Table of Contents

Sources and Acknowledgements vii Introduction 1 Prologue by Simon Callow 5 Gielgoodies: Actors and Playwrights 9 1 The Butterfly Mind 17 2 Designers and Audiences 27 3 Portraits of the Artists 33 Gielgoodies: The Man from Stratford 47 4 The Play's the Thing 55 5 Words, Words, Words 63 Gielgoodies: Rehearsals and Auditions 77 6 Gay Times 87 7 In Front of the Camera 95 8 A Very Naughty Boy 103 Gielgoodies: A Mixed Bag 111 9 A World of His Own 125 10 Senior Moments 133 Index 138

Promotional Information

A celebration of Sir John Gielgud's lightning wit, love of scandal and gossip, and relish in bawdy humor.

About the Author

Jonathan Croall is a journalist, editor and biographer specialising in theatre. He has written over 20 books on a range of subjects & has also directed and written plays for the London fringe. A former features editor of the Times Educational Supplement, he edited the National Theatre's magazine StageWrite, and recently published Buzz Buzz!, a collection of his interviews with actors, directors and playwrights at the National. His book The Coming of Godot: A Short History of a Masterpiece (also published by Oberon) was short-listed for the 2005 Theatre Book Prize. The new edition of his biography of John Gielgud was published as John Gielgud: Matinee Idol to Movie Star.

Reviews

'Gielgud was indiscreet even by the exacting standards of the acting profession - I could hear Sir John's voice as I read which lent extra poignancy to some of his observations' The Sunday Times 'A glorious celebration of the idiosyncratic but wholly endearing warmth of a unique figure' The Stage 'This is a slim, patrician and elegant little volume - filled with the most amusing series of gaffes and inappropriate comments... this book is very funny and can lead to some embarrassment when read in public places... most amusing' British Theatre Guide 'Shows Gielgud's absolutely genuine innocence, sweetness and honesty... highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a giggle, particularly when laced with a good swig of theatre history.' Harriet Devine, Blue Pages