The Reluctant Soldier & Greasepaint and Girls

By Richard Temple West

RELUCTANT SOLDIER: By turns thrilling, poignant and wickedly funny, The Reluctant Soldier chronicles the wartime adventures of theatrical ing nue, Richard West, whose ability to speak French saved him from an uneventful war, whisking him off to France, Africa and the Middle East, where he served under General Spears and Charles de Gaulle. West gives us a unique account of the Second World War, where colonels neglect their duties for pink gins on ski slopes and treaties are so wet that you can grow mustard and cress on them. West, who eventually became a director, never gave up his passion for the theatre, and ended up running two theatres in Milan for the entertainment of the troops, as well as writing lyrics for the Continental cabaret in Cairo.GREASEPAINT & GIRLS: Richard West's second memoir chronicles his journey from aspiring actor to fully-fledged director, transporting readers to film sets and theatres all over the British Isles, as well as the distant shores of Australia, Canada and Libya. With wit and verve West recounts his theatrical and filmic endeavours and the romantic trysts that went with them. His droll humour, joie de vivre and weakness for the fairer sex makes this a rip-roaring, riotous read, particularly for those nostalgic for a bygone era of British drama. 'Richard West arrived and brought new stimulus and abundant nervous energy to the company; the play policy changed, acting styles were rejigged and conventional casting got severely jolted.' - Kenneth Williams

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B08M2BC4FM
• ISBN13: 9798664990133
• Release Date: October 2020
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 286 Pages
• Weight: 0.73 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"