Black Sheep is a fascinating portrait not just of the actor, but of theatre and film at a time of great social change, and an immensely informative and enjoyable read.
Must Close Saturday The Decline and Fall of the British Musical Flop by Adrian Wright Boydell Press 4 Stars ISBN: 9781783272358 Order a copy from Amazon.co.uk If like me you have musical theatre running through your blood, Adrian Wright’s hefty new tome makes for an interesting read. It’s certainly kept me entertained over the festive period. Like Ken Mandelbaum’s Not Since Carrie… which chronicled Broadway musical flops, Wright chronicles British flops from 1960’s The Lily White Boys to 2016’s The Go Between. Whether you agree with Wright’s definition of a flop or not, seeing this weighty collection of British musicals collected together makes you realise that there is probably no subject that is off-limits for musicalisation. The Holocaust, French painters, the Rector Of Stifley, Edward and Mrs Simpson, Marilyn Monroe, Lewis Carroll, Jack the Ripper, the Virgin Mary, sexual problems, the electric chair, the wives of Henry VIII and variations … Read more
In her illuminating new book, Brutus and Other Heroines, she takes us through the processes and thinking that led to Lloyd’s ground-breaking all-female versions of Julius Caesar and Henry IV.
The joy of this book is that it will make you return to Finney, possibly one of the most under-rated, (and certainly under-awarded), actors of his generation.
“If I was to stab Judi Dench with a pitchfork, I should still be regarded as a cuddly teddy bear”, says Alan Bennett of his ‘national treasure’ status.
Hamilton The Revolution Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter Grand Central Publishing and Melcher Media288 Pages Hardcover Order a copy of Hamilton The Revolution from Amazon As a musical theatre fan, my collection has always included a number of wonderful books about musicals, containing production photographs and all sorts of behind the scenes information on the production in question. Les Miserables, Phantom, Tommy, Aspects, Sunset Boulevard, Mamma Mia! amongst others, each beautifully put together and treasured. None though compares to the magnificent companion book for Hamilton which has become my new favourite. In terms of sheer presentation, Hamilton The Revolution takes the crown for presentation, quality, content and value for money (UK£20.40 on Amazon). Gorgeously bound as befits any book from the period in which the show is set, with rough-hewn pages, it is an absolute must for any Hamilton fan or anyone looking to get the low-down on this musical … Read more
It’s incredibly exciting that two of Broadway’s youngest performers – Andrew Keenan-Bolger and Kate Wetherhead, are encouraging the world’s MTN’s (Musical Theatre Nerds) with their great book series Jack and Louisa, aimed at 8 – 13 year olds. Jack and Louisa are two fabulous kids, whose passion just happens to be musical theatre. Jack is 12 with two Broadway musicals to his credit. When his voice changes, he loses a role in a major new Broadway show. His parents take the opportunity to move to Shaker Heights in Ohio, where he meets new neighbour Louisa. They become fast friends and adventures in musical theatre ensue. Thus far there are two books in the series Act One and Act Two, the first focusing around a community production of Into The Woods, and the second their school production of Guys And Dolls. Told from the point of view of Jack and Louisa … Read more
A lot of effort has been put into compiling this glorious book, giving one of the most comprehensive overviews of musicals (both on stage and on film), that I have seen in a long time.
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