I love reading books about behind the scenes of movies, plays, really anything to do with the arts so I was excited to read this and get right into the book. This book kept the magic of the stage and enjoyed getting to explore the West End through this book. Stewart Arnott has a strong writing style and I enjoyed getting to hear this anecdotes and stories in this book. It was everything that I was hoping for and glad I read this.

interesting, effective and unique memoir about the west end and life in theater there. would definitely recommend. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

I've always been interested in the backstage workings of the theatre, and I also really enjoy name-dropping, gossipy memoirs, so this seemed like a really great book to pick up. Unfortunately, I found it rather lacklustre - Stewart Arnott doesn't seem to have the knack of telling stories humorously, so even the meant-to-be-funny anecdotes here felt like they missed the mark for me. The flow of the book is prosaic - first I worked here, then I worked here - with not a lot of personal arc in it beyond professional achievement. It's certainly a very interesting set of events, but I wished the whole time I was reading that it felt more like being told a story and less like reading a CV. There are also some baffling tonal shifts that undercut the jovial "work hard and achieve your dreams" goal - an acquaintance confesses a murder, which Arnott relates to us in some detail, and then simply shrugs as if to say 'that was sad, hey?' and then moves onto something else. Throughout there is a lot of technical explanation of stage management lingo, which tended to the dry. Overall, it's simply not a book with much spark in the writing, which leads me to think that it would certainly be of interest to those looking for detailed information about the history of musicals in the West End, but perhaps not those looking for a fun narrative memoir.

This book is interesting and insightful for those who want to be more informed about what is happening back stage, and off stage, and the title is a great fit.
I enjoyed the insights, and the many topics covered about the stage.
I wish this were differently laid out, and had a more engaging design.
I enjoyed the plain writing, however, it could also do with more literary touches to attract more readers because I believe many people, those reluctant to go to the theatre or have lost interest in stage plays and events, could gain insights from this book.
3.5 stars

4.5 stars

Anyone who knows me knows books, musical theatre and ice hockey are my three favourite things in life, so when I was given the opportunity to ARC read Stewart’s memoir of his life behind the scenes in some of the UK’s most famous theatres and working on some of my favourite musicals, it couldn’t have been more perfect.

Starting right at the beginning of Stewart’s introduction to theatre as a teenager in an amateur opera production with his mother and working all the way up to his current role as stage manager on Phantom, this was an utterly wonderful look into the technical side of theatre and I feel like I learned so much along the journey through Stewart’s career. I’ve always been amazed and in awe of what happens behind the scenes, but hearing it from the horse’s mouth made me appreciate these incredible people even more!

This book reads almost like chatting with a friend, and is perfect for any theatre lover and definitely for people considering a career behind the scenes in the West End and beyond.

A huge thank you to Stewart and the wonderful folks over at Troubador for the opportunity to read this one early.

I absolutely loved this book! I adore anything theatre related, especially hearing about all the backstage antics! Stewart Arnott's book is a must-read for anyone with a passion for theatre - whether that be performance, technical aspects, or just being an audience member.
The stories are so informative, and it was a real eye opener! I didn't want this to end.
Really really loved it!

Memoir of a Career in the West End

Having ended his career in theatre with the COVID pandemic, Stuart Arnott reflects on about 40 years' worth of shows, people and backstage magic.
Opening his account with his final job of stage manager on Phantom of the Opera in London's West End, Arnott traces his CV from his humble beginnings as an usher and stage door keeper to his 25-year stint as Phantom's SM.
Along the lines, many an anecdote and famous name makes an appearance and (almost) all the intricacies and technical details that make theatre such a specific sector are revealed, explained and contemplated.

As a fellow stage manager (who did not go to Mountview but knows many who did), this book to me initially sounded fantastic. I hoped to learn a lot about the craft, get some tips and tricks and maybe a fun fact or two.
I was somewhat disappointed for myself by this book, since there are few technical details I did not know yet. For people not part of this world, this book will be a treasure trove of knowledge about all things stage management and technical. There are a few craft books out there, but Arnott conveys through this memoir what they don't: it takes grit, knowledge and networking to make theatre a long-term career.

For fans of British musicals, especially of the 80s and onwards, this book will let you relive some of the excitement and revisit some of the characters both on and off the stages at the time. For aspiring stage managers, this is a good account of the recent history of the profession and there are many lessons to be taken from Stewart's own career path. Bits like physical CVs and visiting producers are less of a thing nowadays, sadly, but it is heartening to hear that what counts most is how you apply yourself and learn on the job.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was an engaging look behind the scenes as Stewart Arnott gradually achieves his ambition to become stage manager of a big West End musical. I love musicals, so I found it interesting, and some of it was also very amusing at times. It would be a very useful book for any youngster who dreams of following in Arnott’s footsteps.

However, I almost gave it up, because it went into a lot of technical detail, which became a bit dull.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review

My thanks to Troubador publishers and NetGalley for a. Copy of “Beginners To The Stage , Please” for an honest review..

I was drawn to read this book as I enjoy musical theatre , and I thought it would be interesting to to see what goes on behind the curtain .
Although the book was interesting , I didn’t find it as entertaining as I’d hoped ., and found myself skipping through some of the technical explanations.
Readable but not unputdownable .3.5 stars

This is a fun, juicy memoir I think any theatre fan would enjoy. I loved the behind the scenes tidbits about Phantom in particular, but Stewart has had an interesting life aside from that as well, and his love for the art comes through in every page.