which he used his popular voice to highlight systemic inequality.’ * Readings *‘An illuminating look at the life of a frankly remarkable man.’ FIVE BOOKS YOU NEED TO READ THIS MONTH * The AU Review *‘Book of the week … [A] conscientious and often painful biography.’ * Daily Mail *‘Sparrow has eloquently portrayed Robeson as a giant of a man who was prepared to kill off his career for his political beliefs. He emphasises that past struggles should inform today; we need not just inspiration to act but affiliation to organise and solidarity to withstand.’ * Morning Star Online *‘Remarkable … It revives Robeson as a model of integrity and bravery — someone who, despite the precarity of his social position, risked his life and career for the ideas of workers' rights, black liberation, anti-colonialism and international socialism. As Robeson's story unfolds, the ghosts of past struggles unite with those who fight for political emancipation around the world today. By naming and connecting these diverse groups, Sparrow opens a space for a new public to be formed. Robeson, with his integrity, struggles and flaws, provides a powerful model for the kinds of political action we so desperately need.’ * Sydney Review of Books *‘Told sensitively and often movingly by a writer awake to the nuances of the political and social contexts in which Robeson moved, this is a story that reverberates today, full of tragedy but also exhilaration and promise. It is the story we need to hear.’ * Overland *‘Sparrow's lively portrait should restore a little of the fame the great man deserves.’ * Weekend Herald (Auckland) *‘Robeson’s character, art, principled politics and legacy of extraordinary courage all come vividly to life in No Way But This. There are many worthy books about the life of Paul Robeson, but this is one not to be missed.’ * Red Flag *‘ … a splendid account of this fabulous figure … This is an intriguing life, beautifully realised by a fine writer, and should be widely read and appreciated.’ * The Miner *‘A thoughtful, sensitive and respectful examination of the life and work of Paul Robeson … More than the biography of one remarkable man, the book is a testament to Robeson's conviction that despite it all, there was no way but to struggle for a better world.’ * Green Left Weekly *‘The book gripped me. I read excerpts to The Spouse over breakfast; I neglected the ironing, forgot to water the vegetable patch … Now that’s a book well worth reading!’ * ANZ LitLovers *‘An entertaining, informative and important book.’ -- Kit de Waal, author of My Name is Leon‘Absolutely wonderful.’ -- Simon Callow‘Sparrow's account not only soars, it sings.’ * Sight and Sound *‘This passionate biography is testament to a figure who deserves to be better remembered.’ * Esquire, The Big Book Awards *‘[W]ritten with deep admiration for its subject.’ -- Nadifa Mohamed * The Guardian *‘[A] pleasing, engaging mix of biography, social history, in-the-footsteps research, and personal reflection … A lucid, thought-provoking tribute to Robeson by an author determined to stand where Robeson stood and imagine what he thought.’ * Kirkus *‘Sparrow has made a worthy effort, joining other recent work, including Jordan Goodman’s Paul Robeson: A Watched Man and Gerald Horne’s Paul Robeson: the Artist as Revolutionary. Each is worth reading.’ * Paul Buhle *‘Sparrow’s book is a very effective and compelling way of introducing Robeson to readers not so interested in conventional biographies.’ -- Tayo Aluko * Morning Star *

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Book SynopsisDame Maggie Smith stands as a remarkable example of the concomitance - in a performer's career - of typecasting and characterisation, that is the ability to impersonate `against type' infinitely various screen or stage characters. This book of appreciation essentially aims at correcting the preconceived image that the general public has of Dame Maggie Smith. Focusing on the last twenty-five years, it examines, through the many parts she has played since the early 1990s, her ability to go beyond typecasting and give, thanks to her chameleon skills, nuanced and convincing portrays of infinitely diverse characters. From "The Importance of Being Earnest" to "Gosford Park" and "Becoming Jane", to "Downton Abbey" and "Sister Act", to "The Last September" and the "Harry Potter" saga, Dame Maggie Smith has had a wide spanning career in TV and Film. Not to mention her theatrical work on the stage.

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