by Jonathan Croall (Author), Simon Callow (Prologue by)

'A glorious compendium of John's scintillating irreverences and fabulous faux pas... He was one of the greatest of all theatrical personalities, and these utterly characteristic throwaway squibs bring him vividly back to life.' Simon Callow
This delicious feast of "Gielgoodies", compiled by Gielgud's biographer, reveals a less well-known side to this celebrated man of the theatre: his lightning wit, his love of scandal and gossip, his wicked delight in putting down his fellow-artists, his relish of bawdy humour. Full of startling new material, drawn from many unpublished letters and Jonathan Croall's extensive interviews, the book also celebrates the man who dropped a thousand bricks. Gielgud's excruciating gaffes were legendary, and here are both the famous and the unknown, collected in all their glory. Whether committed backstage, in the wings or in rehearsals, on film sets or in television studios, they bring this merry and much-loved man vividly to life.

Author Biography

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.