WILL SHE DO?: Act One of a Life on Stage (Eileen Atkins)

Eileen Atkins, born in 1934, did not come from a theatrical family, and at the time she was determined to make her way as an actor, her class (working) was still very much against her.Her father was a meter reader, her aspirational, quite snobbish, rather cold mother, was the one who pushed little Eileen into performance, as the result of a gypsy fortune teller saying she would be a famous dancer. At a very young age Eileen was performing rather risqué, suggestive song-and-dance numbers in Working Men’s Clubs. Almost Child Porn, though the times were perhaps a bit more innocent.Dame Eileen Atkins, as she is now, is a multi gifted person, not only as a performer, but also, as a writer. This is a wonderfully direct account, from her childhood, up till her launch into stardom from The Killing of Sister George, and the breakdown of her first marriage, in 1966.She is clearly a woman with a wonderful talent for strong friendships, and one with quite a fierce temper – particularly when younger, before she had any ‘clout’ at all. I relished the account of her, as a lowly ASM, shouting at the enormously up and coming Peter Hall for his rudeness to the hardworking technical staff.Atkins is prepared to be revelatory about her failures and bad behaviours, and comes across as direct, salty, pulling no punches – and also very funny indeed.A highly enjoyable read, leaving the reader with the sense that Eileen has been talking without artifice, about her interesting life and times, and that she has been authentically communicating, without pretence. She takes her craft extremely seriously, but not herself.

An interesting read, although some of the editing is poor and I can't help feeling her memory let her down on a few occasions (e.g. she couldn't have heard "who do you think you are kidding Mr Hitler" at the Stage Door Canteen during WW2 as it was written especially for Dad's Army over 20 years later). Norwich to Euston via East Dulwich on what appeared to be one train? Those minor grumblings aside I really enjoyed reading it and Eileen is a very competent author compared to so many other acting memoirs I've read in the past few years. When Eileen was interviewed on R4 Woman's Hour recently she said she was not planning to write a sequel about her later life. A good decision and that's not a reflection on her writing at all; she's was right in saying that so many stage autobiographies become a boring list of achievements and anecdotes once the initial discovery and rise to stardom is achieved.

This is a lovely autobiography by Dame Eileen Atkins which captures her early life and career, taking the reader up to the point where she wins a Tony for best actress in the Broadway production of The Killing of Sister George. It provides insights to her background and to her personality, and describes well the vicissitudes of the early life of an actor - one step forwards and several steps backwards. Every young actor should read it, although the industry they will enter today is not remotely like the one Eileen Atkins met decade's ago. She is one of our greatest living actors, and it is illuminating to read of her childhood, training and the many false steps in her early professional life. I found this a fast paced and very engaging book.

This book is funny, sad, full of emotion, but spare in style. Above all, it's a bit self-mocking (note the title). I loved it. It's impossible, I guess, to write a totally revealing autobiography but I think Ms Atkins comes close. And she writes without the self-indulgent flamboyance that you might expect from an actress. I kept having the feeling that I knew exactly what she was feeling. As good as it gets.

A beloved daughter’s struggle to make her own life and not just do what an over-protective mother wants .A book that anyone dreaming of becoming an actor should read ,it charts vividly the ups and serious downs that have to be dealt with on the way to who knows what ?