Wednesday 20 February 2013

Margaret Rutherford: Dreadnought With Good Manners by Andy Merriman


"Margaret Rutherford needed to perform. It gave succour during illness and loneliness and warded off her fear of madness."



It seems the cracking pace of my reading has allowed me to overlook reviewing all of my reading. While I finished this biography last week, I forgot to post a review. Fear not readers, I shall correct that oversight presently.

For anyone who has seen the visually arresting visage of Margaret Rutherford on the screen as Miss Marple or in any of her other cinema outings, this novel peels back the theatre curtains and explores the life of a stalwart of British cinema and theatre. What a tragic life - murder, mayhem and madness - and that's just the first chapter!

Proving that the employment opportunities available to a character actress offer a far lengthier career than that of a leading lady, Rutherford's long and varied career is explored in detail. Throw in a long suffering, supporting actor husband and there is much to keep the reader entertained.

Sadly, I found much of the book to read a little repetitively - perhaps that's life - one big groundhog day? On that downer of a note, I give this  3 out of 5. The problem with a biography is - you always know how they end.

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