Will She Do? : Act One of a Life on Stage

by Eileen Atkins

Will She Do? is the story of a girl from a council estate in Tottenham, born in 1934 to an electric-meter reader and a seamstress, who was determined to be an actress.

Candid and witty, this memoir takes her from her awkward performances in working-men's clubs at six years of age as dancing 'Baby Eileen', through the war years in London, to her breakthrough at thirty-two on Broadway with The Killing of Sister George , for which she received the first of four Tony Award nominations. She co-created Upstairs, Downstairs and wrote the screenplay for Mrs Dalloway (for which she won an Evening Standard Award) and at aged eighty-six, this is her first autobiographical work.

Characterised by an eye for the absurd, a terrific knack for storytelling and an insistence on honesty, Will She Do? is a wonderful raconteur's tale about family, about class, about youthful ambition and big dreams and what really goes on behind the scenes.

Made a Dame in 1991, Eileen Atkins has been on American and British stage and screen since 1957 and has won an Emmy, a BAFTA and is a three-time Olivier Award winner; her theatre performances include The Height of the Storm, Ellen Terry, All that Fall and she has appeared in television and films ranging from Doc Martin to Cranford to The Crown.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Audiobook, Biography Memoir, British Literature

311 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 2021

About the author

Dame Eileen June Atkins, DBE is an English actress and screenwriter. Atkins joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1957 and made her Broadway debut in the 1966 production of The Killing of Sister George, for which she received the first of four Tony Award nominations for Best Actress in a Play in 1967. She received subsequent nominations for, Vivat! Vivat Regina! (1972), Indiscretions (1995) and The Retreat from Moscow (2004).

Atkins co-created the television dramas Upstairs, Downstairs (1971–1975) and The House of Elliot (1991–1994) with Jean Marsh. She also wrote the screenplay for the 1997 film Mrs Dalloway.

Information from Wikipedia

Reviews

[Irena Pasvinter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this memoir, and listening to it in an audiobook form, narrated by Eileen Atkins herself, greatly enhanced the experience.

In "Will She Do" Dame Eileen Atkins describes her long and difficult struggle to establish herself on the British theater stage. Her working class childhood spent on a council estate and her first scenic experience as a child dancer a la Shirlie Temple performing vulgar routines of questionable artistic value in clubs in front of male audience didn't exactly facilitate this endeavor. Nevertheless, since her early teens Eileen Atkins longed to become the "real actress", and this passion sustained her through hard times. And this is what made the story of her journey towards fame interesting to me.

"Will She Do" ends when Eileen Atkins finally feels that she "will do" from now on -- she is in her early thirties and has starred in a leading role in a hugely successful British play which is then performed on Broadway with equal success.

So, I have big hopes this "Act One of a Life on Stage" will soon be followed by Act Two and Act Three, as is only proper for a play.;) I'm looking forward to reading about the creation of "Upstairs/Downstairs" (which I still have to watch, by the way), and anything else Eileen Atkins would find worth telling about, including at least a few pages about her work in my favorite series "Doc Martin".;)

[Curran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt like I was sitting at a kitchen table with Eileen drinking a cup of tea and I loved every minute of this book. What I love most about it is how honest she is and also that I could hear her voice in my head as I read. I don’t often read actors’ memoirs because they usually don’t write them but hers is so distinct in its voice and execution. I truly hope she writes Act Two.

[KD Sachon · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to achieve a dream

I really enjoyed reading this book. It's a view into a life and what it's like when your dreams differ from the home you begin in and I thought it very well written and easy to read and think about. Thank you do writing it Eileen!

[Emma Harding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laugh out loud hilarious at times. At many other times I was breathless at her audacity and determination. She showed undaunted courage to get where she has, and I suspect many other famous dames had fewer obstacles to overcome. Well done, Eileen! You deserve everything you have achieved and more.

[Imogen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating. I’m surprised she can remember so much of her early life in such detail, and I love the casual name dropping of fellow cast mates. I hope she releases another one which explores her life and career post divorce from Julian Glover!

[Bil Antoniou · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly good memoir and a must-read even if you are not familiar with Atkins's career. Her recollections of growing up in London during the war and working in British theater in the 50s and 60s are so vibrant as to feel like time travel. A page turner if ever there was one.

[Pam Strachan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpectedly enjoyable

[John Howes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very engaging theatrical memoir.

[Brian Doak Carlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

You jump into some biographies out of curiosity, wanting to know more. In this case of the intriguing actress Eileen Atkins. Unfortunately having now read the autobiography I feel as if I would like to know a little bit less. The book covers the first thirty-odd years of her 87 so far. She isn’t the most dazzling raconteur and gives just enough insight into her character, working class background, fairly snobbish in attitude and doesn’t have much to say in any great detail about anything. There are the occasional gossipy snippets I would have liked to have seen elaborated upon (e.g. why Dorothy Turin really took such a dislike to her) .
It’s described as Act One of a life on stage, but stops at the late 1960s with a peremptory summing up of the next fifty years in one page, so I’m not quite sure if there’s an Act Two in the offing.

[Rohase Piercy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've admired Eileen Atkins as an actor ever since I saw her in 'The Duchess of Malfi' many years ago, so jumped at the chance to read this first episode of what promises to be a fascinating autobiography! It's written in a lovely humorous, chatty, self-deprecating style, and I found out several things I'd never have suspected about her: her working class background and wartime childhood in Tottenham was a revelation (she had elocution lessons, very necessary for an aspiring actress back in the 1950s, to get rid of her London twang)! Plus, I never realised that she got her first big break playing the original Childie to Beryl Reid's Sister George on stage (a part that was taken over by Susannah York in the 1968 film).
Wonderful stuff, I like her even more now and look forward to reading 'Act Two' and finding out 'what Eileen did next'! 🥰

[Emma Dargue · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok. I thought this was a bit disjointed and paced oddly. I enjoyed finding out about Eileen Atkins life but by focusing on her early life and career it left out a neck of a lot of interesting work that she has done later in her career. It felt a wee bit repetitive and understand that maybe Eileen wanted to focus on her early life but the last chapter was short and I would have preferred a wee bit more detail about her later life.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eileen Atkins is a familiar face on television, turning up in period dramas and other programmes. Her generation of actors, which includes Maggie Smith and Judi Dench, are also famous for their stage work and establishing theatre companies; Eileen’s contribution is a memorable one in its own right. This book concentrates on her earlier life, the way a girl born in Tottenham, London, in 1934 and who grew up in a complicated family where money was always a real issue became a well-known actor and co-creator of the famous original “Upstairs Downstairs”. It is a story of wartime experience, damaging dance lessons and the opportunities presented by visionary teachers. It charts her progress from child performer in working- men’s clubs to Shakespeare on stage and early television performances. It is written in a lively style which follows threads of experiences to their logical conclusion and presents her memories of being a teenage girl who experienced the usual crushes, self-doubts and torments. It brilliantly recalls tales of London life in all its opportunities and challenges, as well as the reality of being a jobbing actor desperately needing paid work. With real story telling skill it recalls how she came to experience Shakespeare’s texts and yet struggle with her exams, cope with a loving and ambitious mother who failed to understand her daughter’s real motivation and recall the fashions and food of a changing society. It is immensely readable and flows in a very engaging way and is a realistic and fascinating autobiography of life and acting.
Eileen’s family background was a little complex, yet she was very much loved by her mother who supplemented the family income by sewing. Always a performer, she was spotted early as a potential money earner by a dubious teacher who contributed to her schooling, while encouraging her to dance in a way which wrecked her feet. Her early career as “Baby Eileen” probably sounds worse than it was and satisfied her mother’s yearning for her to perform. Her progress through school shows that she was lucky to find sponsors who greatly enhanced her education, but that there were times when her teenage angst was temporarily dominant. After school her drama training was not straightforward, but at least meant that she was able to get some work in the holidays and after finishing at college. Her relationships and eventual marriage were obviously genuinely felt at the time, but ran alongside the need to work herself, not just to be “A Stratford Wife” waiting for her actor husband, Julian Glover, to come home. There are some fascinating photographs to show her family and friends, as well as some of her most significant performances on television and stage. A comprehensive index is also supplied of people and productions.
This is an honest account of a life in all its aspects. The embarrassing events are there alongside the modestly described great performances. The tenuous connections which paved the way to a long-lasting career are described, as well as the dull grind of Reparatory rehearsals and performances while living in rough accommodation. This is not a celebrity driven account; the well-known actors, directors and producers are honestly described and where Eileen’s relationships with them tricky. This is an excellent account of how an actor’s life was a challenging one in the past, with the stage changing and television in its infancy, and I recommend it as a fascinating read for Eileen Atkins fans and others interested in the experiences of one of the best-known actors of her generation.

[Elizabeth Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eileen Atkins is best known in recent years for playing Martin Clunes’ Aunt in Doc Martin, as Queen Mary in The Crown or for her appearances in Gosford Park and Cranford. But did you know she also co-wrote the series of Upstairs Downstairs as well as The House of Eliot with Jean Marsh? A contemporary of Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and Vanessa Redgrave, she did not go to RADA or come from an acting dynasty. This biography, which she wrote during the first lockdown, describes her humble beginnings on a council estate in Tottenham, where her ambition was aroused at an early age by her mother and her dance teacher. Despite the Second World War, she started out as a child singing and dancing in Working Men’s Clubs, dressed in unsuitably risqué clothing. Later her secondary school drama teacher raised her sights to classical theatre by teaching her about Shakespeare and refining her accent.
Her lack of the right contacts meant that breaking into the accepted acting circles was difficult. even after her marriage to Julian Glover, a highly successful Shakespearian actor. This frank, well written biography describes the ups and downs, successes and failures of a hard-working actress, determined to succeed. She includes amusing anecdotes about her fellow actors and disputes with directors sometimes caused by her short temper. If you remember the well-known actors of the 1960s you will be amazed by the number of them who were her friends.
The account leads up to the breakup of her first marriage in 1966 and her tremendous success in the controversial production of The Killing of Sister George. There are so many questions I wanted to ask Eileen Atkins about her life after that time but in a recent interview she said that she does not intend to write a sequel. I would, however, highly recommended this fascinating autobiography.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems as though Atkins intended this to be only the first part of a memoir of her long career because the book ends when she's only really reaching her stride. The 'Act One' in the subtitle hints at it as well.
That said, this is an interesting book about her early life, her early performing, her eventual stage career (very intermittent at this point), and her first marriage. She has a sharp eye for detail, and a surprisingly good memory - or else plenty of information to draw from.
She shows no sympathy to herself in terms of what she reveals: her frequent temper, which sometimes cost her work and relationships; her unfaithfulness in marriage (her husband was no better); her attitude towards her own family as she increasingly grew away from them. But it also shows her wonderful enthusiasm for the theatre (and subsequently TV); the value of various friends in her life, and much more.
In many ways a tough lady - the characters she plays often tend to reflect this, in fact.

[Ruxandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. I couldn't put it down, but I forced myself to slow down. I don't even know the words to use to describe that work of art. It took away a piece of me that I'll never have back, but I'm happy of that. Because it was a part of me that I didn't knew, or maybe I didn't want to knew it, I had in myself. I know that I'll remember that book for the rest of my life. The story was amazing and sometimes (so many times) it hurted me so much. I cried? Yes. I loved that book with all myself? Yes. I'll re-read that book? No. It's a no, not because it's bad (as you maybe can see from my review) but I think this is the kind of book that you have to read just one time. I think it will lose the "magic" and the "attraction" that it have. But I it was simply magnificent and it will be in my heart forever <33

[John Bowis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light-hearted delight between perhaps more meaty volumes. Eileen Atkins I remember first as Queen Elizabeth in Robert Bolt's 'Vivat! Vivat Regina!' at Chichester Festival Theatre in 1970, playing opposite Sarah Miles (Bolt's wife) as Mary Queen of Scots. Before and since then she has played a range of Shakespearian parts and many other plays and television films, most recently a number of years in 'Doc Martin' with Martin Clunes.
Her style is honest about the (financial) struggles she had to make her mark in the theatre and humorous in her delivery of memories and anecdotes, not least her loves and love affairs. She has worked with the greats of the theatre, such as John Gielgud, Laurence Olivier and Alec Guiness but they appear as part players in her life and never as name drops.
There must be a second volume waiting to be published. I shall look forward to it.

[Jeff Howells · Rating 4 out of 5]

The memoir of one of Britain’s preeminent actresses, Dame Eileen Atkins. She tells the story of her childhood, through her early years as an actress, her first marriage and finishing as she gets her breakthrough role on stage in ‘The Killing of Sister George’.
Atkins conjures up a post war theatrical world that has totally disappeared: weekly rep. She doesn’t get into RADA and gets her initial acting break after someone falls ill and she steps in after working front of house.
There are anecdotes aplenty - falling out with Peter Hall, defying Peter Brook and turning down Noel Coward.
The book ends in the mid sixties. Britain might have started swinging but Atkins story has only just begun, I hope a sequel isn’t far away.

[Ken Parr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this on the strength of an intriguing eye rolling gif of Eileen Atkins online. I don't think she would be too affronted to be called a 'handful'. Assertive, sly, laconic, honest and a strong present woman with CHARISMA.

Perhaps I should have had Eileen read it to me, but regardless this was a satisfying if random read. Comes to an abrupt end before the USA tour of the Killing of Sister George, when I could have read more. I should like to know why she wasn't cast in the Film which would of further raised her profile (like Maggie in her Prime OMJB). My Wife and I can still parlez Guurlz :)

[Karen Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book looked interesting, and it was up to a point. The first half was interesting in terms of Eileen growing up and the war etc.

However the second half of the book became more of a roll call and whilst there were heaps of recognisable names, productions, circumstances none had any depth and its left me curious about the gaps.

Having just read the Cazalet Chronicles set partly over the same period with characters dropping in and out with a paragraph a piece that book delivered so much more in content. This did measure up. It's Part one, I don't think I am going back for more.

[John Rossington · Rating 4 out of 5]

A splendid read. Ms Atkins is an acomplished writer who describes her early life with gusto. The first shock was how working class her childhood was. I had always assumed that with her posh accent she would be middle class. That was far too presumptive of me. The second shock was how candid Ms Atkins was about her sex life. I ommend this book to you as a fascinating insiht in how a young actress has to struggle to establish herself on the British stage. The days of repetory companies has probably disappeared for good. This is one of the best records of this world.

[Ant Koplowitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed the first part of Eileen Atkins autobiography. Written in an engaging style, she gives an honest account of her early life and career. So many actors' autobiographies feel insubstantial and become glorified lists of "I was in this and next I did this, and then three months later I was starring in..." Atkins avoids this pitfall and there's no suspicion of a ghost writer's hand. Really looking forward to part two. Well, I very much hope she's writing a second part.

[cande · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, interesting, honest, this is one of the best memoirs ever. It’s refreshing to see a different memoir from all of those that I usually read with people of a great power status. Very humane. And it’s lovely that this book, that I have bought a year and half ago, during my first trip to London at king cross, a few hours before embarking on our three day trip to Paris, has Eileen Atkins’ beautiful handwriting, a thing I certainly treasure.

[Katy Wheatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eileen Atkins' autobiography from her childhood dance lessons to when she breaks into the big time with the smash hit, The Killing of Sister George. Atkins knows everyone and has done everything. She is forthright, funny and unsparing in her critiques of everyone, herself included. Hugely entertaining.

[Jane Gregg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this close study of the early life and times of Eileen Aikens. Her post war London childhood is evocatively drawn, as is the struggle to ‘do’. Fascinating. Definitely need to know more and hope the next part is coming.

[Paul Forster · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this , it's funny and honest. Did feel she was very judgemental and snobby about her family, is my main issue, not an attractive quality, little insight into this aspect of her life. Some lovely anecdotes. Felt a bit dashed- off.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the most interesting part of this book were the descriptions of the author growing up in Wood Green but this was partly because I`d lived there for many years. Her thespian journey was a bit less involving but the whole autobiography is well written and her story worth following.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for a luvvie autobiography so I enjoyed this. No big revelations but an interesting look behind the scenes. I was especially interested to know how many opportunites she ended up making for herself, by challenging and chasing work.

[Sarah Bacaller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Atkins’ style is engaging, direct and fast paced. She is down to earth and entertaining. This is a fascinating story of tenacity, written by a woman who loves her work and has built a stellar career from very humble beginnings. Highly recommended.

[Sharron · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining account very well told by a marvelous actress/ screenwriter. I do hope she writes a “next chapter” book to cover the years after the end of her first marriage. Having seen her superb performance on Broadway with John Lithgow in Retreat from Moscow, I would enjoy hearing her account of that experience.

[Jude Brigley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I liked the period and her early working class life. It was honest, wry, funny and entertaining. What a treat!