No Autographs, Please!: Backstage antics, onstage disasters and the long road to success

by Katherine Wiles

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.

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 3, 2024

Reviews

[Veronica ⭐️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Autographs, Please! is the highly entertaining memoir and backstage pass to life in the chorus by decades-long member of Opera Australia, Katherine Wiles.

Katherine has a very personable way of writing and I don't think I've enjoyed reading a memoir as much as I enjoyed No Autographs, Please! I found myself eager to pick the book up every chance I could get. High praise from someone who doesn't read much non-fiction.

Written with candour, Katherine writes about life in the chorus; the things that went right and the things that went terribly wrong, the rehearsals, bone-aching tiredness, the glamorous and not so glamorous, the friendships and the behind the scenes hijinks.

I've only ever been to the opera once, and that was in high school, but after reading No Autographs, Please! I felt I had a whole new appreciation of all it takes to put on a production. I have a real yearning now to watch a performance and become a part of the whole opera experience.

Katherine writes about the wonderful experiences she has had through Opera Australia, the impact of Covid, her battle with stage fright and her favourite onstage performances. All written with humility and real emotion. Katherine's love for all the opera encompasses shines through on every page.

You don't need to be an opera fan to enjoy this open, engaging and humorous memoir about life in the chorus line.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

“No Autographs, Please!” is a really absorbing memoir that shows us the life of a performer we rarely hear about: a chorus member. It’s written by Katherine Wiles, who’s been in the chorus at Opera Australia for over 15 years.

In popular myth, if you’re in the chorus, you’re either waiting for your chance to step forward and be A Star, or you’re Just Not Good Enough. Wiles shows very clearly that neither is true, that people choose to work in the chorus for a variety of reasons, and that it’s a valid and satisfying career choice.

Wiles came to her singing career relatively late, commencing her studies in her late twenties and her career shortly after. She’s worked all over the world, though primarily in Australia, and in a wide variety of roles. Working in the chorus has given Wiles security and stability, while also exposing her to a variety of operas and many performers, some very well known.

This memoir is focused almost entirely on her work in the chorus, painting a vivid and detailed picture of what life is like for the permanent chorus at Opera Australia. Wiles has clearly enjoyed much of her career, and that comes across in a memoir that’s fun to read. She knows that many people dismiss what the chorus does, and here she highlights not just how hard their work can be, but how important it is.

I found the detailed descriptions of process – such as rehearsals or costume fittings – really interesting. Wiles enlivens the descriptions further with personal anecdotes, but I was fascinated even without them.

Wiles has clearly worked hard to ensure she doesn’t violate anyone else’s privacy. This gives rise to the only area I found a little disappointing: I would have liked to know more about the people she works with. Not just the big names; it would be interesting to know how you navigate working with someone you dislike in situations where you’re doing things like undressing in front of them. Or the interactions between “the star” and the chorus, or front of house staff… you get the idea.

In fact, my only reservations about this memoir are the areas where I wanted more. Wiles is clearly intelligent, in the later years of her career, and an union representative. I would have been interested to hear some of her broader thoughts about her industry.

For example, at one stage Wiles bemoans the fact that there are few older women in the chorus, but no shortage of older men. A few pages earlier she’d described a rehearsal and performance schedule so punishing that I thought “how could you DO that if you had kids?”. Yet Wiles doesn’t even touch on the question of whether this is a reason why mature women begin leaving, instead implying it’s simply down to sexist assumptions about appearance.

I would have liked to hear more about, for example, the effect on performers’ family and social lives, and the effect of working in such an individualistic, often precarious, industry.

And to be honest, I would have liked to know more about Wiles as a person. I shut this book realising that I don’t even know whether she has children. I assume that she was guarding her privacy, much as she guarded others’. However, I would still have liked to know a bit more about her personal life.

This could have been twice as long and would still have held my attention. It’s a well written memoir that will engage most readers, and which gives insight into a world most of us are aware of, but don’t really understand. I thought it was great.

An edited version of this review first appeared on www.beautyandlace.net as part of their bookclub.
If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.

[Clive Hodges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katherine Wiles is a full-time member of the Opera Australia chorus, one of only a handful of sopranos in Australia with a permanent job. She is singing and, therefore, happy.

The author was born in New Zealand, holds a Bachelor of Music (Honours) from the University of Auckland, a Master of Music (Advanced Opera) from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and is a Fellow of Trinity College London.

Katherine was 35 years of age when she became a permanent member of Opera Australia. Before then there were successes, but there were also disappointments, tears, and more failed auditions than successful ones.

She is now in her early 50s and is often called on to speak to students who are interested in a career as a singer. She tells them to succeed you must have a powerful vocation, be determined, have courage and commitment. Many students starting out aim to be a soloist but few are able to live on an income that is so spasmodic. She warns that inconsistency of engagements means a lack of a regular income.

Katherine is a success. She worked hard, changed from being a soloist – lack of financial security – to joining Opera Australia. She had faith in her professional ability and eventually it was recognised. When necessary, she and a few select chorus members take on principal roles.

'No Autographs, Please!' is a fascinating must-read for anyone thinking of becoming an opera singer, and a revealing memoir for regular fans of operatic performances. The Opera Australia chorus is not ‘singing wallpaper’ or standing at the back of the stage ‘parked and barking’. It is a dedicated bunch supporting the principals to ensure a performance is successful.

[Norrie Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cheerful memoir spanning Katherine’s childhood in New Zealand to being a permanent member of Opera Australia’s chorus. The book is a window on a world of lavish costumes, expensive sets and sublime singing. Katherine is honest about her occasional shortcomings, but she is generous in her praise for her many colleagues.
You don’t need to be an opera buff or an aspiring performer to enjoy this book. Anyone reading it will come away with a heightened respect for the many accomplished people who are needed to stage musical productions. As a performer, Katherine Wiles has proven to be an excellent writer, having crafted a book that warms the heart.
See the full review at: https://www.queenslandreviewerscollec...

[Julie Beach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opera exciting? It certainly is.

Loved this insight into the life of chorister. Next time I'm at the theatre I'm going to look at the chorus and background singers differently. Congratulations Katherine for proving that you're not 'just' a singer. Your book is well written, fascinating, gripping, emotional and an entirely satisfying read. I enjoyed it immensely.

[Karina Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

So beautiful to read a different perspective of life in the theatre. Wiles writes with a down-to-earth, personal voice which draws the reader in and makes us feel like we're really there with her backstage. Thanks for shedding light on the exciting and fulfilling career of an opera chorus singer, and showing us that it's really only our own idea of what success is that matters.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable memoir about being a member of the Australia Opera Chorus, and how fulfilling that role can be - and it's an ongoing job: no need to be constantly auditioning, employing an agent and so on.