Affair of the Heart

The best theatrical read of the year. * British Theatre Guide *A hugely valuable document of almost three decades of British theatre, but also a highly personal collection. * Times Literary Supplement *Here is 18 years’ worth of [Billington’s] wisdom, starting with a recession and ending with a pandemic, culled from a half-century at the Guardian … This book is more than a wander down memory lane, however; it brilliantly shows how theatre reflects society, art imitating life. * Country Life Magazine *

Michael Billington is a theatre critic and has written several biographies of well-known playwrights. Having worked as a director for Lincoln Theatre Company in the 1960s, he was employed by The Times newspaper as a theatre critic in 1965, before joining the Guardian in 1971. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to the theatre. His books include The 101 Greatest Plays: From Antiquity to the Present (2016), State of the Nation: British Theatre Since 1945 (2009) and Harold Pinter (2007).