An epic yet intimate portrait of two theatrical dynasties, which takes us from the Victorian stage to the modern age.
Ellen Terry was a natural actress who filled the theatre with a magical radiance. The Times called her the uncrowned queen of England, but behind her public success lay a darker story. The child bride of G.F. Watts, she eloped with a friend of Oscar Wildes at the age of twenty-one and gave birth to two illegitimate children.
But her greatest partnership was on stage with Henry Irving. At the Lyceum Theatre in London, the two of them created a grand Cathedral of the Arts. Their intimately involved lives exceeded in plot the Shakespearean dramas they performed on stage and indeed were curiously affected by them. They also influenced the life and work of their remarkable children, Ellens children in particular. Edy Craig founded a feminist theatre group, The Pioneer Players. Her brother, Edward Gordon Craig, the revolutionary stage designer who collaborated with Stanislavski is revealed by this book to be the forgotten man of modernism. He had thirteen children by eight women. He is, perhaps, the most extraordinary man Michael Holroyd has ever written about.
Dive into the enthralling world of Victorian and Edwardian theatre with Michael Holroyd's "A Strange Eventful History: The Dramatic Lives of Ellen Terry, Henry Irving and their Remarkable Families." This meticulously researched and compelling biography unveils the intertwined destinies of two theatrical dynasties, tracing their impact from the gaslit stages of the Victorian era to the dawn of modernism. At the heart of this sweeping narrative lies Ellen Terry, a captivating actress whose talent illuminated the stage. Hailed as the "uncrowned queen of England" by The Times, Terry's life was a drama in itself. Holroyd expertly peels back the layers of her public persona, revealing the complexities of her personal life a youthful marriage to the much older G.F. Watts, a scandalous elopement with a friend of Oscar Wilde, and the birth of her two children out of wedlock, a significant transgression for the time. The book vividly depicts Terry's legendary partnership with Henry Irving, a charismatic actor-manager. Together, they transformed London's Lyceum Theatre into a veritable "Cathedral of the Arts," captivating audiences with their groundbreaking productions of Shakespeare and other classic plays. Holroyd masterfully portrays the intense, often tumultuous, relationship between Terry and Irving, revealing how their on-stage chemistry mirrored and influenced their off-stage lives, blurring the lines between reality and the dramatic roles they inhabited. Their personal entanglements became as compelling as the Shakespearean dramas they brought to life. However, "A Strange Eventful History" extends beyond the captivating stories of Terry and Irving, delving into the lives of their equally remarkable children. The book shines a light on the formidable Edy Craig, Ellen's daughter, a pioneering figure in the feminist theatre movement who founded The Pioneer Players. But perhaps the most intriguing figure revealed within these pages is Edward Gordon Craig, Ellen's son and a revolutionary stage designer. Holroyd makes a powerful argument for Craig's central role in the development of modernism. Despite collaborating with theatrical giants like Stanislavski, Craig's radical ideas and unconventional lifestyle led him to be marginalized by history. Holroyd skillfully restores Craig's legacy, portraying him as a visionary whose influence on modern stage design has been unjustly overlooked. His personal life was as unconventional as his artistic vision, fathering thirteen children with eight different women. Holroyd, renowned for his award-winning biographies of Lytton Strachey and Bernard Shaw, brings his signature wit, insight, and meticulous attention to detail to this captivating story. "A Strange Eventful History" is not just a biography; it's a sweeping panorama of a bygone era, a compelling exploration of fame, passion, and the enduring power of the theatre. Readers will be captivated by the rich tapestry of characters and the dramatic events that shaped their lives, making this book a must-read for anyone interested in theatre history, biography, or the cultural landscape of Victorian and Edwardian England. Prepare to be immersed in a world of dazzling performances, scandalous affairs, and groundbreaking artistic innovation. This meticulously researched biography offers new perspectives into the lives, loves, and legacies of these theatrical titans and their families, securing its place as a definitive work on the subject.
