An Actor's Life for He
In 'Playing Under the Piano', Bonneville entertains with stories of what happened after he emerged from beneath said musical instrument and progressed towards a career on stage and screen. From the highs and lows of auditions and TV pilots to industry insights and tales of the greats, Bonneville's book bursts with stories of the experiences, people and productions that have shaped his life.
Bonneville's Best Bits
I really enjoyed the way this book was written; pithy, fast-paced and funny. The stand-alone chapters make it a great book for the commute or the ten minutes of peace you get after the kids have gone to bed. Bonneville comes across as someone who recognises both the absurdity and serendipity of life, and this is reflected in the anecdotes he tells. I was half expecting a book of showbiz showing off or noisy name dropping, but Bonneville doesn't stoop to those levels. Don't get me wrong, we do get behind-the-scenes glimpses of greats such as Dame Judi Dench, Sir Kenneth Branagh and Paddington Bear, but they augment the narrative rather than being it's raison d'etre. It has the feel of someone telling affectionately silly stories about their workplace and colleagues rather than gossiping.
That's Entertainment
As well as being a good general read, I think it would be of particular interest to anyone thinking about a career in the performing arts. This may have been intentional as Bonneville talks about his ambitions to open up the profession to talented people from a wider range of backgrounds. Much of the book is about the practicalities involved in creating plays, films and TV programmes, from crafting long texts into digestible productions to working out how to vomit blood realistically at a Downton dinner party. Sounds like there's an awful lot of running between theatres involved at first, and dashing between sets later. You'd think that being able to see too much of the greasepaint and sawdust would stop you enjoying the final product, but I found it just made me appreciate the end result even more. It reminds me of something Geoffrey Rush said as impresario Philip Henslowe about the theatre business in 'Shakespeare in Love'. "The natural condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster" yet all turns out well. Sounds like this is truer than we realised!
The Heart of the Matter
It's not all fun and frolics, however. Although Bonneville classily manages to keep things professional for much of 'Playing Under the Piano', there are chapters about his personal life. In particular, he talks about personal loss and the biography begins and ends with his father's dementia. As the more mischievous stories bring a smile to your face, these will bring a tear to the eye. They lend a vulnerability that makes 'Playing Under the Piano' more than just a disposable frivolity.
Overall
'Playing Under the Piano: From Downton to Darkest Peru' is an entertaining and joyful read. It provides practical insight for aspiring actors and passionate audiences alike and entertainment for everyone. It feels like the author can't believe his luck at having had such a fun and varied career so far, and I can't quite believe my luck at having picked it from the 2022 biography crop.
Now, what next..?
'Playing Under the Piano: From Downton to Darkest Peru' by Hugh Bonneville was published by Abacus, an imprint of Little, Brown, in 2022. Cover image kindly provided by the publisher. This review is based on the hardback, borrowed from my local library. Note that this book deals with bereavement and contains swearing.
