{"product_id":"year-of-the-fat-knight","title":"Year of the Fat Knight","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAntony Sher's Journey to Falstaff\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA celebrated actor's personal record of preparing Henry IV\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\u003c!-- Access Your Content --\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"border: 2px solid #ddd; padding: 16px; border-radius: 6px; background: #f9f9f9; margin-bottom: 20px;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: bold; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eAccess Your Content in Seconds\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col style=\"margin-left: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComplete your purchase on our store.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDownload \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/thegreyhill.com\/pages\/the-grey-hill-app\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Grey Hill App\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e (free).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLog in using the same email from checkout.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYour ebook will appear instantly in your library.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size: 14px; color: #555;\"\u003eAll content is securely delivered through our app and not offered as a Shopify download.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Ebook\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Antony Sher's insider journal is a brilliant exploded view of a great actor at work – modest and gifted, self-centred and selfless – a genius capable of transporting us backstage'\u003c\/b\u003e Craig Raine, \u003cem\u003eThe Spectator\u003c\/em\u003e (Books of the Year)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eYear of the Fat Knight\u003c\/em\u003e is Antony Sher's account – splendidly supplemented by his own paintings and sketches – of researching, rehearsing and performing one of Shakespeare's best-known and most popular characters, Sir John Falstaff, in the Royal Shakespeare Company's 2014 production of both parts of \u003cem\u003eHenry IV\u003c\/em\u003e, directed by Gregory Doran.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth the production and Sher's Falstaff were acclaimed by critics and audiences – with Sher winning the Critics' Circle Award for Best Shakespearean Performance – and the shows transferred from Stratford to London, and then to New York, where Charles Isherwood in the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e described Sher's Falstaff as 'one of the greatest performances I've ever seen'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis fascinating book tells us how Sher had initial doubts about playing the part at all, how he sought to reconcile Falstaff's obesity, drunkenness, cowardice and charm, how he wrestled with the fat suit needed to bulk him up, and how he explored the complexities and contradictions of this comic yet often dangerous personality. On the way, he paints a uniquely close-up portrait of the RSC at work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eYear of the Fat Knight\u003c\/em\u003e is a terrific read, rich in humour and with a built-in tension as opening night draws relentlessly nearer. It also stands as a celebration of the craft of character acting. It ranks alongside \u003cem\u003eYear of the King\u003c\/em\u003e – Sher's seminal account of playing Richard III – as a consummate depiction of the creation of a giant Shakespearean role.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy You'll Love This Ebook\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExperience an intimate daily account of preparing for Falstaff\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDiscover the rehearsal process from one of theatre's great Shakespeareans\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLearn how leading performers approach Shakespeare's greatest comic role\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRead Nick Hern Books' acclaimed companion to Year of the King\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eReviews\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A brilliantly full-bodied account that mixes the practicalities of a performance with artistic ambitions. You learn as much about Sher himself as you do about Falstaff... far more instructive about acting than any number of how-to guides' \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhatsOnStage\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A vivid account... Sher has an artist's eye... filled with ecstacy' \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Times\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Far from simply a primer on the art of acting... [Sher's] tone is relaxed, intimate, even confidential, open about his personal foibles and relationships... a book about life as well as about acting' \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Spectator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'An excellent account… intimate and conversational in tone, and illuminates both the personal and collective processes of bringing to life a huge character and production' \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'One of the most compelling non-fiction books I've read in a long time... chatty, frank, funny and enlightening... anyone wanting to know exactly how a show is created from beginning to end will find it all here... I enjoyed Sher's earlier book, Year of the King, about his journey to create Richard III, but this is even better' \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Stage\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A warm, generous, incisive read… [its] breadth of detail gives Year of the Fat Knight, like the figure of Sir John himself, a dimension of weight and gravity' \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTheatre in Wales\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Fascinating... sprinkled with amusing anecdotes... both a deeply felt love story and a detailed record of how a great actor prepares for a role' \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDrama Magazine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A rather lovely account... Sher's style is easy and open – the prose equivalent of a stage whisper – and his concerns are both lofty and low... his drawings and paintings, made during the course of preparation for Falstaff, show off prodigious talent and a restless eye: beautiful portraits are committed to script pages and between rehearsal notes' \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eExeunt Magazine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A joyful outpouring of a man at the top of his game... totally enthralling from start to finish' \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBooks Monthly\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Honest, humourous and enlightening... a great addition to any actor’s reading list' \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eActor Hub\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAntony Sher (1949–2021) was a leading actor known for his stage performances, particularly with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He was also a highly respected author and artist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBorn in Cape Town, South Africa, Sher came to London in 1968, and trained at the Webber Douglas Academy. Much of his career was with the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he was an Associate Artist. He played Richard III, Macbeth, Leontes, Prospero, Shylock, Iago and Falstaff, as well as the leading roles in \u003cem\u003eCyrano de Bergerac\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eTamburlaine the Great\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Roman \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eActor\u003c\/em\u003e, Tom Stoppard's \u003cem\u003eTravesties\u003c\/em\u003e, Peter Flannery's \u003cem\u003eSinger\u003c\/em\u003e, Athol Fugard's \u003cem\u003eHello\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eand Goodbye\u003c\/em\u003e, and Arthur Miller's \u003cem\u003eDeath of a Salesman\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the National Theatre he played the title roles in \u003cem\u003ePrimo\u003c\/em\u003e (his own adaptation of Primo Levi's \u003cem\u003eIf This is a Man\u003c\/em\u003e), Pam Gems's \u003cem\u003eStanley\u003c\/em\u003e, Brecht's \u003cem\u003eArturo Ui\u003c\/em\u003e, Shakespeare's \u003cem\u003eTitus Andronicus\u003c\/em\u003e (a co-production with the Market Theatre, Johannesburg), as well as Astrov in Chekhov's \u003cem\u003eUncle \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eVanya\u003c\/em\u003e and Jacob in Nicholas Wright's \u003cem\u003eTravelling Light\u003c\/em\u003e. In the West End, his roles included Arnold in Harvey Fierstein's \u003cem\u003eTorch Song Trilogy\u003c\/em\u003e, Muhammed in Mike Leigh's \u003cem\u003eGoose-pimples,\u003c\/em\u003e and Gellburg in Arthur Miller's \u003cem\u003eBroken Glass. \u003c\/em\u003eHe played Freud in Terry Johnson's \u003cem\u003eHysteria\u003c\/em\u003e at Bath's Theatre Royal and Hampstead Theatre.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFilm and television appearances included \u003cem\u003eMrs Brown\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eAlive and Kicking\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe History Man\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eMacbeth\u003c\/em\u003e and J.G. Ballard's \u003cem\u003eHome\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing his debut as a writer with \u003cem\u003eYear of the King\u003c\/em\u003e (1985), an account of playing Richard III, he wrote four novels – \u003cem\u003eMiddlepost\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eIndoor Boy\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eCheap \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eLives\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Feast\u003c\/em\u003e – as well as other theatre journals, \u003cem\u003eWoza Shakespeare! \u003c\/em\u003e(co-written with his partner, the director Gregory Doran, who later became his husband) and \u003cem\u003ePrimo Time\u003c\/em\u003e. His autobiography \u003cem\u003eBeside Myself\u003c\/em\u003e was published in 2001. His plays include \u003cem\u003eI.D.\u003c\/em\u003e (premiered at the Almeida Theatre, 2003) and \u003cem\u003eThe Giant\u003c\/em\u003e (premiered at Hampstead Theatre, 2007).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe published a book of his paintings and drawings, \u003cem\u003eCharacters\u003c\/em\u003e (1989), and held exhibitions of his work at the National Theatre, the London Jewish Cultural Centre, the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield and the Herbert Gallery in Coventry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmong numerous awards, he won the Olivier Best Actor Award on two occasions (\u003cem\u003eRichard III\u003c\/em\u003e\/\u003cem\u003eTorch Song Trilogy\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eStanley\u003c\/em\u003e), the Evening Standard Best Actor Award (\u003cem\u003eRichard III\u003c\/em\u003e), and the Evening Standard Peter Sellers Film Award (for Disraeli in \u003cem\u003eMrs Brown\u003c\/em\u003e). On Broadway, he won Best Solo Performer in both the Outer Critics' Circle and Drama Desk Awards for \u003cem\u003ePrimo\u003c\/em\u003e. He held honorary Doctorates of Letters from the universities of Liverpool, Exeter, Warwick, and Cape Town. In 2000 he was knighted for his services to acting and writing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhotograph of Antony Sher © Paul Stuart Photography Ltd\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePublication Details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN (EPUB):\u003c\/strong\u003e 9781780016023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e 18 August 2016\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 208\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ebook (EPUB)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Nick Hern Books\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow do I access my ebook?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDownload \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/thegreyhill.com\/pages\/the-grey-hill-app\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThe Grey Hill App\u003c\/a\u003e and log in using the same email you used at checkout. Your ebook will appear instantly in your library.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan I read it online?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes — you can also access your purchases via our online reader at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reader.thegreyhill.com\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ereader.thegreyhill.com\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eI can't see my ebook — what should I do?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTap the refresh button in the app or online reader. If it still doesn't appear, ensure you're logged in with the same email used at checkout. If issues continue, contact us and we'll help right away.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan I gift this ebook?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes — you can purchase a Grey Hill Gift Card here: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/thegreyhill.com\/products\/the-grey-hill-gift-card\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBuy a Gift Card\u003c\/a\u003e. The recipient can redeem it on our store, and the ebook will appear in The Grey Hill App.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nick Hern Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57117598810485,"sku":"9781780016023","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0921\/5662\/5269\/files\/9781780016023.jpg?v=1777561817","url":"https:\/\/thegreyhill.com\/products\/year-of-the-fat-knight","provider":"The Grey Hill","version":"1.0","type":"link"}