Oh Miriam! by Miriam Margolyes

The follow up hilarious instalment to the actor’s first memoir (published in 2022 called This Much is True), it is entirely possible to read Oh Miriam! without benefit of having absorbed the first book. This reader mainly knew of the actor’s work from the Harry Potter films and had not realised the sheer breadth and variety of her prior work, including no less than three characters in the Blackadder series, and a forthcoming role in the latest Doctor Who series.

Told in the first person (of course), Miriam has ranged far and wide in her memories, but kindly arranged in topic chapters. This method helped keep this reader (at least) on track as she recalls on and off screen tales of hundreds (thousands?) of happenings, fellow thespians and celebrities spanning an extraordinary career which first started in 1963.

Bawdy, irreverent, absolutely no topic off limits, it does contains language which would put a stevedore to shame. Not for the faint-hearted but certainly for the open-minded reader. A handy index at the back highlights just how many times certain actors revolve through Miriam’s life.

Reviewed by Belinda Coombs
Murder and Crime Reading Group