Franco Zeffirelli

In an unpararelled career spanning more than sixty years, Franco Zeffirelli has carved his name in history as one of the world’s most gifted, original and flamboyant directors of opera, theatre and film. His career began in set design before moving effortlessly into directing, and then from theatre into opera and cinema. His operatic blockbusters include productions of La Bohème, Tosca, Pagliacci, Carmen and Don Giovanni. On the stage he has directed many of theatre’s greatest actors, including Judi Dench, John Gielgud, Robert Stephens, Maggie Smith and Ian McKellen. This is also true of his films, among them Taming of the Shrew, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, the Oscar nominated Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, with Mel Gibson and Glenn Close and Tea with Mussolini. A handsome and lavishly illustrated volume of previously unpublished drawings, designs and photographs will be published by Thames & Hudson in Autumn 2010.