The Forum

Whether photographed in a coffin or depicted on an Art Nouveau poster, the French actor Sarah Bernhardt knew exactly how to get maximum publicity. Although her first outings on the stage were unremarkable, she refined her skills and rose to become the leading actor of her generation and a world-famous name. Her life off-stage was a further source of endless fascination, her eccentric and occasionally arrogant behaviour only adding to her allure. Her critics saw her as manipulative and hackneyed. For her admirers, seeing Bernhardt ‘die’ on stage was a moment to be treasured for ever. Today we might find the late 19th-century acting style captured on film and sound recordings affected. But her legacy is being re-evaluated, as a woman who took control of her own destiny. Bridget Kendall charts Sarah Bernhardt’s life and career with John Stokes, Emeritus Professor of Modern British Literature at King’s College London, who’s published widely on theatre history, including The French Actress and Her English Audi