A Young Man's Passage
by Julian Clary

Description

Julian Clary is one of Britain's most loved entertainers and this is his story, intimately told in his own words. Not just a memoir, but the debut of a exciting writer. After a quiet suburban upbringing Julian went to St Benedict's where the unholy monks taught him the rudiments of glamour, alternative living and brutality. From there, he packed his bags for London, where he developed a taste for shameless performance. And, like any other self-respecting homosexual of that era, Julian was having as much sex as possible. It was a time of experimentation with both genders until Julian decided that it was he who'd be wearing the eyeliner. Graduating just as the alternative comedy revolution was beginning to hit full swing, Julian added his own brand of glitter and smut to the mix. After pottering about in community theatre and working as a singing telegram, Julian took to the cabaret circuit as The Joan Collins Fan Club and never looked back. With his co-star Fanny the Wonderdog, and her uncanny impersonations of the Royal Family, the big time was but a step away. Stardom on stage and TV and a place in the nation's hearts were his. Suddenly he was the most famous, uncompromising queen in the country - adored for his visual and verbal wit. Yet it was a time of mixed emotions, as Julian enjoyed the highs of success while privately suffering the compromises of celebrity and the life-altering pain of losing his lover to AIDS. A uniquely candid insight into the emotional life of a celebrity, Julian brings a voice to his private life with all the elegance, economy, integrity and charm that have always marked his comedy. And, possibly, the odd cheap gag.