At the first dress rehearsal of the revue Sigh No More, a young actor sprang onto the stage as 4th Harlequin. He had obviouslty never worn tights before and didn't know what should go under them. Noel Coward whispered piercingly "For God's sake go and tell that man to take that Rockingham tea service out of his tights'. At its best, (and perhaps more often at its worst), life in the theatre has provided us with some of the most hilarious, wicked, and interesting stories. In Theatrical Anecdotes , drama teacher and critic Peter Hay's has selected many of the best, listed under such headings as 'Child Actors', 'Exit Lines', 'Nerves', 'Rehearsals', 'Amateurs', 'First Nights', 'Failures', 'Scandals', and many more. Richard Burton, Sir Ralph Richardson, Sir John Gielgud, Sir Alec Guiness, and Vivienne Leigh are among the stars revealing the hilarious face behind the mask.