{"product_id":"9781399018623","title":"Sarah Siddons : The First Celebrity Actress","description":"\u003cp\u003eSarah Siddons grew up as a member of a family troupe of travelling actors,�always poor and often hungry, resorting to foraging for turnips to eat. But�before she was 30 she had become a superstar, her fees greater than any actor -�male or female - had previously achieved.   Her rise was not easy. Her London debut, aged just 20, was a disaster and could�have condemned her to poverty and anonymity. But the young actress - already�a mother of two - rebuilt her career, returning triumphantly to the capital after�years of remorseless provincial touring.   She became Britain's greatest tragic actress, electrifying audiences with her�performances. Her shows were sell-outs.�Adored by theatre audiences, writers, artists and the royal family alike, Sarah�grasped the importance of her image. She made sure that every leading portrait�painter captured her likeness, so that engravings could be sold to her adoring�public.   In an eighteenth-century world of vicious satire and gossip, she also battled to�manage her reputation. Married young, she took constant pains to portray�herself as a respectable and happily married woman, even though her marriage�did not live up to this ideal.   Sarah's story is not just about rags to riches; this remarkable woman also�redefined the world of theatre and became the first celebrity actress.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rye Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45471293341917,"sku":"9781399018623","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0064\/1368\/0730\/files\/9781399018623.jpg?v=1720201483","url":"https:\/\/ryebooks.co.uk\/products\/9781399018623","provider":"Rye Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}