Character Breakdown

A very great bookA smart, funny and well-written take-down of modern showbiz – Elizabeth Day * Mail on Sunday *Smart, funny, vivid, honest, dark, timely * The Times *An entertaining and original memoir touching on career, life and identity. It is an enjoyable read, despite the humiliating tales of auditions or filming situations where she is physically assessed, objectified or subject to casual racism. Understandably there is an undertone of rage in her keen observations – Hannah Beckerman * Observer *Character Breakdown embraces darkness while also being a wickedly absurd look at modern show business * Stylist *A meditation on womanhood, failure and performance…her experiences and conflicts feel universal…it is very funny – Sarah Carson * i *Sees the hotshot actress/writer/director who you might remember as mentalist Vod in student sitcom, Fresh Meat, look at the absurdity of pretending to be other people for a living * Muddy Stilettos *An extremely imaginative and well-written volume that has the pace and page-turning attractions of a novel… a fine, painfully honest autobiographer/ novelist… [and] a good, witty read but which also gives purchasers a real insight into life in the acting profession today * British Theatre Guide *I loved it…smart, funny, highly original and with an unconventional narrative that asked deep questions about the roles we all play in our lives – Elizabeth Day * Country & Town *A fascinating look at the fine line between performance and life, written with style * i magazine, Summer Reads of 2019 *

Zawe Ashton is an actress, playwright and director who started acting at the age of six. Her portrayal of Vod in Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong’s Fresh Meat won her a cult following and the diversity of her work across television, film and stage has attracted numerous accolades. Recent credits include the BBC/Netflix TV series Wanderlust, the Netflix feature film Velvet Buzzsaw and Betrayal at the Harold Pinter Theatre. Her play for all those women who thought they were Mad will be staged for the first time this year. She lives in London.

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