Book of the Week - Born Brilliant: The Life of Kenneth Williams - Episode 1

Kenneth Williams was the stand-out comic actor of his generation. Beloved as the manic star of Carry On films and as a peerless raconteur on TV chat shows and radio comedies, he was also acclaimed for serious stage roles. But he was a complicated character which often showed in his erratic behaviour - he could be affectionate one minute then spiteful the next, ever the extrovert in public he would return to his tiny sparsely decorated flat alone and he turned down more than his fair share of professional opportunities. Since the publication of edited extracts from his diaries, much controversy has surrounded Williams's personal and professional lives. But journalist and author Christopher Stevens has been granted access by the estate to Williams's complete archive - the forty-three volumes of diaries and hundreds of unseen letters to and from the star. He has also interviewed many of Williams's friends and colleagues (some who have never spoken publicly before about their time with Kenneth). Born Brilliant: The Life of Kenneth Williams (the first full-length authorised biography) traces the complex contradictions that characterised an extraordinary life. Abridged by Libby Spurrier Read by Nicholas Boulton Producer: Joanna Green A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.