Author Interview
IAN KELLY Alexander Larman meets the author of the definitive biography of Beau Brummell, to find out about his many other activities as an actor/writer/playwright
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’ve always been of the opinion that the two most interesting things in the world are sex and the 18th century.’ So says the writer, actor and playwright Ian Kelly, one of the true Renaissance men working today. Over the course of an eclectic career, he’s done everything from play Hermione Granger’s father in one of the Harry Potter films to writing the definitive modern biography of Chap hero Beau Brummell, and has managed to retain his sangfroid in all situations. We talked to the great Mr. Kelly about many things, including, but not limited to, the two most interesting things in the world.
“Lockdown sartorial splendours include thermal long johns and even fingerless gloves when the heating isn’t working. It would be La Boheme in a Parisian garret, except it turns out January ain’t that romantic if the boiler’s buggered”
CHAP: Your website calls you a ‘writer, actor, historical biographer, screenwriter and playwright’, which reminded me of the joke in Stoppard’s Invention of Love about Charon’s confusion when it came to AE Housman being both a classicist and a poet. Do you ever find similar confusion when it comes to any of your own artistic identities?
KELLY: Yes, that does sound a bit confused doesn’t it? But it is just how things have panned out. I always loved writing and acting, telling stories, especially from history, and have been fortunate to be able so to do. My life, for good or ill, remains rather as it always was, even as a student, jumping between dressing rooms and libraries, with now the
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