Mark Shenton for Playbill

The art of cabaret is too often the Cinderella of the arts world: cabaret clubs arrive in a glitter ball of promise, only to vanish on the stroke of midnight. But now, Gary Williams, and established singer and recording artist, has marshalled his own personal experience – and spoken to many other practitioners – to come up with an invaluable guide to negotiating the minefield of creating a cabaret act and making a career and living from it.

With chapters on how to chat to an audience (and not sound like a fake), make a CD and find an agent, this is a book full of sound advice for would-be performers.

With cabaret resurging in London clubs like Crazy Coqs at Brasserie Zedel, there's never been a better time to try your hand.

Review by Mark Shenton for London theatre programmes including the Palladium, Theatre Royal and Her Majesty's.