Novels

[susanduic]

Can anyone suggest any novels about British actors (and/or the British theatre)?

[batman]

Do you mean real actors or fictional ones?

[susanduic]

Fictional or perhaps even ones known to be based on real actors. Actors of both the male and female variety I should have said......................

[GRAEME]

The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale



Haven't read it but the actor of the title is a Brit movie heart-throb apparantly!



[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Actor-Housewife-Novel-Shannon-Hale/dp/159691288X]Amazon.com: The Actor and the Housewife: A Novel: Shannon Hale: Books[/ame]

[GRAEME]

[ame=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Murder-Title-Crime-Charles-Mysteries/dp/0595003532/ref=sr_1_1/278-0416506-8796666?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247860689&sr=8-1]Murder in the Title: A Crime Novel Charles Paris Mysteries: Amazon.co.uk: Simon Brett: Books[/ame]



[ame=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mistress-Alderley-Novel-Barnard-Robert/dp/0743236882/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247860750&sr=8-4]Mistress of Alderley: A Novel O (Barnard, Robert): Amazon.co.uk: Barnard Robert: Books[/ame]



[ame=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nicholas-Cooke-Soldier-Physician-Priest/dp/0345390164/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1247860853&sr=8-1]Nicholas Cooke: Actor, Soldier, Physician, Priest : Novel: Amazon.co.uk: Stephanie Cowell: Books[/ame]

[dremble wedge]

Full Dark House by Christopher Fowler is a mystery set in and around a London theatre (that big one near the Spice of Life pub) during the Blitz.



More details [ame=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Full-Dark-House-Christopher-Fowler/dp/0553815520]Full Dark House: Amazon.co.uk: Christopher Fowler: Books[/ame]

[CaptainWaggett]

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Frequent-Hearses-Classic-Edmund-Crispin/dp/0140093559/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247861625&sr=8-10"]Frequent Hearses[/ame] by Edmund Crispin has his Oxford don detective advising on a Gainsborough-style film about Alexander Pope. Crispin, of course, knew a bit about the industry, being a composer of film scores in Real Life



Anyone who has read The Moon's A Balloon will recognise a lot of the anecdotes in [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Round-rugged-rocks-David-Niven/dp/B0000CI34L/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247861801&sr=1-1"]Round the Rugged Rocks[/ame]



And I'm amazed nobody has mentioned [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/school-library-mystery-Reward/dp/B0000CME7U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247861876&sr=1-1"]The School Library Mystery[/ame] in which a bunch of plucky schoolkids solve a mystery involving a slimy British filmstar

[torinfan]

name='susanduic']Can anyone suggest any novels about British actors (and/or the British theatre)?

I have a manuscript (350 + pages) about one but it needs cleaning up and I don't even know if it's something that will see publication. I wrote it more for therapy than anything else.

[Nick Dando]

Lost Empires by JB Priestley is all about the Music Hall business. There are several other Priestley novels about actors, such as The Good Companions.



Nick

[HUGHJAMPTON]

Harry Secombe wrote the comic novel Twice Brightly back in the 70's, set in the variety theatres of the 50's, which is partly autobiographical.



Just checked on Amazon, and it's there in the used section for £1.43 + pp

[Hugo]

I would recommend THE UNDERSTUDY by David Nicholls as an entertaining comedy/drama about actors and show-business.

Published in 2005 it is now obtainable in many Charity Shops

[Windthrop]

A most of Dulcie Gray's novels have a theatrical background



Epitaph for a Dead Actor



Understudy to Murder

etc

[Windthrop]

Niago Marsh set most of her crime fiction in and around theatres as did Clemence Dane

[Windthrop]

Actress Linda Regan often puts a theatrical setting in her crime novels - Behind You

[Windthrop]

David Huggins' novel Me Me Me is set amongst the Brit ex-pat actors in Beverly Hills. He is the son of Anna Massey and Jeremy Brett.

[susanduic]

Theatre by Somerset Maugham is very good and There's a Porpoise Close Behind Us by Noel Langley is very funny.