The reader is as desperate to see past her ravishing beauty to the tender, tortured woman beneath as is the author.' - Maureen Lipman 'Three cheers for this. Unputdownable.' - Dame Penelope Keith DBE, DL 'Impeccable research into this fascinating actress make Dark Star a page turner. Alas.' - Michael Codron 'A wonderful tribute to a great actress and a fascinating insight into her troubled life and the machinations of the West End theatre during the middle of the twentieth century. It enthrals you by its meticulous research, its lucid language and its depiction of a Legend and a World that do not exist anymore. One of the most revealing showbiz biographies ever.' - Sir Ian McKellen 'This is an enthralling book. * Bay Area Reporter * 'Reading this book is like meeting Vivien Leigh in her glory and her despair. * Journal of British Cinema and Television * A welcome appraisal of a remarkable artist. * Country Life * Offers an effective defence not only of Leigh's artistry across different media but also of Leigh herself as (in the words of one associate) `a most charming, able, intelligent woman afflicted by a manic depressive illness who with courage and marked strength of character has taken a heavy and continuous emotional strain in her stride'. * The Lady * Alan Strachan does a fine job in reasserting status, not merely re-examining her stage work, but also becoming the first biographer to give due attention to the underrated films she made.
Leigh, who was fiercely private, would have been proud of this book. Strachan achieves that rare thing of exposing his subject whilst maintaining their integrity. * The Herald * This is a well-written biography of a much-loved star.
a valuable, authoritative record that supports status as a great stage and screen actress. Strachan's attention to detail is striking. * The Daily Mail * Strachan's meticulously researched, elegantly written volume is an eye-opener. * The Sunday Times * A gripping new biography. * The Spectator * life, lived to the full at every second, will never be better told than it is in these pages.
As an experienced man of the theatre, he suggests, qualifies and adds interesting views of his own. What makes this account of a familiar story outstanding is that Strachan wins the reader's trust.
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