In Theatre, W. Somerset Maugham–the author of the classic
novels Of Human Bondage and Up at the Villa–introduces us to Julia
Lambert, a woman of breathtaking poise and talent whose looks have
stood by her forty-six years. She is one of the greatest actresses
England–so good, in fact, that perhaps she never stops
acting.

It seems that noting can ruffle her satin feathers, until a quiet
stranger who challenges Julia's very sense of self. As a result,
she will endure rejection for the first time, her capacity as a
mother will be affronted, and her ability to put on whatever face
she desired for her public will prove limited. In Theatre, Maugham
subtly exposes the tensions and triumphs that occur when acting and
reality blend together, and–for Julia–ultimately reverse.

William Somerset Maugham was born in 1874 and lived in Paris
until he was ten. He was educated at King's School, Canterbury, and
at Heidelberg University. He spent some time at St. Thomas'
Hospital with the idea of practising medicine, but the success of
his first novel, Liza of Lambeth, published in 1897, won him over
to literature. Of Human Bondage, the first of his masterpieces,
came out in 1915, and with the publication in 1919 of The Moon and
Sixpence his reputation as a novelist was established. At the same
time his fame as a successful playwright and writer was being
consolidated with acclaimed productions of various plays and the
publication of several short story collections. His other works
include travel books, essays, criticism and the autobiographical
The Summing Up and A Writer's Notebook. In 1927 Somerset Maugham
settled in the South of France and lived there until his death in
1965 --This text refers to the
edition.