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The Worst It Can Be is a Disaster is the autobiography of Braham Murray, founding director of the Royal Exchange Mancheste r which in 2006 celebrated its thirtieth anniversary. With a foreword by Sir Tom Courtenay. Born into a Jewish family, Braham Murray struggled against his parents'' expectations that he should follow them into the world of commerce; instead he became at twenty-two the youngest artistic director in the country when he took over Century Theatre, a theatre company based in Manchester. Detailing his relationships and the theatrical successes and flops along the way, the narrative takes us through his early years with Century Theatre, with the 69 Theatre Company, and the birth of the Royal Exchange Manchester in the heart of Manchester in 1976. Twenty years later, the theatre rose from the ashes of the IRA bomb brilliantly opening a new production on time just ten days after the bomb had destroyed the city centre. The role and influence of the author''s Jewish heritage and of his key collaborators - including Caspar Wrede and Michael Elliott - are explored in this illuminating and inspiring account of one of English theatre''s great directors . ''Braham''s passion is sometimes overwhelming, sometimes annoying but completely inspirational. It''s his passion that the Royal Exchange has thrived on, and this book is full of his passion for the theatre.'' Robert Lindsay
About the author
Braham Murray is a Founding Artistic Director of the Royal Exchange Theatre Company. In 1964, his Oxford production of Hang Down Your Head And Die transferred to the West End and Broadway, directed at the tender age of 21. From the Century Theatre, where he was Artistic Director, he became a Founding Director of the 69 Theatre Company. His credits include She Stoops To Conquer and Charley’s Aunt (with Tom Courtenay), Mary Rose (with Mia Farrow), Endgame, and the musicals ERB and Catch My Soul, all of which transferred to London. Other credits include Uncle Vanya (Circle in the Square Theatre, New York), the world premiere of Tod Machover’s Resurrection (Houston Grand Opera), The Good Companions, The Black Mikado), Andy Capp, The Cabinet Minister and Lady Windermere’s Fan, all on the West End.
