AustLit

'This is the previously untold saga of one of theatre’s most controversial creators, Ernest C. Rolls, and his loyal wife, the revue star, Jennie Benson. They brought their talents to the Australian theatrical world in the 1920s. Their chaotic careers survived a daunting succession of personal and professional crises – everything from bankruptcy to murder. Rolls even served a term in prison. This extraordinary story, authored by well-known theatre critic and historian, Frank Van Straten, unfolds amidst an array of evocative, rarely seen, images. The racy text and vast selection of archival images bring to life the remarkable world of a forgotten theatrical great.' (Publication summary)