Originally published in 1957, Yvonne Mitchell was at the time very well known as an actress of remarkable talent and as the author of a brilliant play The Same Sky. This book takes the form of advice to a girl who wants to go on the stage; who asks “What is it like – being an actress?” Thousands of young people think they would like to make acting their career, though they can naturally know little of what the life is like. They probably have romantic ideas gleaned from reading publicity handouts about film stars, or from seeing the most glamorous actors in the theatre. This book, though not an autobiography, tells through scenes from Yvonne Mitchell’s life in the theatre, films and television studios what the average young actor’s life was likely to be from early parental disapproval to success. This book is not in any way a technical treatise on how to act. Yvonne Mitchell believed that no particular ‘method’ of acting suits every actor or every play, but rather that the individual can only learn through his own nature and experiences. A snapshot from the past, it is a delightful and personal record, illustrated with 32 photographs from productions in which the author had appeared.
