'With spot-on injections of humour and a frequently raised sardonic eyebrow, joy and warmth shine from this fascinating and funny book' Jo BrandA joyful celebration of amateur theatreFrom the Mystery Plays of the Middle Ages, via the Georgian aristocrats who built opulent private theatres in their own homes, to the radical lefties taking political theatre to the streets, this is the story of amateur dramatics in Britain. We meet a cast of c...

This is the story of amateur dramatics in Britain. In a triumphant mix of memoir, social history, interviews and manifesto, Jenny Landreth opens our eyes to am-dram and shows us a vibrant world that is a crucial part of our culture.Starting with the Mystery Plays of the Middle Ages, we move, via Shakespeare, to the Georgian aristocrats who built opulent private theatres in their own homes, then to the halcyon days of radical lefties taking political theatre to the streets, and on t...

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017Part social history, part memoir, Swell shines a light on the 'swimming suffragettes'.These days, swimming may seem like an egalitarian pastime, open to anyone with a swimsuit – but this wasn't always the case. In the 19th century, swimming was almost exclusively the domain of men. Women were (barely) allowed to swim in the sea, but even into the 20th century they could b...

A light-hearted comedy drama about a mother, daughter and grandmother living together under one roof – based on the stories by Guardian columnist Michele HansonWhat does it feel like to be middle-aged? For Gillian it feels like being twenty-seven in your own head, sixty-five in the mirror, ninety to your children and your mother still thinking you're twelve…Gillian lives with her 19-year-old daughter and 89-year-old mother, and life is a constant b...