Larry Dann's acting career began with a knock on the door, when a seven-year-old schoolboy was talent scouted by London's Corona Academy and invited to be in a film shooting at Denham Studios. This was the start of a 70-year career in showbiz that saw him perform in hundreds of stage productions all over the world, star in four of the iconic Carry On movies and become a household name as Sgt. Alec Peters in ITV's The Bill.

In this highly entertaining autobiography, Larry recalls dodging school to make movies, recording the pilot for Coronation Street, joining Joan Littlewood's ground-breaking Theatre Workshop, performing in the original productions of Oh! What A Lovely War in the West End and on Broadway, working with cinema icons from Jean Simmons to David Niven, starring in the cult horror movie Ghost Story, nicking villains on the streets of Sun Hill, getting the custard pie treatment from Sooty & Sweep and falling back in love with the theatre.

As well as sharing the extraordinary highs and lows that an acting career can bring, this beautifully crafted memoir also tells the story of a young boy growing up in London during the Blitz, with a mother whose own dream of stardom was held back by his father's Victorian attitudes. From working with villains in the East End to sleeping with cockroaches in New York, from personal tragedies to happy accidents, Larry has shared many of these adventures with Liz, his wife of 50 years and counting.

The book also features a special introduction by the legendary Brian Murphy and dozens of rare photographs capturing Larry's life and career.

First published: Saturday 9th December 2023