Why read Innocent Flowers?

Book cover of Innocent Flowers: Women in the Edwardian Theatre

Book description

The Edwardian actress, glamorous and privileged, was the sex symbol of her time. Yet her life was a paradox: off stage she could marry, divorce and take lovers with impugnity; on stage she had to play dutiful wives or daughters or 'scarlet women'.

Thousands of these spirited women set out…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Innocent Flowers as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Patsy Trench

Author

This book taught me so much I didn’t know about the women working in theatre in Edwardian Britain, particularly behind the scenes. They were by and large the antidote to the (male) actor-managers who ruled the roost over the West End at the turn of the 19th/20th centuries. They were responsible for introducing Ibsen in his original form to cautious London audiences, and for creating something called the Actress’ Franchise League, which I’d never heard of before. It’s a broadly-researched book and very easy to read.

From Patsy's list on early 20th century English theatre and actors.