Backstage: Portraits of Actors at Work in the Theatre

With his portraits, Simon Annand reveals the intimate world of the dressing room in which actors prepare themselves for their performances in the West End theatres in London. “…delivers an absorbing portrait of actor’s final preparation during their last 30 minutes before going on stage.” – The Lady British photographer Simon Annand has been shooting candid photographs backstage at West End theatres in London for 35 years. In these meditative portraits, often shot in the intimate space of the dressing room, he captures the focus and tension of world-class actors right before they go on the stage. Actors such as Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Anthony Hopkins, Jake Gyllenhaal and Judi Dench are seen in these moments of vulnerability, which every actor experiences no matter how long they have been working. Backstage, with an introduction by Cate Blanchett, contains a hand-picked selection of Simon Annand's remarkable and unique portraits.