The Empire
-
-
4.0 • 1 Rating
-
-
- $19.99
Publisher Description
Welcome to The Empire theatre
1922. When Jack Treadwell arrives at The Empire, in the middle of a rehearsal, he is instantly mesmerised. But amid the glitz and glamour, he soon learns that the true magic of the theatre lies in its cast of characters - both on stage and behind the scenes.
There's stunning starlet Stella Stanmore and Hollywood heartthrob Lancelot Drake; and Ruby Rowntree, who keeps the music playing, while Lady Lillian Lassiter, theatre owner and former showgirl, is determined to take on a bigger role. And then there's cool, competent Grace Hawkins, without whom the show would never go on . . . could she be the leading lady Jack is looking for?
When long-held rivalries threaten The Empire's future, tensions rise along with the curtain. There is treachery at the heart of the company and a shocking secret waiting in the wings. Can Jack discover the truth before it's too late, and the theatre he loves goes dark?
Musical theatre legend Michael Ball brings his trademark warmth, wit and glamour to this, his debut novel.
Enjoy the show!
Real readers love The Empire
'A charming, captivating, majestic, electrifying, exciting and dazzling masterpiece'
'This book was perfect'
'The Empire is fantastic read, and one of my favourites of this year!'
'A real razzmatazz of a read'
'What a wonderful book, as full of warmth and wit as Michael himself . . . absolute magic!'
Customer Reviews
Get your tickets - so worth it
I was so happy my qualms about this were quashed very quickly- Michael Ball could sing me the phone book and I’d be thrilled but a novel is quite a different thing.
Writing about a world that is both fantastical and real, the drama does have a slow start as each character is introduced but push through as it adds both to understanding of their place in the story and in development as believable people; challenging subjects are handled lightly but thoughtfully and the story develops cleverly, in that you’re pretty sure of the some of the destinations but the joy and possibilities of how you get there are wonderful.
The end is a bit rushed and the epilogue does the job of filling in some blanks quickly but satisfyingly.
The writing/ narration style has echoes of PG Wodehouse and perhaps not surprisingly Victoria Wood and is engaging and entertaining.
The Empire is well worth the price of a front row ticket
#stagetopage