{"product_id":"9781529422573-young-pretender","title":"The Young Pretender","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe irresistible return to fame of the remarkable child actor Master William Betty, mobbed by the masses, courted by royalty, and one of the most famous people in Georgian Britain\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'An engrossing, enthralling and utterly captivating read, \u003ci\u003eThe Young Pretender \u003c\/i\u003etells a simply remarkable story with bounce, energy, wit, and lively authenticity . Michael Arditti's brilliant imaginative achievement offers high comedy, dark tragedy and everything between' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eSTEPHEN FRY\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eMobbed by the masses, lionised by the aristocracy, courted by royalty and lusted after by patrons of both sexes, the child actor William Henry West Betty was one of the most famous people in Georgian Britain.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eAt the age of thirteen, he played leading roles, including \u003ci\u003eRomeo\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eMacbeth\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eRichard III\u003c\/i\u003e, in theatres across the country. Prime Minister William Pitt adjourned the House of Commons so that its members could attend his debut as Hamlet at Covent Garden. Then, as rivals turned on him and scandal engulfed him, he suffered a fall as merciless as his rise had been meteoric.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Young Pretender\u003c\/i\u003e takes place during Betty's attempted comeback at the age of twenty-one. As he seeks to relaunch his career, he is forced to confront the painful truths behind his boyhood triumphs. Michael Arditti's revelatory new novel puts this long forgotten figure back in the limelight. In addition to its rich and poignant portrait of Betty himself, it offers an engrossing insight into both the theatre and society of the age. The nature of celebrity, the power of publicity and the cult of youth are laid bare in a story that is more pertinent now than ever.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Michael Arditti is a writer who takes risks. His material is always compelling and provocative, his techniques sophisticated and oblique' \u003cb\u003ePATRICIA DUNCKER, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eIndependent on Sunday \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Arditti is a master storyteller' \u003cb\u003ePETER STANFORD, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eObserver \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40771321430113,"sku":"9781529422573","price":8.37,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/stand_34130459.jpg?v=1746725277","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781529422573-young-pretender","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}