This rediscovered, music-filled classic with Orwellian overtones seems more relevant today than ever. Britain’s biggest pop singer, Steven Shorter, receives unwavering adulation and possesses total control over his rabid fans. Yet Shorter is not an autonomous performer — he is little more than a puppet for the government, promoting whatever agenda they see fit. When a beautiful artist is commissioned to paint his portrait, she pushes Shorter to question his obedience to his manipulative handlers. “While not primarily intended as prophecy, Watkins’s tale of Shorter’s reign and fall has resonances of celebrity activism from Bob Geldof to globe-hopping lobbyist Bono.” – Bill Weber, Slant Magazine