Publisher's Synopsis
'And one many in his time plays many parts (And so does a woman!).' So read the slogan Dame Ellen Terry composed for her jubilee programme in 1906. Over her 81 years and 65-year career, the doyenne of Shakespearean theatre in the Victorian era would assume many a role on and off stage: child star and beloved actress of the nation; independent woman and wife, lover and mother. Smallhythe Place was Ellen's country retreat - peaceful and charming, it's not hard to see how she fell in love with it at first sight. In this guidebook, Veronica Isaac reveals the story of the actress's life through the rooms and collections that remain here today: memorabilia from the stage, including her exquisite costumes; her books and scripts - once piled through the house - with her notes still scrawled in the margins; the tranquil garden in which she dressed up in costume to amuse her grandchildren.
