The Set-Up - An Anatomy of the English Theatre Today

Originally published in 1973, this book investigates the power and the pressures behind English theatre in the late 20^th Century, analysing its structure and systems, and the way that money and motives flow through it. On the one hand there are the organisations: the big national companies, the West End managements, the regional repertory theatres, the ‘fringe’ groups, the trade unions, the Arts Council. On the other are the individuals: actors, directors, playwrights, agents, administrators. Ronald Hayman’s challenging book illuminates the conflicts and contradictions in the set-up. It is a mine of information about how theatres are run, how shows pay their way, and what happens when they don’t.