I would recommend this book to anyone who is thinking of going into Musical Theatre as it spells out in no uncertain terms just what it takes to be successful. There is a wealth of detail about the day to day, or month to month, experience of working hard to get to the level required.
He doesn't shy away from the pressures, both personal and professional. Fortunately, this is tempered with anecdotes about the fun that is to be had as well. It was very interesting and unusual to hear that the men have issues about weight and appearance as much as the girls. Those of us who have been involved in the business know the huge pressure on the women, but it's important to know this affects men as well. Craig Revel Horwood is very frank about his own experience and how he deals with it.
He has been lucky in some ways in the opportunities he has been presented with, but it takes a determined professional to make the most of them. He also highlights the fact that though you may be in a West End show one week, you can just as easily be waiting tables the next.
He has also had the foresight to invest in other lines of business and property, and it is interesting to see how that has affected his life as well.
Then, of course, there are the names! Not casually and boastfully dropped in here, but given in a direct and clear-sighted way; he talks about stars as people, not icons which is wonderfully refreshing.
The book also whips you along from page to page. The personal details are as fascinating as anything else, but reported without undue drama. It's a good view of a life.
