Ever dreamt of putting on a musical from scratch? Or perhaps you already have, but some extra guidance would be welcome. Look no further: this book will give you all the information you need to successfully stage a musical.

Placing a firm emphasis on good organisation and careful planning, Matthew White guides the reader through the various stages and processes involved in putting on a musical theatre production: from choosing the right show and creating budgets and schedules, through holding auditions and taking rehearsals, culminating in the final run of performances and the after-show party. The book also explains how to deal successfully with everything from set, costume, and lighting design to ticket sales and publicity.

Drawing on his own extensive experience working as a director, actor, and writer in professional musical theatre, the author also talks to other key industry figures to explore how they contribute to the overall process of putting on a show.

Staging Musicals is the ultimate step-by-step guide for anyone planning a production, whether working with amateurs, students, or young professionals.

Matthew White is a theatre director, actor and writer. He cowrote and directed the Olivier award-winning production of Top Hat at the Aldwych Theatre, and directed Sweet Charity and Little Shop of Horrors in London's West End. Other directing work includes Candide and She Loves Me (Menier Chocolate Factory), UK tours of The Addams Family and The Producers, and international productions of Top Hat, Little Shop of Horrors, Rent, and Cabaret. Acting work includes Les Misérables, Chicago, The Phantom of the Opera and Kiss of the Spiderwoman, all in the West End. He has directed and taught at the Royal Academy of Music, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.