Book cover of The Half

Book description

For twenty-five years, actors have given Simon Annand unprecedented access to photograph them in the intimacy of their dressing-rooms during the 30 minutes before curtain-up - 'the half'. This magnificent book offers not only a dazzling gallery of actors - including Anthony Hopkins, Cate Blanchett, Daniel Day Lewis, Judi Dench,…


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Why read it?

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

A stunning collection of images of actors captured across a generation in the elusive space of “the half” – the thirty minutes of intensity just before the curtain is raised. 

It’s a window into the private space of the actor as they prepare to share their craft with the audience. It also demonstrates how an archive of photographs, captured over several decades, can take on new meaning when represented as a full collection.

For me, the most striking image is one of Natasha Richardson, arms outstretched, in a partially transparent flowing gown as she prepares to appear in The Seagull…

If you love The Half...

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December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

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