Antony Sher

Antony Sher is one of our most acclaimed classical actors. Not only has he played Richard III, Prospero, Iago, Cyrano de Bergerac and Tamburlaine, but also the leading roles in Tom Stoppard’s Travesties, Terry Johnson’s Hysteria and Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. In 2014, he was cast as Falstaff in the RSC production of both parts of Henry IV. Both the production and Sher’s Falstaff were praised by critics and audiences alike.

Year of the Fat Knight is Anthony Sher’s account of researching. rehearsing and playing one of Shakespeare’s best-known and most popular characters. In it he shares his doubts about playing the part at all, his concerns about reconciling Falstaff’s obesity, drunkenness, cowardice and charm, and how he explored the complexities and contradictions of this comic yet dangerous personality. It’s a thoroughly engrossing book, full of humour, and a great celebration of the creative life, full of insights into the craft of acting.