'Playing Under the Piano' by Hugh Bonneville

It's that time of year again, the Season of Celebrity Biography!  Last year saw a bit of a glut after the Covid-19 lockdowns kept many performers unemployed and indoors, leaving readers with a myriad of stocking-filling titles to choose from.  This year, things appear to be back to normal, and my pick of the 2022 crop was 'Playing Under the Piano: From Downton to Darkest Peru' by Downton Abbey and Paddington actor Hugh Bonneville.

Smoke and Mirrors, Darling

The first book I finished in 2018 was 'The Panther in My Kitchen' by Brian Blessed, which is basically 'Absolute Pandemonium' with just animals, so you don't really need a post about that.  The next was 'Do You Mind if I Smoke?' by Fenella Fielding and Simon McKay, which somehow followed on perfectly thanks to its intimate, conversational feel.

'Do You Mind if I Smoke'
by Fenella FIelding and Simon McKay
(Peter Owen Publishers, 2017)

'Do You Mind if I Smoke?' is the memoir of 90-year-old actress Fenella Fielding, best known for her velvety voice and comic roles on stage, radio and screen (if you know her from nothing else, you'll know her from 'Carry On Screaming').  In this book, she tells tales from her childhood and career, painting a picture of life as a performer in the 1960s and tempting us with tidbits from behind the scenes of various productions.  Through her many stories, the reader is given a glimpse of the hard work and tough decision-making that has to happen before the curtain goes up and the cameras start to roll, as well as the thrill of success and a job well done.

An Audience with Brian Blessed

I nearly called this post 'A Quiet Night in with Brian Blessed'.  Ha!  Who am I kidding?  For a start, I don't think I've ever finished a book in one evening, and for a finish, I doubt Mr Blessed has ever been quiet in his life!

Last week, I was distracted by 'Absolute Pandemonium', Brian Blessed's latest autobiography.  I was looking for something entertaining, read the first few pages and was hooked.

'Absolute Pandemonium'
by Brian Blessed & James Hogg
(2015, Sidgwick & Jackson)

'Absolute Pandemonium' is an energetic romp through Mr Blessed's life, full of love and passion and deftly linking more subjects than you can vigorously shake a stick at.  From his childhood and school days in South Yorkshire, to boxing and acting, Peter O'Toole and Katherine Hepburn, the tribulations of falling in love, 'Z Cars', 'Star Wars', the return of Hong Kong to China, death and, of course, 'Flash Gordon', every chapter brings a fresh avalanche of stories that entertain from beginning to end.  Far from the standard celebrity biography, this is a book built on themes and anecdotes that lifts the spirits with an infectious lust for life.

As you can probably already tell, I really enjoyed 'Absolute Pandemonium'.  Near the start, Mr Blessed encourages readers to imagine he is in the room telling them his story, so they should hear his voice in their head while reading.  As if I could do anything else!  The writing style is colloquial enough to be personal without becoming unreadable and adds to the energy of the text itself.  It really does feel like you have an audience with one of our most idiosyncratic national treasures!

Mr Blessed has lived a wide and varied life (so far, although I don't think hitting 80 will stop him!) and I was pleasantly surprised by the range of stories in 'Absolute Pandemonium'.  When I started reading, I never expected to hear about Katherine Hepburn, for example.  Equally, I never thought I'd find myself enjoying reading about boxing, so hats off to Mr Blessed for that!  This wondrous variety does mean that I think many people will find much to enjoy in this book.

Although I loved the style, however, it may not suit everyone.  Mr Blessed's passion can manifest in choice vocabulary that some may find offensive, but he makes clear from the introduction what kind of book you hold in your hands.  Let's face it, if you find yourself po-faced at the Everest-poo story that introduces the book, then you might want to try something else.   

Overall, I would heartily recommend 'Absolute Pandemonium'.  It's full of bounce and go and you really do feel like you've spent time with the author by the time you reach the end.  It was almost exhausting, but what a ride.

Now, back to Poldark!