John Gielgud | Author | LibraryThing

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Common Knowledge

Canonical name: Gielgud, John
Legal name: Gielgud, Arthur John
Birthdate: 1904-04-14
Date of death: 2000-05-21
Gender: male
Nationality: England
UK
Birthplace: South Kensington, London, England, UK
Place of death: Wotton Underwood, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
Places of residence: London, England, UK
Education: Westminster School, London
Lady Benson's Acting School
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupations: actor (theater)
actor (film)
writer
Relationships: Terry, Ellen (great aunt)
Gielgud, Val (brother)
Organizations: Old Vic, London
Awards and honors: Knight Bachelor (1953)
Order of the Companions of Honour (1977)
Order of Merit (1996)
Academy Award (Best Supporting Actor 1982)

Members

Reviews

John Gielgud directs Richard Burton in Hamlet: a… by Richard L. Sterne

I have read Sterne's book before - as a theatre obsessed teenager. With the benefit of now being able to read it alongside William Redfield's far superior 'Letters from an Actor' it's difficult to see this as anything other than some sort of chronological record of rehearsals and conversations based on Sterne's highly dubious idea of secretly taping everything without initially letting anyone (Gielgud and Burton included) know. His reverence for Gielgud in particular becomes rapidly wearing and his analysis - such as it is - is naive in the extreme. However, it's a useful supplement to Redfield and one can see how it will be doubly so for Jack Thorne in his new play. Redfield is incidentally quite amusing in his view of Sterne's insignificance and apparently nonchalant about the recordings. If you only read one book about that 1964 Hamlet then, read Redfield's. But if your curiosity is piqued, you'll enjoy this too.
… (more)

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djh_1962 | Jan 7, 2024 |

Acting Shakespeare (Applause Books) by John Gielgud

An interesting recollection of Gielgud's career. This is a collection of his memories of various roles and plays that Sir Gielgud had acted in or directed throughout his career. Not very in depth in terms of literary criticism or acting technique, but an entertaining read of his view of the craft of Shakespearean acting.

Even more interesting and fun are the appendices including critics' reviews of his opening nights and playbills.

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kevl42 | Apr 11, 2018 |

Early Stages, 1987 revised edition by John Gielgud

To the original Early Stages (1939), Gielgud has added a new preface and a short supplement about his work and experiences in the period 1937-1952. The editors have also added a chronology of his roles through to 1986 - almost the end of his stage career. A highly entertaining read and a must for anyone interested in the theatre.

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NaggedMan | Aug 6, 2013 |

Shakespeare - Hit or Miss? by John Gielgud

Sir John Gielgud draws on his lifetime of experience in the theatre to analyze just what makes a good (or bad) Shakespearean performance. He gives his views on how to approach the major roles and on acting in general. Taking the reader behind the scenes, he examines the influence of the director and producer, as well as the pitfalls an actor may face in the shape of unsuitable sets and costumes.

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Roger_Scoppie | Apr 3, 2013 |

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