For four hundred years the London stage has nurtured great actors. In this celebration of their achievements, Brian Masters recreates their impact in performance, ranging from Thomas Betterton to David Garrick, Edmund Kean, Mrs Siddons, Henry Irving and dozens of others, close to the present day with Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud. Arguing that the work of great actors does not die with them but is passed down in the work of today’s stars, Brian Masters brings together the rich tapestry of a unique tradition, utilising both hilarious anecdotal evidence and historical fact.