Shark-Infested Waters

Theatrical agent, Michael Whitehall, has been involved with the careers of many eminent actors, including Kenneth More, Tom Courtenay, Colin Firth, Dorothy Tutin, Edward Fox, Jack Davenport, Judi Dench, Ian Charleson, Peter Bowles, Elaine Stritch, Richard E Grant, Daniel Day-Lewis, David Hemmings, and Richard Griffiths, amongst others.

In Shark-Infested Waters, Michael Whitehall contrasts the glamorous image of theatrical life with the mundane realities of the business, while also passing on some startling trade secrets along the way. A laconic raconteur of refreshingly un-starstruck theatrical anecdotes, Whitehall deftly sketches the social comedy of his eccentric background. He describes growing up in suburban London in the 1950s, his schooldays at Ampleforth, and his subsequent adventures as a prep schoolmaster—worthy of Evelyn Waugh himself—before becoming an actors' agent.

The result is a charming, funny, and piquant view of a world that continues to fascinate.