Michael Coveney Pořadí knih

A history of modern theatre told in the lives of fifty outstanding stage actors from Laurence Olivier to Angela Lansbury.

Cameron Mackintosh is London's West End's leading theatrical producer of musicals such as Cats, Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables. He is also a significant theatre owner and has completed a two-decade campaign of refurbishment and rebuilding of eight London theatres, at his own personal cost of £250m, that has set the tempo for maintaining one of Britain's greatest cultural heritages for the next century, the West End theatre in the heart of the nation's artistic life. Master of the Housecharts the histories of these eight iconic London buildings; their origins, their stories, the iconic shows and productions, the stars and the glamour. Lavishly illustrated with images from the Delfont Mackintosh archive, the book also contains original architect plans and drawings, specially-commissioned photographs of the refurbishment, show posters and other theatre ephemera, and many sweeping panoramas of the exquisitely finished spaces.

Leading drama critic Michael Coveney invites you on a tour of over 50 of London's most iconic and important theatres, with stories of the architecture and the productions which have defined each one. Sumptuous photographs by Peter Dazeley of the public areas, auditoriums and backstage areas complete the picture.

From her days as a star of West End comedy and revue, Dame Maggie Smith's path has led to international renown and numerous accolades including two Academy Awards. Recently she has been as prominant as ever, with high-profile roles as the formidable dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey, as Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film franchise and as the eccentric Miss Shepherd in the film version of The Lady in the Van by Alan Bennett. Paradoxically she remains an enigmatic figure, rarely appearing in public and carefully guarding her considerable talent. Drawing on persoal archives, interviews and encounters with the actress, as well as conversations with immediate family and dear friends, Michael Coveney's biography is a captivating portrait of the real Maggie Smith.