Paul Webb's biography Portrait of a Star recalls the glamour and talent that made Ivor Novello, the most successful British theatre composer of his day.

'...Paul Webb is an impassioned believer in the need to resurrect Novello's work and reputation and he castigates the British theatrical industry ... for its failure in this regard. Although Webb is clearly a diehard Novello enthusiast, it is impossible to read this biography without concluding he has a point.' New Statesman 'The best biography of Ivor Novello ... brilliant' -- Sheridan Morley 'An excellent new biography' British Academy of Composers and Songwriters 'Paul Webb's book is admirably researched and highly entertaining' The Spectator

Paul Webb writes and lectures on theatre and film, and has given talks at the National Portrait Gallery throughout the 1990s. He has written editorial for theatre programmes and brochures of most of the recent major West End shows, and is a regular lecturer on Cunard liners. His first play, A Dangerous Woman, starring Fenella Fielding as the Duchess of Windsor, was premiered in London in 1998