Putney’s acclaimed theatre historian releases debut short story collection about life in theatre

Reflects the life of the theatre in all its many aspects, refracting and revealing its secret world in an ever-revolving glitter-ball. Haunting.’ – Simon Callow, actor and writer

This unusual collection of short stories captures the essence of life in the theatre. Behind the superficial glamour lies a world marked by ambition, jealousy and heartache.

Among stories featured in All is Fortune are an actress under stress at an audition, a struggling playwright committing a deception, a biographer falling out with his subject, a female playwright suffering sexual harassment, and many others. Lighter stories tell of the mysterious disappearance of a member of an amateur dramatic society, the unrequited love of a chorus girl in a musical, and a monologue by an elderly jobbing actor.

Jonathan Croall, a leading theatre historian and biographer, and the son of well-known actors, has created these imaginative stories with warmth, insight and humour, bringing vividly to life a host of well-drawn characters.

Jonathan Croall’s books include acclaimed biographies of John Gielgud and Sybil Thorndike, and Buzz Buzz!, a collection of interviews with playwrights, actors and directors working at the National Theatre. Other titles include Performing Hamlet and Performing King Lear in the Arden Shakespeare series, and the inside story of Peter Hall’s productions of The Bacchai and Waiting for Godot. He lives in Putney, London.

Jonathan says, “My parents were both actors, and I have been immersed in the theatre since boyhood, and an inveterate theatregoer ever since. I have worked at the National Theatre as the editor of their magazine StageWrite, and at the Old Vic as programme editor. I have written detailed books about three National Theatre productions, observing the company at work from day one of rehearsals to the first night. I have also published books on Hamlet and King Lear for which I interviewed scores of actors and directors. All of this has given me a unique insight into the rich life of the theatre, both on stage and off, which provoked a growing desire to create original stories drawing on that wealth of experience.”

Publication date: 28th June 2023

ISBN 9781915603814

Price £8.99