A Strange Eventful History: The Dramatic Lives of Ellen Terry, Henry Irving, and Their Remarkable Families

by Michael Holroyd

Book Overview

Deemed "a prodigy among biographers" by The New York Times Book Review , Michael Holroyd transformed biography into an art. Now he turns his keen observation, humane insight, and epic scope on an ensemble cast, a remarkable dynasty that presided over the golden age of theater. Ellen Terry was an ethereal beauty, the child bride of a Pre-Raphaelite painter who made her the face of the age. George Bernard Shaw was so besotted by her gifts that he could...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374270805
• ISBN13: 9780374270803
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
• Length: 620 Pages
• Weight: 2.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.9" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

THE THEATRE BIOGRAPHY OF THE DECADE

A Strange Eventful History: The Dramatic Lives of Ellen Terry, Henry Irving, and Their Remarkable Families By Michael Holroyd Daniel Day-Lewis decides to start his own theatre company and hires as his leading lady an actress who combines the allure of Julie Christie, the figure of Nicole Kidman, the lovability of Kate Winslet -- with the talent of all three. And imagine that these two now hold sway as the cynosure of theatre excellence for fifty years -- as National Treasures -- admired respected, and adored! Then you might have some idea of the position Henry Irving and Ellen Terry held in the last half of the Nineteenth Century in England -- and in America too, where they toured with great success. Between the two of them they raised the craft of acting to such a point that they became the first English born actors ever to be knighted. Like Day-Lewis, Irving had a gift for characters of infernal stripe, creatures of shadow, sleath, darkness: Shylock, Richard III, Iago. Whereas Ellen Terry shed a light so endearing, whole theatres would sigh ahhh in joyous relief when she sunnily appeared. Ellen Terry came from a big old theatre family -- Gielgud is a member of it. Irving came from nothing. Together on the Lyceum stage, they played the commercial and classic successes of their time in expensive productions and to huge audiences. Whole trains were given over to them, their big companies, and the sets they traveled with when they toured. The English-speaking world was fascinated by them. Oscar Wilde wrote sonnets to Ellen Terry. Sargent painted her. Shaw sought to seduce her with his plays. They produced four remarkable children, although not by one another. All four children went into the theatre, and A Strange Eventful History is the first account not just of their huge careers but also of the influence of their lives on their offspring. What effect parents of this level of glamour and accomplishment have on their children, how do the children avoid it, use, it, live it out, live through it. Their four children all entered the theatre and all became well known in it -- indeed Gordon Craig, Ellen Terry's son, revolutionized modern stage design. But to be such children was no joke. No story of the influence of parents of fame has ever before been told with this degree of insight and depth of information. And the stories of Terry and Irving themselves, seminal stars of the modern theatre, teach us a generous modesty about the work theatre takes, the devotion it needs, and the natural talent it wants. Aside from the pleasure of learning about their spectacular professional and private lives and the fun and riches of the era over which they reigned, A Strange Eventful History is brilliantly written by the superstar of biography Michael Holroyd. As the biographer of Lytton Strachey, August John, and the four-volume biography of Bernard Shaw, Michael Holroyd has just been knighted Everyone who has read these knows what an entertaining t

Highly recommended for both theater and general lending libraries alike

General lending libraries strong in biography will find powerful A STRANGE EVENTFUL HISTORY; THE DRAMATIC LIVES OF ELLEN TERRY, HENRY IRVING, AND THEIR REMARKABLE FAMILIES. The threesome formed part of a dynasty that saw the rise of the golden age of theater, but saw it from very different angles. Ellen Terry was a beauty capturing the attention of George Bernard Shaw, Henry Irving was a merchant-turned-actor who brought Shakespeare to life, and the two's theatre ambitions would change their families. A powerful pick, highly recommended for both theater and general lending libraries alike.

A Strange Eventful History tells the story of actress Ellen Terry, actor-manager Henry Irving and th

When asked what book I was reading I replied, "A dual biography of Ellen Terry, Henry Irving and their artistic families I was met with signs of utter bemusement! Who? Most Americans are clueless when it comes to remember these two brilliant novas in the theatrical skies over Victorian and Edwardian England. This omission can be rectified by reading this new book by Michael Holroyd whose earlier three volume work on George Bernard Shaw won plaudits galore! Holyrod is the spouse of Margaret Drabble the novelist. Ellen Terry (1847-1924)was not the greatest English actress of all time but she was probably the most bewitchingly beautiful and fetching! She was born to acting parents; wed three times and had two illegitimate children Edy and Edward Gordon Craig (they were the children of her liason with a man of the theatre named Godwin. The children took their name Craig from a land configuration in Scotland. Ellen's first husband of ten months was the much older G.W. Watts who was a distinguished painter. He was too old and ascetic for the earthy and sexy Miss Terry. Many of her siblings acted including her older sister Kate who became the grandmother of Oscar Winner and Shakespearean star Sir John Gielgud. Ellen had a sunny, optimistic personality. Fair Ellen was a mecurial person in her moods and loves. She corresponded for years with the besotted George Bernard Shaw. She became a Dame of the British Empire shortly before her death and was beloved of English theatre goers. She acted many of the great Shakespearean heroines including Juliet, Beatrice, Lady Macbeth, Rosalind and Hermione. She was probably intimate with Henry Irving during their seventeen years of work at the Lyceum Theatre in London. Sir Henry Irving (1838-1905) was born in Cornwall in dirt poverty. Over long years he worked his way up in the theatrical profession. He was crusty and a perfectionist in the acting craft. He separated from his longsuffering wife Florence. His two sons Henry Jr and Laurence became actors. He was moody and a loner. He played such characters as Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Faust and Don Quixote. He was the greatest classical actor-manager of the late Victorian age. One of his assistants was Bram Stoker noted for his horror novel Dracula.Irving was the first British actor who was ever knighted. The second half of this long book deals with the fortunes of the children of Ellen Terry and Henry Irving. Ellen's daughter Edy was a lesbian who spent years working in the theatre. Her son Edward Craig taught theatre producing a famous textbook on the subject. Edward taught acting, designed sets and oversaw productions throughout Europe. He was a rake who sire at least 13 children by 8 women including the famous dancer Isadore Duncan. He was, in my opinion, a spoiled and wretched human being who did contribute artistically to the acting profession. The book will do better in England where the main characters gained their fame. It is, nevertheless, a good