Blog Tour stop for this hilarious autobiography from Rainbow puppeteer Ronnie Le Drew.
#ZippyandMe #BlogTour @punchand @unbounders @annecater @randonthingstours
"My Life inside Britain's most Infamous puppet.."
Synopsis
This is the first behind-the scenes look at the iconic children's TV programme, which aired more than 1000 episodes between 1972 and 1997
Over the course of almost half a century, puppeteer Ronnie Le Drew has worked with the greats – from David Bowie in Labyrinth to Michael Caine in A Muppet Christmas Carol.
But the role that defined his career was Rainbow’s Zippy, who he operated for more than twenty years.
Zippy and Me is the first time a Rainbow insider has told the true story of what went on under the counter and inside the suits: the petty squabbles between performers, wrangling with TV executives, and scandals such as the 'love triangle' between musicians Rod, Jane and Freddy.
Not to mention the now infamous X-rated episode shot for an ITV Christmas party, which subsequently found its way to the Sun.
Interweaved with the dirt on what really went on behind the scenes is the story of Rainbow’s heyday in the 1970s and 80s, when its stars found themselves catapulted into an exciting showbiz world – cooping a BAFTA award and even performing for the queen – and the story of a young lad from a south London council estate who defied his parents' protests to became one of the most respected puppeteers of all time.
My Review
I could not resist reviewing this autobiography not my usual reading genre, but Rainbow was such a part of my childhood that I could not resist taking a look behind the scenes!
I thoroughly enjoyed the book a real delve in to Ronnie Le Drew's life, filled with such wonderful tales and information giving me a new found respect for the puppetry world and its masters.
I loved the behind the scenes stories from rainbow but in the end I was more taken with Ronnie's life and his determination from a young boy to follow his dreams and become a legend in the art he loved.
Author Bio
Ronnie Le Drew is one of the UK’s most respected puppeteers, and recipient of the prestigious Harlequin Award.
He has operated many of the most iconic children’s puppets of the twentieth century – Zippy, Sweep, Muffin the Mule, Bill and Ben, Brains from Thunderbirds – as well as working on classic puppet films such as Labyrinth, Little Shop of Horrors and The Muppet Christmas Carol.
He continues to work regularly as a puppeteer in TV, theatre and advertising and also teaches at the London School of Puppetry, which he founded in 1987.
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Blog Tour
Thank you to the Publisher and Author for sending me an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel and for the opportunity to review these works.
All reviews are my own unbiased opinion.
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