The Making of an Artist : Creating the Irishman Michael MacLiamoir

The Making of an Artist is a fascinating portrayal of the formative years of Micheal MacLiammoir, actor, playwright, artist, linguist, raconteur and co-founder of the Gate Theatre. Born in Cockney London and christened Alfred Willmore, he moved to Dublin in his teens and set about creating an entirely new persona, becoming one of Ireland's leading stage actors along the way. He immersed himself in Irish culture, becoming fluent in the Irish language, and was gripped by the social unrest in Dublin as Ireland fought for independence. The story of MacLiammoir's development as an artist is told through hundreds of previously unseen letters and diary entries. Correspondence between the actor and his two closest friends, Maire O'Keeffe and Jack Dunne - many from exotic locales like Nice, Davos, Rome, Paris, Howth, London, Monte Carlo and Florence - provides a fascinating glimpse into MacLiammoir's creative growth, as well as the literary milieu of 1920s Dublin. Lavishly illustrated with personal photographs and original artwork by MacLiammoir, this brilliantly researched book will make an important contribution to our appreciation of one of Ireland's greatest artists.