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ADLER, JACOB
JACOB ADLER A Life on the Stage. Introduction by Stella Adler. A memoir. Translated with commentary by Lulla Rosenfeld
" Jocob Adlers marvellous memoirs, vibrant with the outsized emotions and high ideals of another age, bring to life a vanished epoch in theatrical history." Newsday ISBN 1 55783 458 X
ALBEE, EDWARD
EDWARD ALBEE A Singular Journey A Biography. Mel Gussow
" Mel Gussow has caught the exhilarating feel of that time in the fifties and Sixties when the traditional theatre world was flying apart and there at the centre stood Edward Albee. Gussows haunting portrait of an artist thriving and surviving in the American theatre over the last forty years is splendid, riveting and happily unfinished" John Guare, playwright
ANDERSON, LINDSEY
THE DIARIES Lindsay Anderson. Edited by Paul Sutton. With a preface by Malcolm McDowell
The extraordinary and revealing diaries of the revolutionary British film and theatre director who became one of the major cultural figures of his time. ISBN 0-413-77398-2
MAINLY ABOUT LINDSAY ANDERSON A Memoir. Gavin Lambert. HB
The author has had a unique access to Andersons correspondence files and to the diaries that he kept across fifty years (1942-92). They offer us privileged insights into the emotional life of this formidably gifted man. In tandem with these reminiscences are Lamberts reflections on his own life, and the affinities and disparities he discerned between himself and his remarkable friend.
AYCKBOURN, ALAN
ALAN AYCKBOURN Grinning at the Edge. Paul Allen ISBN 0 413 77136 9
This is the first full and authorised biography of Britains most popular playwright. "Makes me want to start reading the entire Ayckbourn canon over again
Splendid." Hugh Leonard. Sunday Independent
A GUIDED TOUR THROUGH AYCKBOURN COUNTRY. Albert-Reiner Glaap and Nicholas Quaintmere
This book seeks to provide a broader picture of Ayckbourn the writer, Ayckbourn the director and, perhaps most importantly Ayckbourn the man. It has been put together from many sources: interviews that the author has conducted over the years with Alan Ayckbourn, statements made by Ayckbourn himself on his plays and more general matters, and articles written by the Author
BAINBRIDGE, BERYL
FRONT ROW. Evenings at the Theatre. Beryl Bainbridge.
Front Row is a collection of Beryl Bainbridges best writing about the theatre. It contains fascinating insights into the work of such contemporaries as Alan Bennett, Alan Rickman and Ronald Harwood, alongside amusing sketches of the actors Bainbridge worked with in her early years, including Judith Chalmers and Billie Whitelaw. And in her autobiographical introduction, Beryl Bainbridge evokes all the magic that the footlights possess for her. ISBN 0 8264 8278 3
BAKER, GEORGE
THE WAY TO WEXFORD The Autobiography George Baker.
This book is a warm and witty memoir by one of Britains best-loved personalities. ISBN 0 7472 5381 1. HB
BARKER, RONNIE
THE AUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY OF RONNIE BARKER. Bob McCabe. Foreword by David Jason.
Written with the collaboration of Ronnie himself, this biography contains original contributions from the people who know him best, including John Cleese, David Jason, Sir Peter Hall and Eric Idle.
"The quiet king of comedy." Roger Lewis, the Mail on Sunday. ISBN 0-563-52246-1
BARRIE, J.M.
HIDE-AND-SEEK WITH ANGELS. A LIFE OF J. M. BARRIE. Lisa Chaney
This wide-ranging and fascinating biography of the deeply complex and frequently
misunderstood writer who created Peter Pan reveals him as an artist whose radicalism
still challenges us. ISBN 0 09 945323 1
J M BARRIE AND THE LOST BOYS The Real Story Behind Peter Pan. Andrew Birkin
J.M. Barrie, novelist, playwright, and author of Peter Pan, led a life almost as magical and interesting as his famous creation. Childless in his marriage, Barrie grew close to the five young boys of the Llewelyn Davies family, ultimately becoming their guardian and devoted surrogate father when they were orphaned. Andrew Birkin draws extensively on a vast range of material by and about Barrie, including notebooks, memoirs, and hours of recorded interviews with the Llewelyn Davies family and their circle, to describe Barries life and the wonderful world he created for the boys. ISBN 0 300 09822 7
BAXTER, KEITH
MY SENTIMENTS EXACTLY. Keith Baxter.
In this book the author shares his sometimes hilarious, his sometimes fraught experiences as a colleague and friend of some of the greatest actors, directors and writers of our time. It includes Richard Burton, Noel Coward, Maggie Smith, Elizabeth Taylor, Tennessee Williams and many more.
BECKETT, SAMUEL
BECKETT REMEMBERING REMEMBERING BECKETT. Uncollected Interviews with Samuel Beckett & Memories of Those Who Knew Him. Edited by James and Elizabeth Knowlson.
Samuel Beckett was one of the towering figures of twentieth-century literature; he was also famously reclusive. Here, in these intimate interviews conducted by his biographer, James Knowlson and published to coincide with the centenery of his birth,Beckett and his family, friends and contemporaries reveal more of the writers human side than has ever been shown before. HB ISBN 0 7475 7882 6
DAMNED TO FAME The Life Samuel Beckett. James Knowlson.
In this remarkable, scrupulously researched and engagingly written account, Beckett comes over as complex and intellectual, but also as witty and extra-ordinarily resilient.
THE FABER COMPANION TO SAMUEL BECKETT. Edited by C J Ackerly and S E Gontarski.
The Faber Companion is the most comprehensive reference to the ideas, characters and life of Samuel Beckett. Alphabetically ordered and cross referenced, it provides a wealth of information for all serious readers of Beckett. ISBN 0 571 22738 4
THE ESSENTIAL SAMUEL BECKETT An Illustrated Biography. Enoch Brater
Professor Brater follows Becketts career from the early days in Ireland, to the efflorescence in France just after the Second Word War, and beyond that to the unfolding of his success in the rest of the world as a result of universal appeal of his cryptic, moving play Waiting for Godot. In his analysis of the way Beckett approached his work, Brater emphasizes the Irish rhythms in his writing, and examines, at all stages, the intriguing relationship between his fiction and his compositions for theatre, film and television. Supported by large selection of photographs, personal and public, here is a brilliant and informed study of Becketts life and works. ISBN 0 500 28411 3
SAMUEL BECKETT. Centenary Shadows. John Minihan
John Minihan, an Irish photographer, who lived and worked in London for over thirty years, first met Beckett in London in 1980. It was here that Samuel Beckett saw Johns photographs of an Irish wake and as a result agreed to be photographed by him. Over the next four years John continued to photograph him in London and Paris. This book, which contains previously unpublished photographs of Samuel Beckett, is a remarkable and timely tribute to the writer one hundred years after his birth. HB ISBN 0 7090 7913 2
A SAMUEL BECKETT CHRONOLOGY. John Pilling. Author Chronologies. General Editor: Norman Page.
This is the fullest chronological account of the life and work of Samuel Beckett (1906-89) that has ever been completed, containing many new discoveries that will influence all future scholarship and research in this area. Benefiting from access to important unpublished material (including thousands of private letters), this is a key reference tool for all students and scholars of Beckett. HB ISBN 1 4039 4651 5
BENNETT, ALAN
BACKING INTO THE LIMELIGHT The Biography of Alan Bennett. Alexander Games
In this, the first full biography of Alan Bennett, the author tracks the writers life from childhood in Leeds through his formative years at Oxford and onward as he stepped reluctantly into the limelight. The result is a penetrating, often hilarious and sometimes harrowing journey which attempts to unravel the multi-faceted life of the man behind Forty Years On, A Private Function, Talking Heads, Writing Home, The Lady in The Van and many other triumphs. ISBN 0 7472 6661 1
TELLING TALES. Alan Bennett
Ten childhood snapshots from the master of the monologue.
Alan Bennett recalls his childhood in a sequence of tales that are funny, touching and told in his unique style. ISBN 0 563 53436 2
UNTOLD STORIES. Allen Bennett
Untold Stories is Alan Bennetts first collection of prose since Writing Home and takes in all his major writings over the last ten years. The title piece is a poignant family memoir with an account of the marriage of his parents, the lives and deaths of his aunts and the uncovering of a long held family secret. Also included are his much celebrated diaries for the years 1996 to 2004, as well as essays, reviews, lectures and reminiscences ranging from childhood trips to the local cinema and a tour around Leeds City Art Gallery to reflections on writing, honours and his Westminster Abbey eulogy for Thora Hird. At times heartrending and at others extremely funny, Untold Stories is a matchless
And unforgettable Anthology. ISBN 0 571 22831 3
WRITING HOME. Alan Bennett
Bringing together his diaries for 1980-1995 and the journal he kept during the production of Forty Years On, which starred John Guielgud, the book also includes accounts of his many television plays and, at its heart, The Lady in the Van, the true account of Miss Mary Shepherd, a homeless tramp who took up residence in Bennetts garden and stayed for fifteen years. From his now-legendary address at Russell Hartys memorial service to recollections of growing up in Leeds, Writing Home gives us an unforgettable portrait of one of Englands leading playwrights. 0 571 23241 8
BERKOFF, STEVEN
FREE ASSOCIATION An Autobiography. Steven Berkoff
Free Association is essential reading for all those fascinated by the explosive dynamism that is Steven Berkoff, and an inspiration to those entering the theatrical profession.
centenar
TOUGH ACTS Steven Berkoff
Memories of working with Stella Adler, Christopher Plummer, Leonard Rossiter, Stanley Kubrick, Brad Davis, Eddie Murphy, Sylvester Stallone, Roman Polanski, Christopher Walken, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Joan Collins, Al Pacino.
Steven vividly captures the unique kind of closeness that develops during the rehearsal period and run of the play or duration of the film shoot and the volatile and unpredictable experiences that this sudden intimacy can create. Full of compelling insights into the creative drives and varying styles of some of the most significant players of twentieth-century culture, Tough Acts is an enlightening read providing a glimpse of what it is like to operate inside the intense and fascinating worlds of cinema and the theatre. ISBN 1 86105 669 9
BERNHARDT, SARAH
SARAH BERNHARDTS FIRST AMERICAN THEATRICAL TOUR Patricia Marks
Sarah Bernhardts first American theatrical tour (October 1880May 1881) is chronicled here. The book provides an overview of contemporary reviews, caricatures and satires, considers Bernhardts reception, and discusses the creation of Bernhardts iconography and its underlying assumptions. ISBN 0 7864 1495 2
SARAH BERNHARDT. THE ART OF HIGH DRAMA. Carol Ockman and Kenneth E. Silver.With contributions by Janis Bergman-Carton, Karen Levitov, and Suzanne Schwarz Zuber
This fascinating book examines the many sides and talents of Bernhardt , from her beginnings at the Comédie Francaise through her international stardom. Wonderfully illustrated, the book features an unprecedented collection of images relating to Bernhardts life, including paintings, posters, photographs, costumes, jewellery, stage designs, self portraits and sculptures. HB ISBN 0-300-10919-9
BERSTEIN, PESACHKE
WHAT A LIFE! The Autobiography of Pesachke Burstein, Yiddish Matinee Idol. Pesachke Burstein with Lillian Lux Burstein
While Burstein is a legend in Yiddish theatre, he was little known outside that world until he was celebrated in Arnon Goldfingers acclaimed documentary Der Komediant. This book provides the first window for English readers into the other side of Yiddish culture the Yiddish vaudeville, the travelling Yiddish theatre, and the music hall. It will not only delight readers but also reveal to them a social and cultural history never before described in such detail. Bursteins life is the story of popular Yiddish theatre in the first half of the twentieth century. ISBN 0 8156 0784 9 HB
BLACK, DON
WRESTLING WITH ELEPHANTS The Authorised Biography of Don Black. James Inverne. Foreword by John Barry.
This is the real-life adventure of a working-class London boy who wanted to write songs. Born to humble beginnings in the 1930s, over the last forty years Don Black has written hundreds of lyrics for some of the most enduring hits of screen and stage classics such as The Italian Job, Diamonds Are Forever, Born Free and Sunset Boulevard. With frank and entertaining tales of Blacks experiences Wrestling With Elephants chronicles the astonishing life of the first British songwriter ever to win an Oscar. ISBN 1 86074 468 0 (HB)
BLETHYN, BRENDA
MIXED FANCIES. A Memoir. Brenda Blethyn.
Mixed Fancies is Brendas life story. Born in Ramsgate during the 1940s,Brenda Bottle was the youngest of nine children. Her childhood by the sea was set against the backdrop of post-war deprivation. After working as a secretary for British Rail, Brenda saved up and, without telling her parents, enrolled at Guildford Drama School. Told with sparkling wit and engaging honesty, Mixed Fancies is the moving and often hilarious story of her journey from the Plains of Waterloo to the National Theatre and on to television, Hollywood and stardom. HB ISBN 0 7432 4859 7
BOOTH, TONY
WHATS LEFT? Tony Booth
This is an enthralling account of a life that is always full of surprises. ISBN 0 297 82946 7 HB
BOGARDE, DIRK
DIRK BOGARDE The Authorised Biography. John Coldstream
John Coldstream, who knew Bogarde well, has interviewed scores of relatives, friends and professional colleagues. The result is a searching study of a complex, fugitive, fascinating figure who said that when he died, "just forget me". ISBN 0 297 60730 8 (HB)
DIRK BOGARDE THE AUTHORISED BIOGRAPHY. John Coldstream
ISBN 0-75381-985-6
BRAGG, BERNARD
LESSONS IN LAUGHTER The Autobiography of Deaf Actor. Bernard Bragg as signed to Eugene Bergman. HB
Bernard Bragg, an accomplished actor, director, playwright, and lecturer, tells the story of his life in the way he does best through a series of stories that are sometimes humorous, sometimes painful, sometimes touching, and sometimes outrageous. ISBN 0 930323 46 7
BRANDO UNZIPPED.Bad Boy, Megastar, Sexual Outlaw. Darwin Porter
Marlon Brando understood sexual liberation long before the rest of us. Here, as interpreted by Darwin Porter, is a portrait of Hollywoods most seductive bad boy as you never could have dreamed. HB ISBN 0 9748118 2 3
BRANAGH, KENNETH
KENNETH BRANAGH. Mark White.
Based on extensive research in previously untapped archival materials and on numerous interviews, Mark Whites new biography traces the vicissitudes of Branaghs career, examining his meteoric rise and the backlash that accompanied it. HB ISBN 0-571-22068-1
BRENTON, HOWARD
HOT IRONS HOWARD BRENTON. Howard Brenton
BREWSTER, YVONNE
THE UNDERTAKERS DAUGHTER The Colourful Life of a Theatre Director. Yvonne Brewster
Theatre is never for the faint-hearted, but for the teenaged Jamaican girl in the 1960s it presented truly formidable barriers of race, culture and tradition. The Undertakers Daughter is the story of how Yvonne Brewster broke through those barriers and achieved her present eminence. It is told from the viewpoint of her equally remarkable mother, Kathleen, the undertakers daughter of the title, whose musings on her own life as she approaches her ninetieth birthday are intertwined with memories of and conversations with her daughter. ISBN 1 901969 24 X
BROOK, PETER
CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS the Story of Peter Brook in Africa
In December 1972, the director Peter Brook and an international troupe of actors left their base in Paris to emerge again in the Sahara desert. It was the start of an 8,500 mile expedition through Africa without precedent in the history of theatre. At the heart of the African expedition is a story that became a search for the miraculous.
"Splendid". Observer. "Enthralling". The Times. "Masterly". Guardian. "Humorous". Daily Telegraph
THE OPEN CIRCLE Peter Brooks Theatre Environments. Andrew Todd and Jean-Guy Lecat
In the The Open Circle, Brook gives a full account of his own ideas and inspirations and the story of the International Centres journey is told one of the most thrilling adventures in theatre space since Shakespeare and Molière. ISBN 0 571 21490 8 (HB)
PETER BROOK. A Biography Michael Kustow
"Michael Kustows book seems to me a masterly study of a special man of the theatre. I have worked with Peter closely and often, and there is much in this account of his life and his work which is quite new to me" Paul Scofield ISBN 0 7475 7913 X
THE SHIFTING POINT Forty Years of Theatrical Exploration: 1946-1987. Peter Brook.
Peter Brook gives a unique view of some of the great theatrical events of the past forty years as he explores his entire career from his early West End and Stratford successes in the 1940s to his epic version of The Mahabharata. Illustrated.
BURNEY, FANNY
FANNY BURNEY THE MOTHER OF ENGLISH FICTION Nigel Nicolson
Nigel Nicolsons book timed to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Fanny Burneys birth provides the ultimate portrait of a remarkably clever, forward-looking woman who has intrigued and delighted critics and biographers for more than two centuries.
" A tender and beguiling account of Miss Burney, the great scribbler and literary chatterbox, with tantalising glimpses of her celebrity circle" Richard Holmes ISBN 1 904095 18 6
CALDWELL, ZOE
I WILL BE CLEOPATRA ZOE CALDWELL. An Actresss Journey.
An affecting and inspiring memoir from of our greatest performers, I will be Cleopatra reveals the essence of the actors art. ISBN 0 393 32360 9
CAMUS, ALBERT
ALBERT CAMUS A Life. Olivier Todd.
The author understands his subject and his times so well, he brings to the life (of Camus) a rare immediacy and perception, evoking a great writer and his world with force and subtlety.
CANTOR, EDDIE
MY LIFE IS IN YOUR HANDS AND TAKE MY LIFE. The Autobiographies of Eddie Cantor. Eddie Cantor. With David Freedman/Jane Kesner Ardmore. Foreword by Will Rogers. New Introduction by Leonard Maltin.
Known for the boundless energy he poured into his performances, Eddie Cantor (1892-1964) was one of Americas best-loved entertainers whether in black face, on Broadway on radio, or on screen. This edition combines for the first time in one volume two rare autobiographies. Within these pages Cantor retraces the steps that carried him from a dingy one-room apartment on New Yorks Lower East Side through a thousand stage doors. ISBN 0 8154 1057 3
CAPEK, KAREL
LETTERS FROM ENGLAND By Karel Capek. With illustrations by the author. Translated by Geoffrey Newsome. With a foreword by Roger Scruton.
Humorous, insightful and imbued with a profound humanity, Capeks letters convey a bemused admiration for a country which in the 1920s still lived according to the memory of its greatness. With a light touch and artistic flourish, Capek described the virtues and vices of Europes newest. Letters from England was banned by the Nazis and later by the Communists. Geoffrey Newsomes new translation gives us a rare opportunity to enjoy the unusual foundations of a national culture. ISBN 0 8264 8485 9
CHAPMAN, GEORGE
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF GEORGE CHAPMAN 1559 1634. Hitchens Elizabethan "Poet, Playwright and Translator." John Gardiner
This monograph traces the life and times of Elizabethan poet, playwright and translator, George Chapman. Based on facts, conjecture and logical assumption it gives a fascinatingly detailed account of his birth, family, schooldays, theatrical career in London, imprisonment and eventual death in abject poverty. ISBN 0-9542192-0-1
CHEKHOV, ANTON
ANTON CHEKHOVS LIFE AND THOUGHT: Selected Letters and Commentary. Edited and annotated by Simon Karlinsky. Translated by Michael Henry Hein
First published in 1973, this collection of Chekhovs correspondence is widely regarded as the best introduction to this great Russian writer. Michael Henry Heims excellent translation and Simon Karlinskys masterly headnotes make this volume an essential text for anyone interested in Chekhov.
DEAR WRITER, DEAR ACTRESS: LOVE LETTERS OF ANTON CHEKHOV AND OLGA KNIPPER. Edited by Jean Benedetti
CHEKHOV, MICHAEL
THE OTHER CHEKHOV A Biography of Michael Chekhov, the Legendary Actor, Director, and Theorist. Charles Marowitz
Charles Marowitz was granted special access to the Chekhov archives in Devon, England, and he interviewed actors such as Gregory Peck and Athony Quinn and directors who worked closely with Chekhov both in Europe and America. ISBN 1 55783 640 X
COURTENAY, TOM
DEAR TOM Letters From Home. Tom Courtenay.
"Its just something that makes a moment stay and you dont forget that time thats all." Annie Eliza Courtenay, on her letter-writing. ISBN 0 552 999261
COWARD, NOEL
COWARD. Sheridan Morley.
Noel Coward (1899-1973) personified the elegant, witty and faintly outrageous way of life of the upper classes between the wars. He responded to the changes of the post-war world through the medium of cabaret performance and character acting while still writing hit musicals.
Sheridan Morley is the executor of Noel Cowards literary estate and will include hitherto unpublished material in this new biography. ISBN 1-904341-88-8
COWARD ON FILM. The Cinema of Noel Coward. Barry Day. Foreword by Sir John Mills.
Significant as his film successes were, they have somehow been obscured by his many other achievements. In Coward on Film: The Cinema of Noel Coward, Barry Day restores the balance by documenting all of Cowards films and those based on hiswork. This key reference for Coward fans and film enthusiasts is a valuable addition to any library. HB ISBN 0-8108-5358-2
NOËL COWARD Future Indefinite. Noël Coward
This is the second volume of Noël Cowards legendary autobiography. With his celebrated panache, Coward shares anecdotes about his South American travels, Hollywood encounters and his later theatrical successes, including the Broadway triumph of Design for Living. ISBN 0 413 77393 0
NOËL COWARD IN HIS OWN WORDS. Compiled and Introduced by Barry Day
This affectionate portrait of Cowards life includes not only his best-loved witticisms and lyrics, but also excerpts from private papers and hidden gems from unpublished material. Barry Day delves into the whole range of Cowards talents, as well as his thoughts on a wide variety of subjects including the theatre, England, the Arts, religion, love and death all the while giving insights into the man himself. ISBN 0 413 77441 4
THE NOËL COWARD DIARIES Edited by Graham Payn and Sheridan Morley
These diaries chronicle the last thirty years of Cowards life, from his war-time concert tours, through to his private and professional depression in the 1950s to his triumphant re-emergence in the 1960s and his Knighthood in 1970s. " A constant delight. A goldmine of gossip with a cast of a thousand stars" Sunday Times
CROFT, DAVID
YOU HAVE BEEN WATCHING
The Autobiography of David Croft.
The man behind Dads Army, Hi-De-Hi!, Are Being Served? and Allo Allo tells his remarkable tale of a fascinating lifetime in comedy. ISBN 0 563 48739 9 (HB)
DENCH, JUDI
DARLING JUDI A Celebration of Judi Dench. Introduced and Edited by John Miller
To mark Judi Denchs seventieth birthday, John Miller. her biographer, has invited fellow actors, writers, people of the theatre, film and TV, to illustrate her genius and her character from their own experience and perspective. ISBN 0-75286-462-9
JUDI DENCH. Scenes from my Life. Edited and introduced by John Miller
Here is Britains most loved actress snapped in early childhood and from early appearances in the York Mystery Plays through a career that has encompassed stage, film and television, from Shakespeare to James Bond and situation comedy, winning her countless awards, including a Hollywood Oscar. ISBN 1 841 88266 6
JUDI DENCH With A Crack in Her Voice. John Miller
In this revealing biography of a great actress and a very special woman, the author shows why Judi Dench has risen to the very peak of her profession, and how she has moved audiences to tears and laughter by her truthfulness and a natural instinct that can only be described as genius.
DEWHURST, JONATHAN
JONATHAN DEWHURST The Lancashire Tragedian. 1837-1913. Philip and Susan Taylor. Foreword by Peter Thomson
"My great-great uncle was Jonathan Dewhurst and for most of my life all I knew about him was that he was an actor who, at the turn of the twentieth century, had managed the Theatre Royal in Leigh. This "Local actor" provided to be a serious tragedian of substance
who himself enjoyed an international career and ran his own
company. But despite his achievements, what is known of him today? Our book is a tribute to Jonathan Dewhurst and to all those unsung heroes of the stage without whose contributions our theatrical heritage would be far less colourful." ISBN 1 85776 524 9
DRAPER, RUTH
THE WORLD OF RUTH DRAPER A Portrait of an Actress. Dorothy Warren. Foreword by Helen Hayes
"It is good to have Ruth Draper back with us with her rich understanding of humanity and the world around her. How she could make an audience glow with recognition.... Too bad she came before video tape, but this well researched book will in a fashion make up for our loss. " Read and enjoy." Helen Hayes
EVERETT, RUPERT
RED CARPETS AND OTHER BANANA SKINS. Rupert Everett The Autobiography.
A superb raconteur and a keen observer of human folly (especially his own), Rupert Everett turns his life into a captivating story of love, nostalgia, fame, glamour, gossip, and drama. From the eccentricities of the British upper classes to the madness of Hollywood, from the Russian steppes to an Easter-egg hunt in Elizabeth Taylors garden, Everett reveals himself as a consummate storyteller and a charming guide to life lived in the fast lane. HB ISBN 0 316 73222 2
EYRE, RICHARD
UTOPIA AND OTHER PLACES Memoir of a Young Director. Richard Eyre
In the captivating autobiography, Richard Eyre, who was Director of the Royal National theatre for a decade, gives his view on acting and politics alongside striking portraits of friends and colleagues such as Ian Charleson, Laurence Olivier, Ian McKellen, Peter Brook and Judi Dench. An unforgettable recreation of Dorset childhood and a portrait of his extraordinary family, Utopia and Other Places is also a hilarious, if scathing, account of his own brief acting career, Witty and poignant, this is a remarkable work of honesty from one of our most celebrated creative talents. ISBN 0 7475 6839 1
FERBER, EDNA
FERBER EDNA FERBER AND HER CIRCLE. Julie Gilbert
Diaries, copious correspondence, and the co-operation of distinguished living friends have resulted in a rich portrait of a period and a literary circle not yet fully documented, and an insightful engaging analysis of a woman writer highly influential in the shaping of twentieth century America.
FIFE, STEPHEN
BEST REVENGE How The Theatre Saved My Life and Has Been Killing Me Ever Since. Stephen Fife
A middle-aged playwright in conflict with his ex-wife, his current girlfriend, and a legion of creditors
Journeys from Hollywood to Atlanta to work with the idol of his youth, legendary avant-garde director Joseph Chaikin. Thus begins a roller coaster ride of a very unusual sort, combining personal revelations with theatrical obsessions, the step-by-step disclosure of a master directors rehearsal process with a search for spiritual truth (and a decent nights sleep). Just hop aboard and get a backstage pass to the "holding-on-by-your-fingernails" reality or contemporary American theatre. ISBN 1 885942 24 9
FLEETWOOD, SUSAN
A LASS UNPARALLELED A PORTRAIT OF SUSAN FLEETWOOD. Keith Connelly
Having gathered together a wealth of facts, photographs, anecdote and reviews of Susans work, Keith Connelly has skilfully moulded them into an entertaining and valuable account of the many achievements of this of this beautifully, talented, hard-working and highly respected British actress. ISBN 1 873203 92 6
FFRANGCON-DAVIES, GWEN
FOREVER JULIET The Life and Letters of Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies 1891-1992. Martial Rose
Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies was a great actress whose work spanned almost the whole of the twentieth century; she had also a great gift for friendship. This book is therefore illuminated by letters form her many friends who included Edith Evans, Sybil Thorndike, Peggy Ashcroft, Laurence Olivier, Walter Sickert, Thomas Hardy, Dodie Smith and most notably, John Gieldgud. ISBN 1 904006 12 4
FOOTE, HORTON
HORTON FOOTE A Literary Biography. Charles S. Watson
This literary biography thoroughly investigates how Horton Footes life and worldview have shaped his works for stage, television, and film. Tracing the whole trajectory of Footes career from his small-town Texas up-bringing to the present day, Charles Watson demonstrates that Foote has created a fully imagined mythical world from the materials supplied by his own and his familys and friends lives in Wharton, Texas, in the early twentieth century. ISBN 0 292 79160 7 (HB)
FRASER, JOHN
CLOSE UP An Actor Telling Tales. The Autobiography of John Fraser
Sometimes outrageous, often hilarious, and always rigorously honest, from the council estates of pre-war Glasgow to the glamour of the 1960s Hollywood and beyond, this is the story of a star in the ascendant on a fearless journey of self-discovery. Looking back over his life, love affairs, friendship and films, John Fraser paints a candid self-portrait and presents such legendary figures as Rudolf Nureyev, Hedy Lamarr, Dirk Bogarde and Bette Davis in a new and startling light. This is a richly entertaining book written by a seasoned movie insider with an outsiders eye ISBN 1-84002-504-2
FRY, STEPHEN
FAT CHANCE Simon Gray.
In February 1995, Simon Grays Cell Mates opened at the Albery Theatre, London, starring Stephen Fry and Rik Mayall. A few days later, Stephen fry mysteriously and famously vanished, leaving in the wake a mixture of anger and incomprehension, turmoil and gallantry. Frys understudy stepped in, a replacement was found, but just three weeks later the play closed. Fat Chance is Simon Grays inside story of how a West End play was made and unmade, a classic account of theatrical misadventure. ISBN 1 86207 746 0
STEPHEN FRY Paperweight. Stephen Fry
"Fry is by turns observer, humorist, reviewer, philosopher, parodist, autobiographer, academic, scourge, clown and, as often as not, an antic amalgam of all these and more, and his variant style conforms flawlessly with each selected role." Alan Coren, Literary Review
GAMBON, MICHAEL
GAMBON A LIFE IN ACTING Mel Gussow
Michael Gambon has created a judicious blend of high-definition performances in the theatre with a wide range of award-winning television to roles and cameos on film. This book, the first to be devoted to him, offers a candid and revealing account in his own words of his life in acting. It is published just as he tackles Falstaff for the first. ISBN 1 85459 806 6
GERSHWIN
GERSHWIN Ruth Leon
This biography evokes brilliantly the pace and colour of New York in 1920s and 1930s, and firmly places Gerswin at the centre of the Jazz Age. ISBN 1 904341 23 3
GIELGUD, JOHN
GIELGUDS LETTERS Introduced and Edited by Richard Mangan
Here is a rich life seen through eighty years of letter-writing before the age of e-mail. ISBN 0 75381 850 7
JOHN GIELGUD: An Actors Life. Gyles Brandreth.
Drawn from conversations Gyles Brandreth had with Sir John Gielgud over thirty years, and written with his subjects blessing, this handsome new biography provides a revealing, and at times touching, portrait of a fascinating personality and an authoritative and compelling account of a remarkable career. ISBN 0 7509 2752 6
JOHN GIELGUD Stage Directions
Sir John Gielguds long illustrious career has given him a wide experience of modern and classical drama, and a profound understanding of the particular demands made by both acting and directing. Here he blends memories of his own performances and productions with critical comment on a range of parts and plays, giving an insight into the world of theatre which is as valuably instructive as it is entertaining.
GRAHAM, DAVID
CASTING ABOUT A Memoir. David Graham
This is a candid account of the actors agent David Graham and his life-long search to find love and happiness. Starting from his family experience of a broken home and his inherited lack of ability to share his feelings, it then concentrates on his homosexuality and the problems this bought to his career. ISBN 0 595 17770 0
GRAY, SIMON
ENTER A FOX Further Adventures of a Paranoid Simon Gray
How much can go wrong in a day? How much can go wrong in a life? In this chronicle of a year of things going wrong (and just occasionally right), the author of the acclaimed The Smoking Diaries meets triumph and disasters and treats those two impostors just the same which is to say with the mixture of wit, anger, vexation and candour that has made Simon Gray one of Britains greatest writers of comedy including the comedy that lurks in tragedy. ISBN 1 86207 745 2
FAT CHANCE Simon Gray.
In February 1995, Simon Grays Cell Mates opened at the Albery Theatre, London, starring Stephen Fry and Rik Mayall. A few days later, Stephen fry mysteriously and famously vanished, leaving in the wake a mixture of anger and incomprehension, turmoil and gallantry. Frys understudy stepped in, a replacement was found, but just three weeks later the play closed. Fat Chance is Simon Grays inside story of how a West End play was made and unmade, a classic account of theatrical misadventure. ISBN 1 86207 746 0
HOWS THAT FOR TELLING EM, FAT LADY? Simon Gray
" A terrific comic adventure, terrifically told with exquisite ill-temper" John Osborne. Simon Gray travels to America to oversee a production of The Common Pursuit and vents his spleen in all directions theatre people, hotel staff, shop assistants, anyone. ISBN 0 571 15139 6
THE SMOKING DIARIES Simon Gray
"Has a man ever written such a sustained and hilarious diatribes against himself? His latest volume of diaries is a ramble mad, maudlin, cross, nostalgic, despairing and very, very, funny" Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday ISBN 1 86207 723 1
THE YEAR OF THE JOUNCER. Simon Gray
A great many writers use their own lives as the raw material for their work but few have done it with the wit and courage of Simon Gray. Like his previous best-seller, The Smoking Diaries, this new book has the rare ability to make you laugh aloud on one page and ponder the sad mysteries of mortality on the next, and sometimes to do both at the same time. HB 1-86207-896-3
GREGORY, AUGUSTA
LADY GREGORY. An Irish Life. Judith Hill.
Lady Gregory, founder of Dublins Abbey Theatre, close friend, collaborator and patron of W. B. Yeats, author of numerous essays, plays and translations of Irish legends, was the daughter of a Galway landowner and never expected to make her mark on the literature or land of her birth. In this new biography Judith Hill investigates Augusta Gregorys many varied relationships, explores the contradictions and achievements of her life, and, for the first time, brings her out from the shadow of Yeats to stand alone. HB ISBN 0-7509-4086-7
GRENFELL, JOYCE
JOYCE GRENFELL Janie Hampton
Joyce Grenfell was one of Britains most popular entertainers. Known to millions for roles in the classic St Trinians films and numerous stage, television and radio appearances, she was also a journalist, government adviser, preacher, poet and secret philanthropist. Janie Hampton grew up knowing Joyce and for this, the first biography, talked to many of Joyces friends, relations and colleagues. ISBN 0 7195 6490 5
GUINNESS, ALEC
THE AUTHORISED BIOGRAPHY ALEC GUINNESS. Piers Paul Read
After Alec Guinesss death in August 2000, his widow Merula asked the author Piers Paul Read, who had been a friend of her husband, to write his authorised biography. Given full co-operation by the Guiness family and free access to Sir Alecs papers, including his private and unpublished diaries, Read has written an enjoyable, yet penetrating and perceptive account of an intriguing and complex man. ISBN 0 7434 1614 7
ALEC GUINNESS A Celebration. John Russell Taylor
This lavishly illustrated volume is a tribute to Alec Guinnesss life, achievements and passions, chronicling his rise through film, theatre and writing. ISBN 1 86205 501 7
ALEC GUINNESS A Positively Final Appearance.
A Positively Final Appearance takes us through an eventful time for the writer and the nation. From eye surgery in 1996 to the 1997 general election and beyond, Sir Alec Guinness guides us through his life, rich with reminiscences, theatre visits, observations of art and literature set against a background of political change and the death of Diana. These fascinating, affectionate and acerbic journals are a delightful addition to his acclaimed earlier volumes. ISBN 0 140 27006 X
ALEC GUINESS The Unknown. A Life. Garry OConnor
Backed by impeccable research, including interviews with Guiness himself as well as those close to him, this riveting biography will at last fill the gaps, adding a new depth to our understanding not just of Guinesss life but of his remarkable acting ability. ISBN 0 330 48959 3
HALL, PETER
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF PETER HALL Making An Exhibition Of Myself
The autobiography of a railway workers son who, with dazzling speed, rose to be one of the most powerful, outspoken and charismatic figures in European theatre. Peter Hall chronicles fascinatingly how, against all the odds, he achieved his ambition.
PETER HALLS DIARIES The story of a Dramatic battle. Edited by John Goodwin
In these intimate diaries, Hall chronicles the eight frenzied years between 1972 and 1980 when he conducted the historic move of the National Theatre from the Old Vic to the South Bank, and then triumphantly consolidated its position as the leading showcase for theatre in Britain. With remarkable candour Hall describes his relationships with friends and colleagues including Alec Guinness, John Gielgud, Harold Pinter, etc.
POWER PLAY The Life and Times of Peter Hall. Stephen Fay.
The greatest theatrical impresario of his time, Peter Hall is also one of its most controversial figures. Why is he so loved and so loathed? In this first major biography, Stephen Fay traces the rise of a brilliant empire builder. Using a wealth of unpublished letters and documents, he assesses Halls triumphs and failures; and reveals, through those closest to Hall, the private face behind the public image.
HANCOCK, SHEILA
THE TWO OF US My Life With John Thaw. Sheila Hancock
This is a remarkable book a biography of a born actor and the complex man behind the roles, a tender memoir of a marriage, and a study of Britain from the 1930s to the present. Full of insight and vivid memories, it evokes two lives lived to the utmost. . ISBN 0 7475 7709 9
HARE, DAVID
DAVID HARE Acting Up
Hares hilarious diary of his experience on both sides of the Atlantic tells of his difficulties in coming to terms with his frightening change of career, but also grapples with more serious questions about what the difference is between acting and performance, whether anyone can learn to do either.
DAVID HARE Writing Left-Handed
HARRISON, JOHN
NOT QUITE FAMOUS. A Life in the Theatre. John Harrison
A Pre-war childhood in Battersea; war-time prep-schoolmaster and Home Guard in Devon; actor at Birmingham Playhouse and Stratford-on-Avon in the 1940s; Director of the Nottingham Playhouse in the 1950s; Director of the Leeds Playhouse/West Yorkshire Playhouse for 20 years; playwright; BBC TV director; ITV TV Producer and writer, including "Upstairs, Downstairs"; Director of Paul Scofield in "The Tempest" at Wyndhams theatre in the 70s. Colleague and friend of Peter Brook, Paul Scolfield and Sir Donald Sinden, John Harrison, though highly respected in his profession, remains in his own words, "Not Quite Famous". So, in his 80th year we publish his very own story. ISBN 0 9546903 0 3
HART, MOSS
ACT ONE An Autobiography. Moss Hart
A classic, richly humorous, moving and wonderfully exciting autobiography traces Harts career from his years as an office boy, through the succession of plays written and rejected, to his eventual success with Once in a Lifetime.
HAWTHORN, NIGEL
NIGEL HAWTHORNE ON STAGE. Kathleen Riley
This is the authorised and fully documented history of the 50-year career of the late Sir Nigel Hawthorne, beloved star of Yes, Minister, Privates on Parade, Shadowlands and The Madness of George III. Enriched and illuminated by the personal insights of the actor himself, it also includes interviews with his close friends and colleagues, including Alan Bennett, Nicholas Hytner, Samuel Goldwyn Jnr, Thelma Holt, Jonathan Lynn and Sheridan Morley. ISBN 1 902806 29 8 HB
NIGEL HAWTHORNE STRAIGHT FACE. The Autobiography.
In this exceptional autobiography written throughout his long battle with cancer Nigel gives the most compelling entertaining, and intimate portrait of his life. Completed only a few days before he died, Nigel Hawthornes honest and witty autobiography is a moving testament to this most courageous, brilliant and self-effacing of actors. ISBN 0 340 76943 2
HEATHCOTE, DOROTHY
DOROTHY HEATHCOTES STORY biography of a remarkable drama teacher. Gavin Bolton
Dorothy Heathcote is the most public drama teaching figure in the world. She has taught classes of children in five continents. The numbers must run into millions. In addition, innumerable teachers have watched her teach in person or on video and television. Dr Bolton describes Heathcotes upbringing, her work as a mill girl, her theatre training, her unprecedented appointment to Durham and Newcastle Universities and her extraordinary rise to fame. He examines the basis for her genius and shows how being a wife and mother contributed to her work. ISBN 1 85856 264 3
HOLLOWAY, STANLEY
AN ARM OF IRON The Life and Times of The Entertainer Stanley Holloway O.B.E. 1-10-1890 to 30-1-1982. By Roy Walding. ISBN 0 9529166 0 6
HOLM, IAN
IAN HOLM ACTING MY LIFE THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY. ISBN 0 593 05214 5
This is a compelling mix of anecdote and observation, taking in not only half a century of acting but also the experience of growing up next to the mental asylum run by his father. Often candid and funny, his autobiography combines his personal and professional lives. He talks with insight about his on-stage breakdown (which led to a prolonged absence form the stage), the women in his life, the nervous condition which still haunts him and his battle with cancer. He also provides a rare and intimate window into the lives of the peculiar people who inhabit the strange profession. Ian Holms story is both honest and touching. His one lifelong commitment has been to his acting, and that same intensity and captivating charm now enrich his writing. ISBN 0 593 05214 5
HOPE, BOB
BOB HOPE Peter Carrick
This absorbing biography of one of the entertainment worlds best-known and loved personalities traces in fascinating detail the great entertainers multi-sided career It also gives a unique insight into Bob Hope, the man behind the public image. Peter Carrick not only takes the reader into the world of show business, but also explores the disasters, disappointments, fear and frustrations of one of the worlds greatest comics. ISBN 0 7090 7299 6
HOWARD, TREVOR
TREVOR HOWARD A Personal Biography. Terence Pettigrew
Trevor Howard was a unique man with a distinct acting talent. Perhaps best known for his leading roles in the classic 1945 film Brief Encounter and in Ryans Daughter. The author became a personal friend of Howards towards the end of the actors life and interviewed him extensively for his book often in the pub near Howards home also coming to know his widow Helen Well. The result is the first indepth study of a much-loved private and complex man, replete with reminiscences by the actor himself, by his wife and by the actors, directors and other friends and colleagues who knew him over the years. With 40 illustrations.
HOWERD, FRANKIE
FRANKIE HOWERD Stand-Up Comic. Graham McCann
Through close examination of his public career, and original research into the secrets and insecurities of Howerds precarious private life, Graham McCann celebrates the real Frankie Howerd; a brilliantly original, highly skilful and wonderfully funny stand-up comedian whose talent and impact were profound as those of Bob Hope, Jack Benny or any of the other internationally recognised greats. ISBN 1 84115 310 9 (HB)
IRVING, HENRY
SIR HENRY IRVING: A Victorian Actor and His World. Jeffrey Richards
Sir Henry Irving was the greatest actor of the Victorian age and was thought of by Gladstone as his greatest contemporary. He transformed the theatre, in Britain and America, from a disreputable and marginal entertainment into a respected, civilising and uplifting art form. In Sir Henry Irving: A Victorian Actor and his World, published to mark the centenary of Irvings death, Jeffrey Richards gives an account not only of Irving himself and his career, but also of his impact on Victorian life as a whole. HB ISBN 1-85285-345-X
JERROLD, DOUGLAS
DOUGLAS JERROLD 1803-1857. Michael Slater
Douglas Jerrold, close friend of Charles Dickens and literary sparring partner of Thackeray,
leading light of satirical weekly Punch and indefatigable campaigner against social and political oppression, militarism and capital punishment, died in 1857 at the height of his fame. There has been no biography of "the wittiest man in London" since 1918, and most of his writings have sunk into oblivion. Drawing on his detailed study of Jerrolds writings, and on much hitherto unpublished correspondence, Michael Slater sets out to restore Douglas Jerrold to his place at the very heart of the record of theatrical and journalists life in London in the first half of the nineteenth century. ISBN 0 7156 2824 0 (Hardback)
KAZAN, ELIA
ELIA KAZAN. A Biography. Richard Schickel
"This book is a fountain of useful information about Kazans theatrical productions and films augmented by startling passages from the subjects diaries. It is also, as any critical biography should be, remarkably insightful. Schickel has a razor-sharp understanding of the many ways in which his subjects life and work affected one another." Martin Scorsese. HB ISBN 0-06-019579-7
KEMBLE, FANNY and ADELAIDE
FANNY AND ADELAIDE The lives of the remarkable Kemble sisters. Ann Blainey. HB
Born in 1809 to a celebrated theatrical family in England, Fanny was the most famous English-speaking actress of her day before she left the stage to marry the Philadelphia slave-owner Pierce Butler. For more than sixty years she was seldom out of the public eye. Fannys sister Adelaide, five years her junior, ranks among the finest of English-born opera singers. Their complex and fascinating relationship is one of the major themes of this grand biography, based on extensive research and exclusive access to hundreds of family letters. ISBN 1 56663 372 9
FANNY KEMBLE.The Reluctant Celebrity. Rebecca Jenkins
"A vivid picture of a clever, vital, snobbish and self-obsessed woman
Fanny Kemble poignantly catches its subjects complex desire, typical of many strong Victorian women, to conform and rebel, and to be cosseted and free" Janet Todd,TLS
KOPS, BERNARD
SHALOM BOMB Scenes From My Life. Bernard Kops. HB
Like so many new writers of his generation, Kops soon found himself on the outside, in his case with no where to go except into the speed-fuelled world of drug addiction. Kops very soul was enraged, a nightmare had begun and it lasted twenty-five years, this book charts his struggle to regain self-respect and the love of his family.
LAPOTAIRE, JANE
TIME OUT OF MIND If I am not myself, then who am I? Jane Lapotaire
Jane Lapotaire is one of the lucky ones. Many people do not survive, let alone live intelligently and well again, once they have suffered cerebral haemorrhage. In the long haul back to life "nearly dying was the easy bit" there was some hard lessons to be learned. A few relationships become casualties; family relationships had to be redefined; and her work as an actress took a severe battering. Moving, darkly funny, honest, this is about what happens when the "You" youve known all your life is no longer quite the same. ISBN 1 86049 977 5 (HB)
LEE, CHRISTOPHER
LORD OF MISRULE THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF CHRISTOPHER LEE. Introduction by Peter Jackson
With a cast list taking in everyone from Orson Welles to Muhammad Ali, locations across Europe, Hollywood and Africa, and packed with mesmerising anecdotes, Lord of the Rings is the perfect vehicle for the astonishing experiences of the man the Guardian describes simply as "the coolest actor on the planet". ISBN 0 75285 770 3 HB
LIPMAN, MAUREEN
MAUREEN LIPMAN Lip Reading
" The lead-up to the day of Atonement involved 17 back-to-back performances of Oklahoma!, a hip replacement, a Hoedown, Bells Palsy, 2,600 egg-cups, a tooth abscess and a car crash. Shall I go on?"
LITTLEWOOD, JOAN
JOANS BOOK The Autobiography of Joan Littlewood.
"Its as if shes talking to you, the reader and she could certainly talk. All her prejudices and insecurities are here. But so is her extraordinary life-giving energy. She could touch genius." Sir Peter Hall
"Joan was a revolutionary and visionary. She changed the course of British theatre. She opened he doors o a different breed of actor." Sheila Hancock. ISBN 0413773183
LORCA, FEDERICO GARCIA
LORCA A DREAM OF LIFE. Leslie Stainton. HB
Drawing on more than hundred recently discovered letters as well as interviews with Lorcas friend, family and acquaintances, and dozens of newly discovered notes, articles and other archival materials, the author brings Lorca convincingly to life
LORTEL, LUCILLE
LUCILLE LORTEL The Queen of Off Broadway. By Alexis Greene
"For anyone aware of the lady merely as a benign dowager patron of the arts, Lucille Lortel: The Queen of off Broadway is a revelation. Who today is aware of the pioneering, risk-taking spirit that compelled Lortel to be an early Champion of Sean OCasey, Jean Genet and and Athol Fugard in the American theatre? Alexis Greenes meticulous, clearly written biography is a perceptive portrait of an inimitable producer." Michael Sommers, Newhouse Newspapers ISBN 0 87910 302 7(HB)
LOWE, ARTHUR
ARTHUR LOWE Graham Lord
This first in-depth biography of Lowe is a vivid and moving account of his poor childhood and early days on Manchester, his bizarre army career during the Second World War in Egypt and Palestine that was sometimes as hilarious as anything in Dads Army, his hard years learning his craft in provincial repertory theatre, his increasingly acclaimed appearances in the West End, and his string of TV triumphs. . ISBN 0 75284 229 3
LUDLAM, CHARLES
RIDICULOUS! The Theatrical Life and Times of Charles Ludlam. David Kaufman
In this amazing and unstoppable biography of Charles Ludlam, David Kaufman captures the times and the man, the wild Manhattan of the 1960s and 70s and the creative genius of Ludlam, who married real learning to raucous laughter in his flamboyant theatre, which included tributes to Callas, Camille, the Dowager Empress, and James M. Cain. This is a glorious celebration of the Aristophanes of the 20th century, Americas greatest comic spirit." Donald Lyon ISBN 1 55783 588 8. HB
McBEAN, ANGUS
ANGUS McBEAN: Face-Maker. Adrian Woodhouse
Angus McBean: Face-maker is the first full-length biography of Angus McBean, one of the most influential photographers of the twentieth century whose "surreal" and romantic portraiture of iconic film stars and musicians is still imitated throughout the world in fashion images and pop videos. HB ISBN 1 84688 008 4
McKELLAN, IAN
IAN McKELLAN. An Unofficial Biography. Mark Barratt
Hugely readable and immensely entertaining, Mark Barrats intimate biography gives a rare and informed insight into the life and work of one of Britains best loved actors. ISBN 0 7535 1074 x
MALONE, EDMOND
EDMOND MALONE Shakespearean Scholar. A Literary Biography. Peter Martin
Edmond Malone (1741-1812) was the greatest early editor of Shakespeares works, the first historian of early English drama, the biographer of Shakespeare, Dryden and Reynolds, and a relentless exposer of literary history through manuscripts and early editions laid the foundations for the scholars code and the modern study of literature. Yet he was also a gregarious man, attracting many friends and enemies among his contemporaries. This first modern full-length biography of Edmond Malone illuminates in a unique way both the intensely private world of the scholar and the highly public world of the late eighteenth century artist. ISBN 0 521 61982 3
MAMET, DAVID
DAVID MAMET A Whores Profession. Notes and Essays
A new series of essays. Included are autobiographical vignettes from childhood fear to adult nostalgia in the re-creation of the past.
MACLAREN-ROSS, JULIAN
FEAR AND LOATHING IN FITZROVIA The Bizarre Life of Writer, Actor , Soho Dandy.Julian Maclaren-Ross Paul Willets
This is the first full, authorised account of both his bizarre life and the raffish world within which he was such a pivotal figure. ISBN 1 899235 69 8
MARLOWE, CHRISTOPHER
CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE. Poet & Spy. Park Honan
In this major new biography, Park Honan brings substantial new evidence to bear on the life of Marlowehis early years and his life as a rebellious student in Cambridge; his challenges to the religious and sexual status quo; his reputation amongst his fellow writers, and his relationship with Shakespeare and Kyd, and with the scientific freethinkers of the day; his career as a spy for Queen Elizabeths Privy Council; and the events which led to his murder in Deptford.
Christopher Marlowe: Poet & Spy brings us closer than ever to one of the most enigmatic figures in literary history. HB ISBN 0-19-818695-9
MCKELLEN, IAN
IAN MCKELLEN An unofficial Biography. Mark Barratt.
Hugely readable and informative, Mark Barratts study gives a rare insight into the life and works of one of Britains greatest actors. ISBN 1 85227 251 1 (HB)
MILLER, ARTHUR
ARTHUR MILLER A Life. Martin Gottfried
This first full biography reveals the relationships between Arthur Millers life and his work, from the early, autobiographical plays to his personal and political references in After the Fall. All is work is discussed, from tentative idea to completed production, with chapters on the major works: Death of a Salesman, All my Sons, After the Fall, A view from the Bridge and The Crucible. Using these materials in conjunction with notebooks, annotated scripts and correspondences as well as interviews with those who know Miller, biographer Martin Gottfried crafts the complete life and work of a true man of the century, a nations conscience, an international legend and a theatre giant in his own time: Arthur Miller. ISBN 0-571-21947--0
ARTHUR MILLER A PLAYWRIGHTS LIFE AND WORKS. Enoch Brater
Professor Brater follows Millers career from his prizewinning student days at the University of Michigan, through the landmark success of his 1949 drama, Death of a Salesman, to his doomed marriage to the actress Marilyn Monroe and beyond. HB ISBN 0-500-51242-6
THE CRUCIBLE IN HISTORY AND OTHER ESSAYS. Arthur miller
In the Crucible in History, Miller recounts with candour the intimate details of his own peril and despair during Senator Mcarthys infamous anti-communist crusade. In two other essays included here, Miller looks back at the writing of Death of a Salesman on the occasion of its fiftieth anniversary, and reflects on the inspiration for The Price ISBN 0-41377524-0
REMEMBERING ARTHUR MILLER. Edited by Christopher Bigsby
Remembering Arthur Miller is a celebration of a life committed to writing, to upholding liberty and to speaking out against injustice. Over eighty pieces from actors,writers, directors, reviewers and others, who knew or worked with Miller, attest to the enduring legacy that he has left and the honour in which he is held. HB ISBN 0-413-77552-6
"SALESMAN" IN BEIJING. Arthur Miller.
"Very few people write well about the art of directing a play. Miller, however, has a specific and intricate problem to explain: how you direct, listening to your own play coming across in a language you cannot hope to understand
The result, then, is not merely the lucid diary of a unique production in China; it is also a very clear account of the kind of process any production might go through, and of the thoughts running through the mind of any considerate director." The Times ISBN 0-413-77545-3
TIMEBENDS. A Life. Arthur Miller. With a foreword by Richard Eyre
From the moment of its first publication, Arthur Millers Timebends has been recognised as a classic of modern autobiography. This new edition contains a foreword by Richard Eyre and an afterword by Christopher Bigsby.
"A beautifully structured narrative: tough, very moving
a book and a half" Harold Pinter. ISBN 0-413-77544-5
MILLS, JOHN
STILL MEMORIES An Autobiography In Photography. John Mills
Throughout John Mills extraordinary career he has been clicking his beloved Leica. More than seven thousand photographs and transparencies present a unique chronicle of a unique man and a unique family.
UP IN THE CLOUDS, GENTLEMEN PLEASE. JOHN MILLS Revised and Updated.
Sir John Mills is unquestionably one of Britains best-loved and most respected actors. Still active well into his 90s, he talks about his early career in music hall song-and-dance routines, the day of Cavalcade and Jill Darling, the film epics In Which We Serve, Ice Cold in Alex, Scott of the Antarctic and the prized Oscar for Ryans Daughter. This is a wonderful stories of fame and fortune, drama and tragedy, and the true love and lasting friendship of a happy and united acting family. ISBN 0 7528 4 449 0
MIRREN, HELEN
HELEN MIRREN THE BIOGRAPHY. Ivan Waterman.
A fascinating read, this book charts an incredible woman through her struggle to the top , her dramatic decision to move LA, her relationships with fellow actors, including Liam Neeson, and her marriage to film director Taylor Hackford. A must-read for Mirren fans and film buffs alike, this book is not to be missed. ISBN 1 84358 053 5 (HB)
MONTANO, LINDA M.
LETTERS FORM LINDA M. MONTANO Linda M. Montano. Edited by Jennie Klein
Letters from Linda M. Montano is an exceptional anthology of writings by one of the seminal performance artists of the past century. It provides a candid autobiographical and historical record of Mantanos life and artistic practice over the past thirty years, collecting together stories, fairy tales, letters, interviews, manifestos, and other writings, many previously unpublished. ISBN 0 415 33943 X
MORLEY, SHERIDAN
ASKING FOR TROUBLE The Memoirs of Sheridan Morley.
"Morleys biography combines thoroughness and authority with a delight in its subject and an infectious passion for the theatre itself." Benedict Nightingale, The Times
"Insights into his character and many good stories, some of them very funny
float delightfully on warm gusts of anecdotes." Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday
" Sheridan weaves together with ebullient humour and gracious self-deprecation the various strands of his life: his parentage, the West End stage, the BBC, his nervous breakdown, his biography writing and his journalism." The Sunday Times ISBN 0 340 82058 6
MORTIMER, JOHN
THE SUMMER OF A DORMOUSE A Year of Growing Old Gracefully. John Mortimer
Well aware that no one should grow old who isnt prepared to look ridiculous, John Mortimer, unrepentant septuagenarian and creator of Horace Rumpole, resigns himself to the fact that the putting on of socks should be left to the young. Yet despite his bodys angry protestations, he is determined to continue enjoying the fruits of longlife supremely dedicated to pleasure. Here, he tells the poignant and wonderfully funny account of a year spent growing old disgracefully ISBN 0 140 029112 1
NEWLEY, ANTHONY
THE BIOGRAPHY OF ANTHONY NEWLEY STOP THE WORLD. By Garth Bardsley
In this extraordinary account of Anthony Newleys life, Garth Bardsley explores Newleys lifelong search for his father, his illegitimacy, the fortunes won and squandered, the wives and the lovers, and of course the films and shows and reveals the Newley that few, if any, ever really knew. ISBN 1 84002 459 3
NIVEN, DAVID
NIV The Authorised Biography of David Niven. Graham Lord
Written with the full co-operation and assistance of Nivs children, Niv is the authorised account of a remarkable life. Graham Lord has interviewed scores of people from all over the world, among them Nivs ninety-six-year-old sister Grizel and his great friends Lauren Bacall, John Hurt, Patrick Macnee, Roderick Mann, Sir Roger Moore, Sir John Mills, Sir John Mortimer, Michael Parkinson, Fiona Thyssen, Sir Peter Ustinov, and Robert Wagner. ISBN 0 75285 928 5
OLIVIER, LAURENCE
OLIVIER. Francis Beckett
Francis Beckett is a journalist, author and contemporary historian, writing mainly about education, politics and society for several national newspapers. Theatre is his passion, however, and this biography looks at Olivier, possibly Britains greatest actor of the 20th of century, from the viewpoint a social historian. ISBN 1-904950-38-8
OLIVIER The Authorised Biography Terry Coleman. ISBN 0 7475 8080 4
OMARA, KATE
VAMP UNTIL READY A Life Laid Bare. Kate OMara
Off stage, her personal life has been equally dramatic, featuring rape, desertion, adoption, divorce and a string of relationships. Feisty funny, sometimes sad but always entertaining, Vamp Until Ready is the no-hold-barred eagerly awaited autobiography of Kate OMara, one of Britains most popular icons and a woman who really lives life to the full. ISBN 1 86105 700 8 (HB)
ORTON, JOE
ORTON DIARIES. John Lahr
From December 1966 until his murder in August 1967, Orton kept a series of diaries that prove to be one of the most candid, unfettered accounts of his literary success, sexual escapades and marriage to Kenneth Halliwell, while encapsulating life during six months in the heady, optimistic, exuberant sixties.
PRICK UP YOUR EARS The Biography of Joe Orton. John Lahr
John Lahr reconstructs both the life and death of Joe Orton in another extraordinary biography that was chosen book of the year by Truman Capote and Nobel Prize-winning novelist Patrick White when it first appeared in 1978. ISBN 0 7475 6014 5
OSBORNE, JOHN
JOHN OSBORNE. A Patriot For Us. John Heilpern
John Osborne, unapologetic rebel and original Angry Young Man, blow-torched his way into our lives, changing the face of modern British theatre in 1956 with Look Back In Anger. As iconoclastic as Shaw or Wilde, he defined England in many controversial ways. An actor turned playwright, there was about him the public showmanship of his own tragic invention, Archie Rice in The Entertainer. But Osborne hid his anguished nature and immobilising depressions from the outside world in his secret notebooks. This startlingly candid, authorised but intimate and informal biography is the first to have access to these sensational notebooks and private letters. HB ISBN 0 701 16780 7
PAGETT, NICOLA
DIAMONDS BEHIND MY EYES. Nicola Pagett and Graham Swannell
By turns funny, bizarre, distressing and moving, this is a searingly honest account of mental illness. Nicola Pagett spares herself nothing in her determination to explain, openly and in a manner that mirrors her condition, what happened to her and how she was cured.
PHILLIPS, SIN
SIN PHILLIPS The Autobiography Private Faces
In this remarkably vivid, funny and touching autobiography Siân Philips describes her extraordinary childhood in the remote Welsh countryside around the Black Mountain where life has stood still for centuries.
SIN PHILLIPS The Autobiography Public Places.
In the final volume of Siân Philips exceptional autobiography the curtain rises on the highest and lowest points of her life. Now in the spotlight of her marriage to Peter OToole Siân reveals the off-stage drama of their wonderful tumultuous life together. Against all exceptions, their union endures for 20 years. When it ends, incredibly, even to herself, she plunges straight onto another marriage to a much younger man. Emerging alone, triumphant and unrepentant, the story she now tells ranks alongside the very best in show business. ISBN 0 340 71258 9
PIAF, EDITH
A CRY FROM THE HEART Biography of Edith Piaf. Margaret Crosland with contributions from Ralph Harvey.
This definitive biography sheds new light on the phenomenon that was Piaf, enlarging on and in some cases correcting the half-truths provided by Piaf in her two biographies. ISBN 1 900850 50 8
PINTER, HAROLD
CONVERSATIONS WITH PINTER. Mel Gussow
A unique sequence of interviews, in which Pinter talks candidly about his plays, offering valuable pointers to their origins and intentions.
HAROLD PINTER The Life And Work Of. Michael Billington.
In this ground-breaking book the first authorized biographical study the author examines Pinters work in the context of his life. He emerges as a man of infinite complexity whose imaginative world is shaped by his private character. This book offers a radical reassessment of Pinter.
HAROLD PINTERS POLITICS. A Silence Beyond Echo. Charles Grimes.
Harold Pinters Politics examines the expression of Pinters political beliefs across every aspect and era of his artistic career. The fierce political stances of this important dramatist have been embodied in plays, screenplays, and his career as a theatrical director. Pinters name is now a byword for antiauthoritarian and anti-American politics, and his artistic embrace of these stances can be seen from the earliest phases of his writing. HB ISBN 0 8386 4050 8
PLOWRIGHT, JOAN
AND THATS NOT ALL The Memoirs of Joan Plowright.
Joan Plowright begins her enthralling, honest and often funny memoirs. Of the north country girl who came to London, acted at the Royal Court theatre, and Married Britains greatest actor. Joan was already a rising star when she met Laurence Olivier, who was then mmarried to Vivien Leigh, and here, for the first time, she talks intimately about life with Olivier and about a career the continues to flourish. ISBN 0 75284 840 2
QUILLEY, DENIS
HAPPINESS INDEED AN ACTORS LIFE. Denis Quilley
A man of many parts, Denis Quilleys acting career ranged from Shakespeare to Sondheim via Chekhov, ONeill and Beckett. Musicals, comedies and tragedies were all part of an extraordinary life that covered sixty years of theatre, television and film, working with many of the greats of stage and screen. Happiness Indeed is Quilleys story told with his inimitable ebullience, humour and panache. ISBN 1 84002 268 X (HB)
RAMSAY, MARGARET
PEGGY The Life of Margaret Ramsay, Play Agent. Colin Chambers.
The compelling story of the woman who nurtured several generations of writing talent the most influential behind-the-scenes figure in the British theatre since the war.
REDGRAVE, MICHAEL
SECRET DREAMS A Biography of Michael Redgrave. Alan Strachan
Of all the great actors of the twentieth century Michael Redgrave was the most wide ranging in his talent and the most private with a personal life of utmost complexity, often secret in its detail. Using Redgraves diaries and archives, Alan Strachan has uncovered the full story of an unorthodox life, with private guilts, demons and tensions "which informed the public work with so much of its uniquely troubling intensity." ISBN 0-75286-548-X
RIGG, DIANA
DIANA RIGG The Biography. Kathleen Tracy
Tracy reveals fascinating professional and personal life of this rebellious, outspoken icon of feminism from her childhood in India and early days with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London to her tenure on The Avengers, her role in the Bond film On Her Majestys Secret Service and her distinguished stage career. ISBN 1 932100 27 X
ROACH, PAT
IF The Pat Roach Story. Pat Roach with Shirley Thompson. Foreword by Arnold Schwarzenegger
For the first time, wrestler-turned-film-and-television actor Pat Roach tells his unique life from poverty-stricken childhood to famous celebrity, revealing 'the man behind the image', and covering his considerable achievements in the fields of sport, film and television. The range of contributors and subjects is extremely diverse including Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Steven Spielberg and many other actors, directors, photographers, museum curators, entrepreneurs, stunt men, fans, film crew and sports personalities. Illustrated. ISBN 1 85858 209 1
ROSENTHAL, JACK
BY JACK ROSENTHAL An Autobiography in Six Acts. With a PostScript by Maureen Lipman. ISBN 1 86105 748 2 (HB)
Paperback edition. ISBN 1 861 05960 4
RUBY, THELMA & FRYE, PETER
DOUBLE OR NOTHING: Autobiography of Thelma Ruby and Peter Frye
In this moving memoir, of theatrical life in Canada, the United States, England and Israel, Thelma tells of her struggles and successes on stage where she worked with Orson Welles, Tyrone Power, Judi Dench and Kenneth Williams, to name but a few. Peter Speakes of the way his career was cruelly blighted when he was blacklisted during the McCarthy era as a result of his fight for justice during the Spanish Civil War. Among his students of acting in New York were Lee Marvin, Walter Matthau, Rod Steiger and Patricia Neal.
SCALES, PRUNELLA
PRUNELLA. The Authorised Biography of Prunella Scales. Teresa Ransom
Prunella Scales has played parts by writers as diverse as Alan Bennett, Anton Chekhov and the creators of supermarket advertising campaign. Through this biography a portrait emerges, for the first time, of the intriguing and dedicated woman behind her many familiar masks. HB ISBN 0-7195-5697-X
Paperback edition. ISBN 0 7195 5698 8
SHAUGHNESSY,ALFRED
A CONFESSION IN WRITING. Alfred Shaughnessy.
In A CONFESSION IN WRITING the author recalls some of the more dramatic incidents of his career and includes humorous anecdotes. He describes encounters with many famous actors, writers and directors and gives much insight into the arts of directing and scriptwriting. The book will be compulsive reading for those who are interested in the world of British screen and TV film and theatre, and provide a fund of information for its students. HB ISBN 1 873951 30 2
SHAW, GEORGE BERNARD
BERNARD SHAW The One Volume Definitive Edition. Michael Holroyd.
Holroyds multi-volume life of Bernard Shaw is now available for the first time in a lively and accessible abridgement by the author.
EDWARDIAN SHAW The writer and His Age. Leon Hugo
By going to unused contemporary documents by Shaw and other writers, the author has opened up new and challenging perspectives on a perennially challenging subject. In this study of Shaws public career from 1901 to 1910 the author shows how Shaw confronted a highly conservative world and gradually overcome its opposition to a dominant radical voice of the age. Aspects of Shaws career are highlighted: his self advertisement campaigns, his crusade against vaccination, his Fabian causes, his onslaughts on stage censorship and his progress as a playwright.
SHER, ANTHONY
BESIDE MYSELF Anthony Sher.
"Thus is the most unsparingly honest actors autobiography I have ever read
. By the end of a beautifully written book, you feel you know Sher inside out" Guardian
THE YEAR OF THE KING Anthony Sher. ISBN 1 85459 753 1
Antony Shers stunning performance for the Royal Shakespeare Company as Richard III on crutches the so-called "bottled spider" won him both the Laurence Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Actor. This book records in the actors own words and drawings the making of this historic theatrical event. ISBN 1 85459 753 1
SHERRIN, NED
NED SHERRIN The Autobiography. HB ISBN 0-316-72499-8
SIMKINS, MICHAEL
WHATS MY MOTIVATION Michael Simkins
Its not all Oscars and ovations. This is a true tale of one mans relentless pursuit of the actors life. It begins with a boy with nurtured an illicit taste for Gilbert and Sullivan performed in Sussex scout huts, while his friends were more sensibly, out getting laid and stoned. It is a story of an obsessive who, despite his share of successes, has endured the ritual humiliations of his profession end-of-the-pier seasons, Christmas panto hell, minimum wages in straight-to-video flops and TV fillers, patently doomed provincial tours with rancid digs, theatre workshop at the sewage works, the challenge of safety training videos and dressing up as a chicken to advertise TV dinners all in the quest for the elusive perfect role. ISBN 0 091 89229 5
SIMON, NEIL
NEIL SIMON A Memoir. The Play Goes On.
This is the second act to Neil Simons acclaimed Rewrites. Simons same willingness to open his heart to the reader permeates The Play Goes On. ISBN 0 684 86980 2
SMITH, LIZ
OUR BETTY. Scenes from my Life. Liz Smith
Liz Smith, once called the nations favourite fictional grandmother, is a familiar face to all TV and cinema viewers. She is most often recognized for her portrayal of Nana in the Royle Family. Written episodically and illustrated by Liz, Our Betty is like its author, original, amusing and fascinating on the struggles, hopes and successes endemic of a life in front of the camera. HB ISBN 0 7432 8533 6
SONDHIEM, STEPHEN
SONDHEIM. Martin Gottfried. HB
Gottfried brings a wide background in music and theatre criticism to this subject. His own narrative of Sondheims life is enhanced by general quotations from the artist himself. Illustrated.
SOYINKA, WOLE
AKE The Years of Childhood. Wole Soyinka
" A beautifully drawn picture of childhood ... by a writer whose sense of the comic and the tragic have combined once more to make a major contribution to contemporary English literature that will surely number among the classics of childhood" Evening Standard. ISBN 0 413 75190 2
WOLE SOYINKA Ibadan. The Penkelemes years. A Memoir 1946-65
Winner of the Nobel Prize for literature, Ibadan is Wole Soyinkas autobiographical account of his boyhood and young manhood as a political activist a celebration of an optimistic Nigeria on the brink of transformation, and a passionate account of a nations betrayal. ISBN 0 413 74420 5
STOPPARD, TOM
TOM STOPPARD IN CONVERSATION. Edited by Paul Delaney
This collection of interviews with British playwright Tom Stoppard, author of such well-known comedies as Travesties, Jumpers, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, bring together for the first time Stoppards most significant assessments of his own work.
TERRY, ELLEN
ELLEN TERRY. Joy Melville
Ellen Terry (1847 1928) rose to fame as an actress in the 19th century, when her stage partnership with Henry Irving at Londons Lyceum Theatre drew capacity crowds. A perfectionist on stage, she was cruelly forced to continue to act beyond a point she found appropriate in order to earn enough money to support her children. As her sight and memory worsened, and her partnership with Irving ended, her acting career closed. She reinvented herself as a lecturer, touring Britain and America speaking on Shakespeares heroines. HB ISBN 1 904950 14 0
THOMAS, DYLAN
DYLAN THOMAS A NEW LIFE. Andrew Lycett
In this riveting new biography, Andrew Lycett goes behind the fables to reveal Dylan Thomas. He returns to Thomass roots to suburban Swansea and rural Carmarthenshire to illuminate the world of the "Rimbaud of Cwndonkin Drive". With access to original material form archives and personal papers, he shows the development of the budding bard and brings important new insights to Thomass poetry. ISBN 0 75381 787 X
THAW, JOHN
THE TWO OF US My Life With John Thaw. Sheila Hancock
This is a remarkable book a biography of a born actor and the complex man behind the roles, a tender memoir of a marriage, and a study of Britain from the 1930s to the present. Full of insight and vivid memories, it evokes two lives lived to the utmost. ISBN 0 7475 7020 5 (HB)
TYNAN, KENNETH
KENNETH TYNAN A Life. Dominic Shellard
This biography offers the first complete appraisal of Tynans powerful contributions to post-war British theatre, set against the context of the fifties, sixties and seventies and of his own turbulent life. ISBN 0 300 09919 3 (HB)
THE DIARIES OF KENNETH TYNAN. Edited by John Lahr
Irreverent indiscreet, wildly funny, sad, shocking and inspiring, the legendary diaries of Kenneth Tynan are above all compelling literature. For over three decades, on both sides of the Atlantic, Tynan was at the epicentre of the theatre and film worlds. He knew everybody; and everybody wanted to know him. His diaries bear superb witness to the fame he courted and the price he paid for it. ISBN 0 7475 5841 8
USTINOV, PETER
THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER. The Authorised Biography. Peter Ustinov.
Peter Ustinov has collaborated full with John Miller, and talks frankly about all aspects of his multi-faceted career. This warm and revealing biography also looks behind the public image to give an enthralling portrait of a man whose unique gift of laughter has made him one of the worlds most popular and respected entertainers. ISBN 0 75284 262 5
WALTERS, JULIE
JULIE WALTERS Seriously Funny. An Unauthorised Biography. Lucy Ellis and Bryony Sutherland
The authors have interviewed Walters friends, teachers and colleagues to create the first-ever biography of this British "national treasure". ISBN 0 7535 0940 7
WEBSTER, MARGARET
WEILL, KURT
KURT WEILL ON STAGE Form Berlin to Broadway. Foster Hirsch
This biography concentrates on Weills career in the United States, but its aim is to explore the truth in the comment made by Weills wife, the unforgettable Lotte Lenya: "There is no American Weill, there is no German Weill. There is no difference between them. There is only Weill." ISBN 0 87910 990 4
WEST, MAE
MAE WEST. It Aint No Sin. Simon Louvish.
Sex Goddess, Hollywood star, transgressive playwright, author,blues singer and vaudeville brat Mae West remains the twentieth centurys greatest comedienne a woman who blazed her own trail through Broadway plays such as Sex and The Constant Sinner, and movie classics such as She Done Him Wrong, Klondike Annie and Im No Angel.
Mae West: It Aint No Sin is the first biography to make use of Maes recently uncovered personal papers, with different script versions of both her known works and hitherto unknown drafts and plays. HB ISBN 0-571-21948-9
WEST, TIMOTHY
TIMOTHY WEST A MOMENT TOWARDS THE END OF THE PLAY. An autobiography.
" A moment towards the End of the Play
is a theatrical memoir that doesnt cloy, and is filled with insight, wit and a sense of the ultimate absurdity of life
" Judith Flanders, TLS
ISBN 1 85459 687 X
WILDE, OSCAR
OSCAR WILDE. Vyvyan Holland
"Oscar Wilde ... could have made no complaint of his younger son, Mr Vyvyan Holland, as his biographer ... for simplicity and sympathy, for lack of rancour or special pleading, the ... text of his volume could not be bettered." The Times Literary Supplement
OSCAR WILDE A Certain Genius. Barbara Belford
This is a biography for a new generation of readers: portraying Wilde as neither the martyr, nor the self-destructive fop, Barbara Belford brings new understandings to his life in all its complexity, genius and humanity. "An elegant and affectionate biography of this controversial man" Daily Mail. ISBN 0 7475 5325 4
THE SECRET LIFE OF OSCAR WILDE Neil McKenna
This biography sets out to tell the story of Oscar Wildes emotional and sexual life, to chart his odyssey to find his true sexual self, from the troubled and uncertain first stirrings of his feelings for other men, to the joyous paganism of his last years in exile.
ISBN 0 09 941545 3
WILLIAMS, EMLYN
EMLYN WILLIAMS A life. James Harding
Emlyn Williams made a major contribution to the dramatic contribution to the dramatic arts during a career that spanned over fifty years. Writer, dramatist, actor, director, biographer and mentor to younger actors most notably Richard Burton. Emlyn Williams led a colourful personal life and enjoyed the friendship of theatrical giants such as Noel Coward and John Gielgud. With full access to his personal papers, James Harding has pieced together an absorbing and entertaining biography of one of Wales greatest sons. ISBN 1 86057 020 8
WILLIAMS, KENNETH
THE KENNETH WILLIAMS DIARIES. Edited by Russell Davies
After his death in 1988, the thought of Kenneth Williams diaries being published sent a shiver through the theatrical world. This condensed volume is honest, controversial, malicious, hilarious and portrays one of Britains most misunderstood actors. "Unputdownable ... with the appeal of eavesdropping on the conversation of a unique personality". Michael Codron, Financial Times
THE KENNETH WILLIAMS LETTERS. Edited by Russell Davies
A collection of correspondence with an assortment of people including Alec Guinness, Jo Orton and Elizabeth Taylor. Kenneth Williams took his mail seriously and was disappointed when the morning failed to deliver some letters. Comic monologues as well as serious letters make up this book.
WILLIAMS, TENNESSEE
CONVERSATIONS WITH TENNESSEE WILLIAMS. Edited by Albert J. Devlin
Chosen from hundreds of interviews, Conversations encompasses five decades of an intense literary life. Filled with revealing insights, contradictions and self-promotion.
THE SELECTED LETTERS OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS. Volume 1. 1920 -1945. Edited by Albert J. Devlin and Nancy M. Tischler. HB. ISBN 1 84002 226 4
THE SELECTED LETTERS OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS.Volume 2 1945 1957. Edited by Albert J Devlin. Co-edited by Nancy M Tischler.
"Anyone who knew Tennessee Williams will recognise in these letters his living human voice: about his friends, his loves, his hates and, above all his work. To read these letters is to be directly in touch with him." Sir Peter Hall
HB ISBN 1 84002 227 2
WOOD, VICTORIA
VICTORIA WOOD The Biography. Neil Brandwood
Victoria Woods wit and humour have endeared her to millions of TV viewers, and Neil Brandwoodd book tells her story. From her early successes of the sell-out shows at the Royal Albert Hall, Victoria Woods rise to stardom is sympathetically and honestly portrayed. ISBN 0 7535 0861 3
GENERAL
ACTING WALES STARS OF STAGE AND SCREEN Peter Stead
This discussion of Welsh acting on stage and screen ranges from the career of matinée idol Ivor Novello down to the present impact of Catherine Zeta Jones and Ioan Gruffund and the so-called Taff Pack. ISBN 0 7083 1623 9 HB
A COMPANION TO HENSLOWES DIARY. Neil Carson
ISBN 0 521 54346 0
DIARY OF A MAD PLAYWRIGHT Perilous Adventures on the Road with Mary Martin and Carol Channing. James Kirkwood
A hilarious, heartbreaking, no-holds-barred account of the making of Legends! staring those Broadway legends themselves, Mary Martin and Carol Channing (and concerned family members Charles Lowe and Larry Hagman); along with prizewinning playwright James Kirkwood, Powerhouse producer Ahmet Ertegun and that unflappable director Clifford Williams. ISBN 1 55783 567 5
LETTERS FROM BACKSTAGE. The Adventures of a Touring Stage Actor. Michael Kostroff. Foreword Jason Alexander.
"Not only is Letters from Backstage an insiders view of the wacky world of professional theatre that most people never get to see, but it is also an entertaining guide to each of the cities that Michael visits on tour. Interesting places to see, fabulous places to eat, ghost stories, folklore, the quirks of each town, and a vivid picture of the people and diverse culture in the various regions
" Lisa Ann Richard, Actress, Mamma Mia! ISBN 1-58115-441-0
RICHARD EYRE NATIONAL SERVICES. DIARY OF DECADE.
During the ten years from 1987 to 1997 that he was Director of the National Theatre, Richard Eyre kept a diary a record that disarmingly captured a life at the heart of British cultural and political affairs. The powerful and the famous inevitably strut and fret upon its pages, but National Service is also a moving personal journey, charted faithfully by a fiercely self-aware and frequently self-doubting individual. ISBN 0 7475 6590 2
STAGE AND SCREEN LIVES Intimate Biographies of the Famous by the Famous. Michael Billington
Who were Britains most talented actors, actresses, comedians, writers, and directors of the 20th century? What was life in the limelight like for them? What was life behind the scenes like for them? Full of insight and wit, these delightful portraits, selected from the highly acclaimed Dictionary of National Biography by drama critic Michael Billington, create in one single volume a lively and entertaining anthology of theatrical biographies. Entries include Arthur Marshall on Tony Hancock, Alan Bennett on Russell Harty, Barry Took on Kenneth Williams. (etc.) ISBN 0 19 860644 3
ORIGINAL STORY BY ARTHUR LAURENTS A Memoir of Broadway and Hollywood
"ORIGINAL STORY BY is a nonstop cavalcade of blue-chip celebrities
not a few of whom are caught with their pants down." Terry Teachout, The Wall Street Journal ISBN 1 55783 467 9
VOICES MADE FLESH Performing Womens Autobiography. Edited by Lynn C. Miller, Jacqueline Taylor and M. Heather Carver
Fourteen bold, dynamic, and sassy women take the stage in this collection of womens lives and stories. Individually and collectively, these writers and performers speak the unspoken and perform the heretofore unperformed. ISBN 0 299 18424 2
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