"This book celebrates an extraordinary gift by the world-renowned novelist and playwright, W Somerset Maugham. Some years before his death he bequeathed to the long-awaited National Theatre of Great Britain his remarkable collection of theatrical paintings... The paintings provide a vivid and fascinating record of a golden age of actors and acting from 1759 to 1846... Among the actors shown in performance are Garrick, Macklin, Mathews, Siddon, Edmund Kean, Macready, Liston, and Elliston... There are authoritative and entertaining notes on each painting." -- Back cover.

A tense truce holds between the Capulets and the Montagues after the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Benvolio, Romeo's best friend, is in love with Rosaline, Juliet's cousin; but Rosaline is bent on revenge. After Juliet by Sharman Macdonald was specially commissioned by the Royal National Theatre for the BT National Connections Scheme for young people.