Secrets of life backstage in London's West End are revealed in this fascinating memoir by a long-serving stage manager.
‘Deliciously theatrical and utterly revealing – Stewart Arnott lifts the curtain on the backstage world with wit, heart, and more than a little sparkle. A true love letter to the magic of theatre, this book is insightful, cheeky, and full of FAB-U-LOUS tales from behind the scenes. From Phantom to parties, stage door to show-stopping drama, it’s a ten from me, darling!’ — Craig Revel Horwood
Beginners to the Stage, Please traces Stewart Arnott’s progress from tearing tickets in his teens to becoming the stage manager for The Phantom of the Opera in the West End of London. Along the way, he explains various aspects of how the industry works, delves into the psychology of performers and audiences, and provides detailed descriptions of how shows are put together and run.
The theatre is a world Stewart knows very well, having worked extensively in the West End over four decades: front-of-house, stage-door-keeping, crewing, set-operating and, most importantly, stage managing. This gives him an in-depth knowledge of individual shows, a global overview of the industry, and a breadth of experience that offers a perspective few others will have had.
Peppered with personal anecdotes and a fair amount of (unabashed!) name-dropping, this story offers an insight into the nitty-gritty of daily life behind the scenes on some of the West End's most successful and well-known shows.
Stewart Arnott has worked extensively in the West End, specializing in large-scale, technical musicals. He was the stage manager for the original London production of The Phantom of the Opera for the last 20 years of its run. Stewart has also worked on David Essex’s Mutiny!, Metropolis, the original Miss Saigon, Mike Batt’s The Hunting of the Snark and Crazy For You.
Stewart explains: “Musical theatre fans are a passionate bunch, always keen for a new take on the shows and industry that they love so much. I want to share my view of this world, an insider’s view, and describe what it’s really like to work backstage on some of the biggest and most popular West End musicals with some of entertainment’s biggest and most popular names. Now that I am no longer working, this book is my way of still being able to share my knowledge, my experience and my enthusiasm, and also to encourage newcomers to believe that they can make a career for themselves in the theatre.”
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