Showtime!
gripping historical fiction from the bestselling author of Black Sheep
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4.1 • 51 Ratings
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- $15.99
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
From the cotton mills of England to the magnificent theatres of Melbourne - a scintillating journey through the golden age of Australian showbusiness.
GOLD RUSH ENTERTAINERS
‘So, Will, are you going to come with me and my team of merry performers to the sunny climes of Australia, where the crowds are already queuing and the streets are paved with gold?’
In the second half of the 19th century, Melbourne is a veritable boom town, as hopefuls from every corner of the globe flock to the gold fields of Victoria.
And where people crave gold, they also crave entertainment.
RIVALS OF THE STAGE
Enter stage right: brothers Will and Max Worthing and their wives Mabel and Gertie. The family arrives from England in the 1880s with little else but the masterful talents that will see them rise from simple travelling performers to sophisticated entrepreneurs.
Enter stage left: their rivals, Carlo and Rube. Childhood friends since meeting in a London orphanage, the two men have literally fought their way to the top and are now producers of the bawdy but hugely popular ‘Big Show Bonanza’. The fight for supremacy begins.
STRUGGLE BEYOND THE SPOTLIGHT
Waiting in the wings: Comedy, tragedy, passion and betrayal; economic depression, the Black Death and the horrors of World War One…
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'Mistress of the ripping yarn.' SUN-HERALD
'500 pages of perfect reading.' AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY
'Perfect summer reading.' SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
'A master of what she does.' WEEKLY TIMES
'A stunning blockbuster.' WOMAN'S DAY
'A prolific writer of bestsellers.' THE AGE
Customer Reviews
Hard to read
I’m usually a big fan of Judy Nunn’s books and was so disappointed with this one. I spent large amounts of the book skimming through large tracts of text just to see if I could get to the good bits where the story line really took off. There were moments where it did, but they were largely short lived. It felt at times as if I was wading through lists of theatre terms separated by commas rather than a story. Perhaps if I was involved in theatre I would have found the book more interesting. I usually enjoy learning more about a time and/or place through Judy’s book but I didn’t find it enjoyable in this case. It’s a shame as I was waiting on this book and only made myself keep working on it as I paid for it. Read the sample version to see if it’s your thing before purchasing. I did this but purchased anyway despite not enjoying the first chapters because I really do love her previous books and hoped it would improve. I look forward to her next book.