Balancing Acts

Praise

“Funny and immediate and ring[s] true. . . . Hytner is indisputably one of the best theater directors in the world.” —The New York Times Book Review 

“A masterclass in creative leadership. . . . As engrossing as it is entertaining.” —The Economist

“Absorbing. . . . Astute. . . . Should be read not simply by anyone who has an interest in British theatre, but anyone interested in that oldest of questions: how you make art that sells.” —The Guardian

“Engaging and illuminating.” —The New York Review of Books 

“Hugely entertaining. . . . Hytner has a writer’s instinct for detail, drawing you into the room with luminaries such as Arthur Miller, John Gielgud, Alan Bennett. . . . He balances wit with intellectual gravitas, gossip with self-deprecation, and mischief with serious insight.” —Financial Times

“Priceless.” —The New York Post

“Vivid, engaging, alive with anecdotes and continually invigorated by ideas.” —The Sunday Times (London)

“Balancing Acts is both history and illumination. . . .  Wonderfully lucid. . . .  Witty and entertaining. . . . Reveals both the ecstasy and the agony of staging large and ambitious shows.” —The Evening Standard

“A wonderful book: stimulating, intelligent, gossipy, heartfelt, affectionate, honest and, perhaps above all, fun.” —The Mail on Sunday

“Revelatory. . . . Full of anecdotes about the terrifying art of bringing a play alive, and full of insight about the sheer daredevil tightrope act that running the National Theatre involves. . . .  A vital reminder both of what theatre can do—and what is at stake if we take it for granted.” —What’s On Stage

““Hytner has produced a rare thing: an absorbing memoir by a director-turned-arts-administrator. . . . The insouciance of Balancing Acts is magic dust, sprinkled by a master Oberon.” —Standpoint

“A tremendous book about life in the theatre—and theatre, and life. Honest, shrewd and heartfelt. A classic of its kind.” —William Boyd, author of Sweet Caress

“An unqualified rave for this title. . . . The pages sparkles with luminaries with whom the author has worked. . . . Exquisitely written. . . . The theater crowd is the obvious audience for this book, but the intelligence, wit, and humor throughout expands the scope of readership to anyone interested in the arts.” —Library Journal (starred review) 

“A captivating narrative. . . .  A detailed and stimulating look at the state of the art.” —Publishers Weekly