A charming and hugely enjoyable account of one of the most extraordinary characters in English history - an 18th century one-legged dramatist, comedian, impressionist and libertarian.
Ian Kelly has written prize-winning biographies of Casanova, Beau Brummell and Antonin Careme, he combines this with acting, from playing the art-historian in Lee Hall's The Pitman Painters to Hermione's father in the final instalments of the Harry Potter films.
'I thought this was an exceptionally entertaining book about an
extraordinary man. Foote was clearly an extraordinary character
even by the standards of Georgian London and one cannot help but
feel that if he had not actually existed it would have been
necessary to invent him. Kelly gives us a vivid and graphic
portrayal of this one-legged satirical genius and the dangerous and
compelling world that he inhabited, from the court to debtors'
gaol. Highly recommended.'
Catharine Arnold, author of Bedlam: London and its Mad
'Kelly's perceptive wit, and interest in his densely theatrical
material, makes him an ideal biographer for this pint-size peacock
. . . Foote's imprint deserved uncovering.' Sunday Telegraph
‘Dazzling . . . Kelly is a master at recreating atmosphere and
making the reader feel he is living alongside the book’s subject’
Daily Express
'[In this] uproarious account of Foote's career . . . Kelly handles
theatrical rumour and apocrypha with great care' Guardian
'Ian Kelly, an actor and writer, has found a perfect subject in
this larger-than-life theatrical phenomenon . . . [he] is a
charming and knowledgeable guide' Literary Review
'Ian Kelly's splendid biography . . . [is a] thrilling piece of
literary archeology' Scotsman
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