Description
The story of Fenella Fielding’s 90 year life and career unfolds through a narrative based on 90 letters and a feast of unseen Fenella photos; all sourced from the actress’ personal archive. The book includes lots of Fenella speaking, as told to the author, quotes from past publications and her own diaries and journal notes.
There’s nothing as exciting as getting a start, but that was very hard for Fenella, who was constantly up against her father. He didn’t want her to be anything she might want to be, particularly not an actress. Having escaped his clutches by moving to a room in central London, she still has to actually make it as an actress. And then, it seems, make it over and over again.
She plays in the West End; she plays outside London in rep; she travels to Norman, a small town in Oklahoma, just trying to find an audience that hasn’t heard of her, so she might break away from her comedic sex-pot image. Then she flies straight to New York and is on the Ed Sullivan Show, where she’s seen by over 40 million viewers. When the host takes her by the hand, it’s a sign that she’s just earned lots of applause!
In 1966, Fenella is living in a Marble Arch penthouse, playing in the West End nightly in a quality smash hit play, she appears in a big budget film with Tony Curtis, spends three weeks filming Carry On Screaming, has her own TV show and is the highest paid actress in advertising. By 1981, she’s claiming unemployment benefit in Hammersmith. But it’s not over yet!
Choosing from thousands of letters: the book opens with Fenella putting on her first play – she’s 13. When we reach the final letter, she’s invited to the Palace to collect her OBE – she’s 90. The story between those two points is remarkable. Lots of famous contributors, including; Kenneth Williams ‘many of the scripts weren’t loved by me’, Harold Pinter, Laurence Olivier, Dirk Bogarde, John Cleese wanting his old scripts back to reuse in Monty Python, Cecil Beaton ‘a distant admirer’, Gyles Brandreth ‘you do weave spells’, a 14-year old fan called Matthew Bourne, Quentin Crisp, Leigh Bowery, Jane Birkin, Kate O’Mara and Peter Wyngarde ‘adored your flirtatious granny!’.
Yet some of the most astonishing stories come from unknown letter writers: the motor scooter rider who knocks Fenella over, shouts at her, and later asks her to contribute to the cost of repairing his bike; Fenella’s escort to a central London nightclub who has wig-cleaner poured into the petrol tank of his gleaming new Jaguar; the man who sees her on Morecambe & Wise and offers her ‘stimulating chastisement’ – he wants to spank her!
Fenella was a rare talent, a remarkable wit, but was also deeply empathetic and caring about people. Did she piss a few people off too? You bet!
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This is a pre-order item. Books will be delivered Autumn 2025.
