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Peter had recently turned eighteen when he heard rumours that a demonstration was going to take place that day. He and his classmates of his prestigious school were instructed not to attend, which naturally made them all the more eager to do so.
About the author
John Anthony Peter MBE (born Janos Antal Peter; 24 August 1938 – 3 July 2020) was a Hungarian-born British theatre critic, who immigrated to Britain in 1956. He was chief drama critic of The Sunday Times from 1984 to 2003, and The Sunday Times contributing drama critic through to 2010. In 1990 he founded the Ian Charleson Awards, which he directed until 2017.
Summary
Peter had recently turned eighteen when he heard rumours that a demonstration was going to take place that day. He and his classmates of his prestigious school were instructed not to attend, which naturally made them all the more eager to do so.
Additional text
‘Anybody who came across John Peter was instantly charmed by a puckish individual with a perpetual twinkle in the eye who drew people in by whispering quiet witticisms that were equally perceptive and funny. Even though he left his native Hungary in the late 1950s and completed his education at Oxford, the accent remained, but beyond that, the man became as Anglicised as his name. What readers of this thrilling, slim tome will discover is that, before Peter even came of age, he had lived through torrid times, lucky to escape alive and intact from a childhood and youth that contained many terrifying moments. Indeed, his hidden Jewish ancestry meant that, had a stray word been misplaced, Peter might have become a victim of the Nazis or their local collaborators and been murdered or condemned to a concentration camp….a stirring tale’
British Theatre Guide
