No Autographs, Please!

Book excerpt: In all theatre, the spotlight follows the leads, making it easy for the audience to overlook the role of the singers, dancers and actors who bring a production to life. Katherine Wiles is used to being dismissed as 'singing wallpaper' by those who incorrectly assume she's an opera chorister because she 'didn't quite make it'. But she and her proud and passionate chorus colleagues are exactly where they want to be. In No Autographs, Please! Katherine offers a rare glimpse into a fascinating world that fans of opera - and the performing arts in general - know very little about. How did a shy little girl from Hamilton, New Zealand, find herself performing on one of the world's most iconic stages, the Sydney Opera House? Taking us from her first early spark of musical passion, this honest and hilarious memoir is filled with stories of backstage antics, onstage disasters and the long road to success. Katherine gives an absorbing first-hand account of the dedication, hard work, physical toughness and versatile skill set - not to mention the highly developed sense of humour - required to survive as a member of an opera chorus. Along the way, she shares her journey with legends of the stage such as Dame Julie Andrews, Jonas Kaufmann, Nancye Hayes, Sigrid Thornton, Nicole Car, Anthony Warlow, Graeme Murphy, Neil Armfield, Simon Phillips, Reg Livermore, Todd McKenney and Dame Malvina Major. At its heart, this book is a testimony to an unflinching devotion to the art of singing. Documenting endless auditions, stage fright, life-changing encounters, heartbreak, the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic - and a refusal to throw it all away - No Autographs, Please! is proof that the joy of music can conquer all.