Behind the Curtain: The Job of Acting

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Description

Peter Bowles invites us backstage to witness the job of acting as it really is. This is a warm-hearted look at the lived experience of a jobbing actor and a survival guide to anyone thinking of entering this most emotionally gruelling of industries. Behind the Curtain is the inside scoop on the professionas told by a master raconteur one who has trodden the boards in the West End for five decades. Armed with an array of classic anecdotes, Bowles shares some of the infamous ad-libs, opening night disasters and dressingroom dramas that he has been party to over the years. Full of sage advice about the pitfalls of celebrity and thefluctuating fortunes of an actor and his own journey fromTV stardom to the labour exchange and back again. With tales of some biggest personalities in the historyof showbiz such as Michael Gambon, Noel Coward,Rex Harrison, Laurence Olivier & John Gielgud, this is a book that captures the acting professionin all its eccentric glory.

Reviews

[An] enjoyable little hardback - packed with good, solid pieces of advice for would-be actors as well as many humorous anecdotes - [contains] a number of fresh ideas and stories that will not be known to the general reader - should prove to be popular with the millions of fans of this versatile actor as well as youngsters keen to make their way in one of the most difficult professions that anyone could choose. Every purchaser will come away better informed and greatly entertained, which is no bad recommendation * British Theatre Guide *
It's a book full of insights - literally - and will be eagerly lapped up I think, by theatre buffs who see shows only from the auditorium. I'd also recommend it warmly to anyone in training as an actor or thinking of embarking on training to be one as a way of finding out from a dishy old pro exactly what an actor's life is like ... some lovely stories... fascinating * The Stage *
Full of witty asides and apercus * What's On Stage *

Author Bio

Peter Bowles has trod some of the most famous boards in the business, from Shakespeare on Broadway in 1956, to Sheridans The Rivals at London's Haymarket in 2011. Among his many varied roles, Peter has been critically acclaimed for his masterful performances; including his deeply moving portrayal of Crocker Harris in Peter Halls recent production of Terence Rattigans The Browning Version, his West End success in Molieres The School for Wives, and his terrifying portrayal of an East End gangster in Gangster No. 1. Peter also became nationally famous for his part as businessman Richard DeVere in the TV series To the Manor Born.