{"title":"Robert Sellers","description":"\u003cp\u003eRobert Sellers offers a captivating insight into the vibrant world of arts and culture, blending biography with cultural history. His works explore the lives of iconic figures and the creative scenes that shaped their stories, inviting readers to delve into histories coloured by talent, rebellion, and creativity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith a dynamic approach that sometimes incorporates graphic storytelling, Sellers’ books appeal to those curious about the intersections of theatre, music, and the cultural movements that have defined British artistry. \u003cem\u003eHellraisers\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Cambridge Footlights\u003c\/em\u003e exemplify his engaging narrative style and thoughtful exploration of cultural milestones.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"hellraisers-by-robert-sellers-9781906838362","title":"Hellraisers","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRaise a glass to the story of four of the greatest actors—and boozers—of all time: Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Peter O'Toole, and Oliver Reed. This inventive graphic work seamlessly weaves their four biographies into one fast-paced adventure of drunken binges, orgies, parties, and fun.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe story begins at a London pub one sorry Christmas and is told through the eyes of Martin, a wannabe hellraiser sitting at the end of the bar alone, drinking himself into oblivion. He's joined in turn by Burton, Harris, Reed, and O'Toole, who take Martin on tours of their tumultuous childhoods, rises to stardom, and chaotic personal lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eHellraisers\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\"A savage sock in the jaw to polite, reverential biographical graphic novels, these hilariously bleak shock tales make the modern-day antics of Lindsay Lohan look like Dr. Seuss.\" - \u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\"In the hands of less talented creators, this book would be a boring mess. But it's the exact opposite.\" - \u003cem\u003eBoing Boing\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Thames and Hudson (Australia) Pty Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47424245629164,"sku":"9781906838362","price":38.95,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781906838362.jpg?v=1774445844"},{"product_id":"the-cambridge-footlights-by-robert-sellers-9781350412187","title":"The Cambridge Footlights","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn the league table of the funniest universities in the world, Cambridge wears the crown. Home of Britain’s oldest student sketch comedy troupe, the Cambridge Footlights, it has been a veritable conveyor belt of comic talent that’s been rolling for more than a century.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom \u003cem\u003eMonty Python\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Goodies\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eNot the Nine O’Clock News\u003c\/em\u003e to \u003cem\u003ePeep Show\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eQI\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Great British Bake-Off\u003c\/em\u003e, its alumni are behind many of the shows that have entertained since the 1960s to today. This book tells the story of the Footlights, chronicling its evolution from its creation in the 1880s to the present.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Footlights has long been a potential portal to fame: talent scouts, especially from the BBC, were in the habit of coming up to Cambridge on the lookout for comedy writers and material. This book traces the journeys of its most distinguished alumni, including Germaine Greer, John Cleese, Douglas Adams, Peter Cook, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Miriam Margolyes, Emma Thompson, Richard Ayoade, David Mitchell and Sue Perkins, among many others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFeaturing interviews with numerous former Footlights alumni, and accounts of routines and revues, it vividly captures the desire of each successive intake to make their comic mark. Through examining the impact of the Footlights on British popular culture and comedy over the last 60 years, it demonstrates how its farces, musical comedies, pantomimes and the famous May Week revues have both reflected the tastes of the times and served as a ‘nursery’ for generations of comic writers and performers. In the world of comedy, it is a unique institution.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47432832319724,"sku":"9781350412187","price":55.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781350412187.jpg?v=1774766325"},{"product_id":"when-the-british-musical-ruled-the-world-by-robert-sellers-9781493071333","title":"When the British Musical Ruled the World","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor decades, British stage musicals struggled to compete against the dazzling Broadway productions that came roaring in from across the pond. But that tide was turned at last in 1978, when Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production of \u003cem\u003eEvita\u003c\/em\u003e brought the West End back into contention with Broadway. It was just the first of several blockbuster productions that helped Britain dominate musical theatre all over the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this revealing behind-the-scenes narrative, journalist and author Robert Sellers gives a definitive account of how \u003cem\u003eEvita\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eCats\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eStarlight Express\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLes Misérables\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003ePhantom of the Opera\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eChess\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eMiss Saigon\u003c\/em\u003e changed the business of musical theatre in the 1980s. These mega productions were larger than life, colourful, and spectacular.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSellers collects insightful, personal stories from cast members, set designers, musical supervisors, dancers, lighting designers, production managers, singers, and choreographers from the shows that finally put Broadway on its back foot. He also describes the backstage drama, production nightmares, and financial woes that threatened to derail the shows at multiple points. Whatever obstacles they faced, though, these productions swept the world and transformed the face of musical theatre in ways that still resound today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47464776433900,"sku":"9781493071333","price":63.64,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781493071333-when-the-british-musical-ruled-the-world.jpg?v=1775054429"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/robert-sellers.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}