Balancing Acts: Behind the Scenes at the National Theatre

Witty, waspish, and extraordinarily wise, it comes as no surprise to discover that Nick Hytner is every bit as good a writer as he is a director. Part fascinating memoir, part brilliant guidebook, Balancing Acts is also a record of how one man challenged and changed the way theatre is perceived in the UK, and with a few brilliant strokes – £10 tickets, live cinema broadcasts, and a dazzlingly inventive and brilliant repertory – created the first great theatre of the twenty-first century. For his description of what went into that quiet revolution, and for many other reasons, this wonderful book is essential reading. — Sam Mendes

As the record of a great theatre dealing fully and richly with the past and finding new ways of holding a glass up to the present, it’s incomparably interesting… This book is immensely readable, full of vivid anecdotes, and rich with an intimate understanding of drama both classic and modern. I loved it, and I’m sure it will do very well. — Philip Pullman

Nicholas Hytner gives a riveting account of his time at the National Theatre. “Nothing makes me happier” he writes “than to throw a party and sit on the edge of it.” It was a party, often a triumphant one, but he was at the heart of it. As was someone else: Shakespeare, about whom he writes superbly. Speaking for myself I’ve never had so much fun as working with Nicholas Hytner. This lovely book explains why. — Alan Bennett

Witty and entertaining, [Hytner] has an ability to be serious without being portentous, and he’s able to tell a good story … Balancing Acts is both history and illumination … You don’t have to be interested in theatre or even in culture to enjoy this book … But if you do happen to be interested in one of the few organisations in Britain that actually achieves what it’s supposed to … then you’ll be delighted. What’s more, in the account of Hytner’s directing at least six Shakespeare plays … you’ll find yourself given a masterclass. — Richard Eyre ― Evening Standard

[Balancing Acts] shows that [Hytner] can write extremely well. It is fuelled by the same clarity and intellectual pizzazz that are the hallmarks of his productions… It shows so many of Hytner’s virtues: his unfashionable appreciation of the intelligence of actors, his boundless fascination with Shakespeare, his belief in the magical power of theatre… It’s a wonderful book: stimulating, intelligent, gossipy, heartfelt, affectionate, honest and, perhaps above all, fun. — Craig Brown ― Mail on Sunday

Vivid, engaging, alive with anecdotes and continually invigorated by ideas. — John Carey ― Sunday Times

Hytner digs up plenty of absorbing material, reminding us that running a major arts organisation is a high-wire performance that features the continual risk of career-ending injury… It 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… Engagingly open… astute and unsentimental… His insights on Shakespeare and Bennett are worth the price of the book alone. — Andrew Dickson ― Guardian

The book is what you might describe as a safe space for those who maintain, as I do, a deep-seated fear of theatrical memoirs … For one thing, there is his modesty … For another, there is his willingness, when necessary, to send up the theatre. … Balancing Acts reminds the reader, almost inadvertently, of the astonishing success the National Theatre enjoyed during the period he ran it … His book isn’t gossipy, but it is revealing. — Rachel Cooke ― Observer

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. — Sarah Crompton ― What’s On Stage