My Shows
News on your favorite shows, specials & more!
Home For You Chat My Shows (beta) Register/Login Games Grosses

Balancing Acts: Behind the Scenes at London's National Theatre – by Nicholas Hytner

Balancing Acts: Behind the Scenes at London's National Theatre by Nicholas Hytner

The list of Nicholas Hytner's accomplishments is long and distinguished: as Artistic Director of London's National Theatre from 2003-2015, he directed and produced a great number of their most popular and memorable plays and musicals, many of which have come to Broadway: Carousel, Richard Bean's One Man, Two Guvnors, David Hare's Stuff Happens among them. He directed both the London and Broadway productions of Miss Saigon, each of which ran for ten years. He directed Alan Bennett's The Madness of George III on both stage and screen. In short: He is one of today's most successful and admired theatrical impresarios.

In Balancing Acts, Hytner gives us a detailed behind-the-scenes look at his creative process. From reviving classic musicals and mastering Shakespeare to commissioning new plays, he shows theater making to be a necessarily collaborative exercise, and he writes insightfully about the actors and playwrights he's worked with: Derek Jacobi, Richard Griffiths, Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Harold Pinter, and Tom Stoppard among them. With a cultural range that spans from The Mikado to The Lady in the Van, Balancing Acts is not only a memoir but a gathering of illuminating notes on the art of directing and a thoughtful meditation on the purpose of theater.


Available On:
Balancing Acts: Behind the Scenes at London's National Theatre on HardcoverBalancing Acts: Behind the Scenes at London's National Theatre on Kindle

Publisher: Deckle Edge

Released: 2017

Latest Articles
Voting Open For BroadwayWorld's 2025 Stage Recording Awards
by Team BWW – March 05, 2026

Voting is now open for the 2025 BroadwayWorld Stage Recording Awards, celebrating outstanding achievements in theatrical and performance-based recordings released during the 2025 calendar year.

Listen: Killian Donnelly Featured on New Space Opera Album From LIM
by Josh Sharpe – March 04, 2026

West End performer Killian Donnelly (The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables) is featured on a new space-opera concept album from musical collective LIM.

Claybourne Elder to Release Debut Album with Live Shows at 54 Below
by Chloe Rabinowitz – March 02, 2026

Center Stage Records will release If the Stars Were Mine, the debut album from Claybourne Elder – best known for starring in HBO's “The Gilded Age” and Broadway's Company – in digital and streaming formats.

Listen: Frank Wildhorn’s 'The Symphonic Suites' Now Streaming
by Josh Sharpe – February 27, 2026

Tony Award-nominated composer has released The Symphonic Suites, an album comprised of new symphonic interpretations of four of his celebrated musical theatre scores, including Dracula, Jekyll & Hyde, Einstein: A Matter of Time, and Artus Excalibur (aka XCalibur).

NEXT TO NORMAL Original London Cast Recording Out on CD Now
by Chloe Rabinowitz – February 27, 2026

Ghostlight Records has released Next to Normal: Original London Cast Recording as a special 2-CD set.

Beat By Beat Press Releases OLYMPUS: THE GREEK ROCK MUSICAL, NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN, And STAR POWER For Licensing
by A.A. Cristi – February 26, 2026

Beat by Beat Press has released three new youth musicals—OLYMPUS: THE GREEK ROCK MUSICAL, NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN, and STAR POWER—for global licensing.

Final Chance To Submit Nominations For BroadwayWorld's 2025 Stage Recording Awards
by Team BWW – February 23, 2026

This is the final chance to submi nominations for the 2025 BroadwayWorld Stage Recording Awards, celebrating outstanding achievements in theatrical and performance-based recordings released during the 2025 calendar year.

Listen: Baz Luhrmann's EPIC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT Releases Soundtrack
by Josh Sharpe – February 20, 2026

The offical motion picture soundtrack has been released for EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, the new cinematic experience from filmmaker Baz Luhrmann.

Listen: ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE New Musical By Adam Gwon Out Now
by Chloe Rabinowitz – February 20, 2026

Joy Machine Records has released All the World's a Stage: Original Cast Recording – the new musical with book, music and lyrics by Adam Gwon.

Wingstastic Book Fair Launches Online Auction of Rare, Signed Broadway Treasures
by Nicole Rosky – February 20, 2026

The Wingstastic Book Fair brings theatre lovers an extraordinary opportunity to own rare and signed Broadway treasures while supporting a vital nonprofit mission: preserving theatre history.

Exclusive Video: Elizabeth Stanley Sings 'I Don't Ask' From ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE
by Chloe Rabinowitz – February 20, 2026

Joy Machine Records has released All the World’s a Stage: Original Cast Recording – the new musical with book, music and lyrics by Adam Gwon.

Listen: THE MAGICIAN’S ELEPHANT World Premiere Recording Out Now
by Chloe Rabinowitz – February 20, 2026

Center Stage Records has released the world premiere recording of THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT, based on the acclaimed novel.

Exclusive: Read the First Chapter of Andrew Keenan-Bolger's LIMELIGHT
by Nicole Rosky – February 25, 2026

Broadway's Andrew Keenan-Bolger is making a showstopping YA debut with Limelight (now available where books are sold), a poignant coming-of-age novel about identity, first love, and the power of the arts to help young people feel seen.

Andrew Keenan-Bolger Will Celebrate LIMELIGHT Release with Book Launch Events in NYC
by Nicole Rosky – February 20, 2026

Broadway's Andrew Keenan-Bolger is making a showstopping YA debut with Limelight, a poignant coming-of-age novel about identity, first love, and the power of the arts to help young people feel seen.

Exclusive: Jon-Michael Reese SINGS 'I’m Your Man' From Adam Gwon's ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE
by Chloe Rabinowitz – February 19, 2026

Adam Gwon’s new musical All the World’s a Stage will be released as an original cast album.

Al Hirschfeld Foundation to Release HIRSCHFELD'S ICONS Poster Book in April 2026
by Chloe Rabinowitz – February 19, 2026

The Al Hirschfeld Foundation will present a new collection titled Hirschfeld's Icons: A Poster Book featuring iconic figures like Elvis and Madonna.

Alfie Boe Sets New Album 'Face Myself' Featuring Original Songs
by Josh Sharpe – February 18, 2026

Tony Award winner and international musical theater performer Alfie Boe has set the release of his first-ever album of predominantly original material, Face Myself, arriving on April 10.

Grand Teton Music Festival to Release Mahler 5 Recording Led By Sir Donald Runnicles
by Chloe Rabinowitz – February 17, 2026

The Grand Teton Music Festival will release of Mahler: Symphony No.

SIGNS OF LIFE Concept Album Featuring Shoshana Bean, Jenn Colella and More to be Released
by Chloe Rabinowitz – February 17, 2026

The concept album for the new musical in development, Signs of Life, will be released on all streaming platforms.

THE HOUSEMAID Thriller Film Coming to Blu-ray in March
by Josh Sharpe – February 17, 2026

The Housemaid, the hit thriller film starring Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney, will arrive on Blu-ray, DVD, and an Amazon-Exclusive 4K UHD Combo Pack on March 17 from Lionsgate.

Eugene IV to Release YOUNG JOHN LEWIS Musical Album
by Josh Sharpe – February 16, 2026

Atlanta-based composer and music producer Eugene IV is releasing an album featuring music from and inspired by the Theatrical Outfit world premiere of the musical Young John Lewis.

Claybourne Elder Sets Date for 'If the Stars Were Mine' Album Release
by Josh Sharpe – February 12, 2026

Claybourne Elder will release a studio recording of his popular one-man show, If the Stars Were Mine on April 3 from Center Stage Records.

WICKED: FOR GOOD Soundtrack Gets New Limited Pop-Up Edition
by Josh Sharpe – February 11, 2026

Just in time for the streaming debut of Wicked: For Good on Peacock, Republic Records will release a brand-new pop-up vinyl edition of the soundtrack featuring an embossed cover and a pop-up gatefold jacket depicting Elphaba, Glinda, Grimmerie pages, and more.

NEXT TO NORMAL – ORIGINAL LONDON CAST RECORDING To Be Released As 2-CD Set
by A.A. Cristi – February 10, 2026

Ghostlight Records has announced the release of NEXT TO NORMAL – ORIGINAL LONDON CAST RECORDING as a special two-CD set on Friday, February 27.

New Single Released from ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE Cast Recording
by A.A. Cristi – February 06, 2026

Joy Machine Records has announced the second single from All the World's a Stage: Original Cast Recording – “Other Lives,” performed by rising theater star Eliza Pagelle – today, Friday, February 6.

Stella Cole to Perform at NYC's Café Carlyle; Releases New EP
by Chloe Rabinowitz – February 06, 2026

Stella Cole has released My Funny Valentine, a 3 track EP out via Decca Records US.

Listen: Jordan Fisher, Joy Woods and More in THE KING’S CRITIQUE Concept Recording
by Chloe Rabinowitz – February 06, 2026

The King’s Critique: Original Concept Recording—the new musical by Nat Zegree and Eric Holmes—has been released on streaming and digital platforms.

Exclusive: First Listen to Will Larche's 'Julian' (feat. Jared Reinfeldt)
by Chloe Rabinowitz – February 05, 2026

Musical theatre composer and lyricist Will Larche is set to release a new album entitled Bumps in the Bathroom: and other lost shows.

Oscar-Nominated Film THE SECRET AGENT Now Available on Digital
by Josh Sharpe – February 04, 2026

The Secret Agent, currently nominated for 4 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, is now available on digital platforms, retailing for $14.

Back to Books...

Videos