THIS BIOGRAPHY OF British actor Sir Michael Redgrave, who died in 1985 aged 77, lifts the lid on a talented but ultimately tragic figure and focuses heavily on his unconventional sex life.

Alan Strachan, who directed some of Redgrave's last appearances on stage, had exclusive access to the actor's papers, recently sold to the theatre Museum.

The end product is a fascinating, gossipy book and theatre-lovers will not be disappointed, but there are flaws.

It's astonishingly short on dates, there is no clear appendix listing Redgrave's theatre and screen roles, and the first 90 pages, dealing with the star's forebears and early life, could have been substantially reduced.

Though essentially a kind, gentlemanly man, apparently without luvvyish conceit and professional jealousy, Redgrave's life was blighted by his guilts and insecurities, tangled sex life, growing drink problem, and the distress of Parkinson's disease diagnosed in his mid-60s.

Yet he bravely persisted in acting, almost to the end of his life.

Secret Dreams: A Biography of Michael Redgrave by Alan Strachan published in hardback by Weidenfeld and Nicolson, priced £25