sat17apr6:00 pmsat11:50 pmDead Famous: A History of Celebrity from Bronze Age to Silver ScreenGreg Jenner & Janina Ramirez

Time

(Saturday) 6:00 pm - 11:50 pm(GMT-11:00)

Event Details

Celebrity, with its neon glow and selfie pout, strikes us as hypermodern. But the famous and infamous have been thrilling, titillating and outraging us for much longer than we might realise – right back to the Ancient Greeks. Whether it was the scandalous Lord Byron, whose poetry sent female fans into an erotic frenzy, the cheetah-owning, coffin-sleeping, one-legged French actress Sarah Bernhardt or Edmund Kean, the dazzling Shakespeare actor whose monstrous ego and terrible alcoholism saw him nearly murdered by his own audience – the list of stars whose careers burned bright before the age of television is extensive and thrillingly varied.

Leading historian and Horrible Histories expert Greg Jenner goes in search of notoriety’s historical roots discussing the vibrant history of celebrity and why it burst into life in the early 18th century. He joins Festival President and BBC2 Raiders of the Lost Past presenter Janina Ramirez to talk history, scandal and celebrity – revealing some intriguing and sometimes unexpected pioneers.  

Greg Jenner is a public historian, broadcaster, bestselling author and creator of the chart topping BBC comedy podcast You’re Dead to Me. He’s the Historical Consultant to the BBC’s Emmy and BAFTA award winning Horrible Histories TV series and movie.

 ‘A fascinating, rollicking book in search of why, where and how fame strikes. Sit back and enjoy the ride.’ (Peter Frankopan)

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Horrible Histories expert Greg Jenner joins Festival President and BBC2 Raiders of the Lost Past presenter Janina Ramirez to talk history, scandal and celebrity – revealing some intriguing and sometimes unexpected pioneers.

 

 

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