There is Nothing Like a Thane is a follow-up to Clive Franciss highly successful There is Nothing Like a Dane! The Lighter Side of Hamlet. Thane is a hilarious compilation of unintentional funny moments from a variety of productions of Macbeth - interwoven with Franciss witty caricatures. It also delves into the many superstitions; which have dogged the play since 1603; making it possibly the unluckiest play ever writtenWe hear of how some actors fared better than others when playing the role of the Thane. If Ralph Richardsons was the worst; Peter OTooles was certainly the funniest. Olivier was deemed the greatest; John Gielgud the must successful; and Charles Laughton the silliest. We also hear from Orson Welles; David Garrick; Charles Dickens and William McGonagall - who refused to die for fear of upsetting his audience. Not to be outdone we shall hear from a number of Lady Macbeths as well; including Sybil Thorndike; whod pray every night in the wings so as to ward away evil spirits. This is a book for all those who love the theater; especially the Bard.
#156389 in eBooks 2014-03-04 2014-03-04File Name: B00DPM80AC
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. "LETS GO BABY; WHERE THE ACTION IS!"By Stuart Jefferson"Mod was everything. Mod took over your whole life." Roland Kelly; a Mod.If you like bands like The Small Faces; The Yardbirds; The Who; The Artwoods; etc.; and U.S. performers like Muddy Waters; Sonny Boy Williamson; Chuck Berry; and American RB in general; you will like this book. That whole 60s Mod movement still has its identity today in large part due to all the great music identified with the Mod era.And if you want only one book on the subject; Paul Andersons well put together book is the one to have. Its crammed with first-person information told by the people who were there--both well and lesser/unknown people--and all who have something worth inclusion here. But equally important (and well done) are all the period photos of bands; venues; and the Mods themselves--both male and female. Plus theres club flyers; ads; 45 RPM record labels; and other ephemera from that era--in both color and bw--that tell a visual story of the Mod movement in England in the 1960s.Beginning with a chapter on British/Mod fashions; Anderson delves into the music that Mods craved; including a chapter on Ska (important to Mods). Also here are chapters on scooters (almost as important); dance styles; drugs ("purples" help you stay up all weekend); various important venues (the Flamingo; the Scene; the Coffee An;the Cellar Hall; etc.); TV ("Ready Steady Go!"); U.S. soul/rb; and the English bands that forged their identities during that time. And all of these topics are dealt with in a great combination of personal accounts and many; many great period photos that cover the whole scene. Frankly its a bit of a toss-up as to which is better--the personal accounts or all the great visuals. But combined; this book will be hard to beat on the subject of Mods.Ive always found the Mod era fascinating mostly because of the music. But the Mod devotion to sartorial splendor (beginning with that 1950s era Miles Davis/button-down look) is a large part of the Mod identity along with scooters (hopefully a Vespa); and the various venues/clubs where it all took place. Consequently I own a number of books on the Mod era; and "Mods The New Religion" is the best of the batch. Anderson has obviously put a lot of thought into the books layout along with all the first-person accounts of what it was really like to be a Mod.So if you want just one book on this fascinating era in British music; fashion; and what is was like to be a Mod; get this book.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. This is IT!By Christopher T. CaseyThis incredibly well researched; lovingly written; and sharply designed book is without question the best about the original Mods that has ever been produced.With its near over-abundance of excellent and engaging text; its plethora of fabulous photos; its massive amount of memorabilia and ephemera--this is a book that will lend itself well to multiple revisits.I could go most (if not all!) of the day layering praise upon praise and hyperbole upon hyperbole upon Mr. Andersons superb tome--and I would still fall short of giving it its due.As far as books about Mods are concerned--this is IT!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The Original British Style RebelsBy Kenneth HylbakAndersons meticulously and lovingly researched treatise is the definitive account of the original British youth subculture phenomenon. Included are many photographs from the era (roughly 1958 through 1967) and personal accounts from interviews with surviving insiders abound. The author chronicles the rapidly changing fashion scene and the lifestyles of the young protagonists; whose hedonistic pursuit of pleasure occasionally clashed with authority.