Kenneth Tynan Letters - For Actors, Writers- Hardback

Kenneth Tynan 'Letters' - Hardback 650 Pages. A must for actors, writers and lovers of theatre. From the front flap: Tynan inspired and offended a generation. As a drama critic for the Observer in the 1950's, he sought to 'rouse tempers, goad and laacerate, raise whirlwinds', and as Literary Manager of the newly-formed National Theatre under Lawrence Olivier in the 1960's, he championed new playwrights, adventurous productions, 'high-definition performance', and plays which engaged the issues of the day. Above all, he wanted to create a theatre that would be genuinely popular, 'an independent force at the heart of the country's life'. A passionate social reformer and provocateur of the Establishment, he devised the notorious Oh! Calcutta!. an erotic revue which aimed to liberate sexual fantasies on stage. This selection of Kenneth Tynan's letters traces the making of brilliant intellectual persona, and a lifetime battle against the forces of complacency. Never before published, the letters reveal an astonishing range of subject and correspondent. Each is a literary preformance. Tynan wrote to John Lennon on sex; to the Lord Chamberlain on censorship; to his schoolfriend Julian Holland, on American comics, cricket and prose style; to Marlene Dietrich on candour and autobiography; and to his many girlfriends on love. His correspondents include James Agate, Lord Beaverbrook, Cecil Beaton, Cyril Connolly, William Shawn, David Astor, Helene Weigel, George Devine, Laurence Olivier, Robert Graves, Thorton Wilder, Joseph Heller, Peter Brooks. There are intimate letters to his family, in particular to his second wife Kathleen, in which he reveals his inner doubts and demons, and funny and affectionate poems addressed to his children. Hardback is in very good condition. 650 pages. A review:- Tynan was the sharpest, funniest theatre critic of his generation. He was also a wonderful stylist. Tynan always liked to think of himself as an outsider, as someone pushing the envelope; yet he also was entranced by the establishment at play, and he enjoyed lowbrow entertainment almost as much as Shakespeare and Sophocles. These letters demonstrate this bifurcation of character, making for a sort of un-selfconscious autobiography. Well worth buying for anyone who likes reading letters, and a must for Tynan fans. I'M HAPPY TO COMBINE POSTAGE SO HAVE A LOOK AT MY OTHER THINGS FOR SALE - I'M HAVING A PRE-MOVE CLEAN OUT. HAPPY BIDDING!