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Get Me the Urgent Biscuits: An Assistant's Adventures in Theatreland by [Sweetpea Slight]

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Sweetpea Slight

Get Me the Urgent Biscuits: An Assistant's Adventures in Theatreland Kindle Edition

by Sweetpea Slight (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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'A sparkling memoir ... A delight from start to finish' NINA STIBBE
'Anyone who loves the theatre will love this book' ZOË WANAMAKER

In 1980s London, Sweetpea Slight is en route to drama school when she is snapped up to work as an assistant to the maverick theatre producer Thelma Holt. Full of wit, charm and backstage intrigue, her irresistible memoir of the resulting twenty years is at once the poignant story of a young woman coming of age, and an exhilarating journey down the rabbit hole into the enchanting world of theatre.

Print length

273 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Publication date

6 July 2017
File size

1316 KB
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Product description

Review

A sparkling memoir full of charm and wit, with moments of poignancy and lots of gossip. If you love theatre, you'll adore this book - it's a delight from start to finish -- Nina Stibbe, author of LOVE, NINA

A sparkling memoir [that evokes] the rougher glamour of backstage life ... With its anecdotes, backstage intrigue and charming portrait of a young woman navigating theatre's enchanting parallel worlds, Get Me the Urgent Biscuits should find itself a wider audience to amuse -- Victoria Segal ― SUNDAY TIMES

A superbly written and moving account of one woman's efforts to understand the world and her own place in it ... Part of its beauty comes from the air of sadness that hangs over it ... In the end, this is a story about learning who you are by pretending to be other people -- Mark Mason ― DAILY MAIL

As this sparkling memoir reveals, it was a heady life of first nights, famous actors, mad deadlines and long, underpaid hours ... But as the years pass, she realises that the long hours, poor pay and her conflicted sexuality are making her unhappy and this adds a dash of melancholy to the deliciously entertaining froth ... Sweetpea's sobering honesty transforms this hugely enjoyable memoir into something more poignant and serious -- Eithne Farry ― SUNDAY EXPRESS

Sweetpea's memoirs catch beautifully (and without malice) London theatreland's engaging resilience ... I loved this book for its selfless, slightly dazed sketch of the clattering chaos of theatre production -- Quentin Letts ― DAILY MAIL Books of the Year

An utterly beautiful description of what it's like to move to London, and come to terms with your changing ambitions as well as yourself -- Mark Mason ― THE SPECTATOR Books of the Year

A charming memoir about offstage theatrical shenanigans ... Get Me the Urgent Biscuits is an elegy for a London that is wholly lost ... [It] contains a number of enchanting thespian vignettes -- Roger Lewis ― THE TIMES

Sweetpea, like Alice following the White Rabbit into the hole, takes us on an extraordinary adventure in theatrical wonderland. An insight into the theatre world which she shares with the reader with such ease and charm. The successes, the failures, but most of all the characters, and her homage to the wondrous Thelma Holt, who takes her on her fantastic journey. Anyone who loves the theatre will love this book. A must -- Zoë Wanamaker

This glorious description of the maverick flame-haired theatre impresaria Thelma Holt by her hapless, charming assistant Sweetpea Slight made me put the book down and laugh loud and long, sweeping away tears so I could carry on reading -- Anna Chancellor

Destined to become an instant classic. For the hardcore theatre buff, it has it all: a passion for performance, beautifully observed backstage howlers, celebrity gossip, devotion beyond the call of duty and, at its heart, a dazzling portrait of one of the great eccentrics of contemporary British theatre ... Get Me the Urgent Biscuits is an assured and ingenious conflation of autobiographical rite of passage, sharp character study and serious theatrical endeavour. It is also crying out to be adapted for the screen -- Nick Smurthwaite ― THE STAGE

The old French saying 'no man is a hero to his valet' gets a sprightly modern twist in Sweetpea Slight's memoir of working for formidable theatrical grande dame Thelma Holt ... Charmingly ditzy and packed with backstage gossip, this is a poignant account of coming of age in the theatre -- Jane Shilling ― DAILY MAIL Must Reads

Terrific memoir of working in the London theatre in the 1980s. Slight's job was lowly, but she has plenty of great anecdotes - not all of them particularly discreet ― READER'S DIGEST

The dazzling debut of a born storyteller. The book crackles with wit while knocking you sideways with its poignancy -- Anne Robinson

The uproarious memoir about the author's apprenticeship to maverick theatre impresario Thelma Holt. Slight was en route to drama school when Holt snapped her up, cancelled her RADA audition and changed her name to Sweetpea. Helen Mirren, Dustin Hoffman and Alan Rickman all have cameos. It's irresistible ― SAGA Magazine

Slight is brilliant at conveying the intoxicating world of theatre ... [A] triumph of a book -- Emily Bearn ― THE OLDIE

A treasure trove of who's who in theatre ... An utterly beguiling book, full of hilarious and tragic incidents. Absolutely wonderful, darling -- Claire Looby ― IRISH TIMES

Anyone who's ever dreamed of working in theatre will love Sweetpea Slight's memoir ... It's simply hilarious, darling ― GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

Gloriously gossipy ... You'll love it, my darlings -- Sarra Manning ― RED online

The latent luvvie in me adored this piquant coming-of-age memoir -- Caroline Sanderson ― THE BOOKSELLER

A funny and poignant memoir of London theatreland in the 1980s and 1990s ... full of witty anecdotes ― TOWNSWOMAN --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Review

A sparkling memoir full of charm and wit, with moments of poignancy and lots of gossip. If you love theatre, you'll adore this book - it's a delight from start to finish

Superbly written and moving ... In the end, this is a story about learning who you are by pretending to be other people - DAILY MAIL --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Book Description

The dazzling coming-of-age memoir of a young woman's apprenticeship to a maverick West End theatre producer. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

From the Publisher

Sweetpea Slight spent twenty years working with renowned theatre producer Thelma Holt. Their working relationship spanned the National Theatre, the Peter Hall Company and finally Thelma Holt Ltd.

She lives in London and Dorset. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

About the Author

Sweetpea Slight spent twenty years working with renowned theatre producer Thelma Holt. Their working relationship spanned the National Theatre, the Peter Hall Company and finally Thelma Holt Ltd.

She lives in London and Dorset. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Review

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01JLZKGU8
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Weidenfeld & Nicolson (6 July 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1316 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 273 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1474605192

Best Sellers Rank: 957,379 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 97 in Theater Direction & Production
- 253 in Theatre Direction & Production
- 639 in LGBTQ+ Biographies & Memoirs

Customer Reviews:
63 ratings

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Customer reviews

5 star		61%
4 star		12%
3 star		15%
2 star		10%
1 star		2%

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E Evans

Three and a half - interesting but a bit flat

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 February 2021

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As it says, it’s the story of the author’s twenty years working as the assistant to an eccentric and demanding theatre producer.
It’s an interesting trip into the world of theatre and discovering how much goes into the production of a play - especially a touring production. There are also some insights into the characters of well-known actors (nice remembrances of the late Alan Rickman especially) but most of the reminiscences are kind as either natural discretion, or legal considerations, prevent the author from naming the ones that behaved badly.
The book is also a window into the world of flat-sharing in London in the eighties and nineties, with all it’s mess, fun, and surprises.
However my main problem with the story was a flatness in the writing style. It felt like it needed a bit more bounce and humour. I really expected to enjoy the stories far more than I did. I didn’t feel any regret when the book came to end so I feel three and a half stars is fair.

Sarah Moorin

A brilliant read for anyone who has a interest in the theatre or has worked in the theatre.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 August 2018

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I really enjoyed reading this book of classic theatre stars and was very interesting and very funny too i have worked in the theatre in the past and know how things don't always run as you hope but everything will be alright on night even though it doesn't feel like it Will and i enjoyed seeing what happened to sweet pea next and have nieve she really was and let people run her life.

2 people found this helpful

R. Storer

Brilliant read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 August 2018

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I am probably biased but I enjoy reading theatrical books, particularly when based around the London theatre scene. This book didn't disappoint. I found it very easy to immerse myself into this world and was a bit sad when the adventure was over.

2 people found this helpful

Ms. R. Garrett

Fascinating and accessible

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 June 2019

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Even for those who don't get to the London theatre scene very often, this is a very accessible and interesting account of what goes into a production, and of the eccentric talents who bring it to life. Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Janet McTeer and Nigel Hawthorne all feature in Sweetpea Slight's entertaining memoir of her time working with the inimitable Thelma Holt.

A very interesting read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 September 2017

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This book is really a good read as its so many well known stars in it in the theatrical industry and especially liked that alan rickman was in it too as he too was a thespian of the theatrical world too enjoyed every minute of this book too , it's a shame it didn't have more pages though

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Get Me the Urgent Biscuits: An Assistant's Adventures in Theatreland Kindle Edition

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Sweetpea Slight

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