The Empire: 'Wonderful. A lifelong love letter to the theatre' Reverend Richard Coles

Reviews

Louise Bookmarks and Stages

The cast of characters is big (the cast list at the front helps get your eye in) and each has a story to feed into The Empire Theatre that Lillian Lassiter is owner of. 4. Amazing.

Tracy Houghton

Being back stage in the midst of a dress rehearsal was an eye-opener for Jack. I did and it is fascinating). Michael beautifully takes you on a magical journey through the glitz and glamour of The Empire and into the lives of its many delightful and intriguing characters. The book is every bit theatrical, from the cast list at the beginning to the chapters and the parts it is separated in to, becoming acts, making it almost like a programme to begin with.

Monkey Mind

There are also Jack Treadwell and Grace. Lady Lassiter, ex showgirl, old friend of Jack’s mother and joint owner since the death of her husband, wasn’t in the country. There are also darker moments, dirty dealings, tensions and secrets to uncover, but despite the unexpected and dramatic finale there’s no question of giving up. A warmly told tale of theatre life, from the owners, behind the scenes crews, the stars of the stage and all the way to the delicious bad guy determined to bring down the curtain for good.

Cathy

The parts with Jack and Grace were my favourite and not forgetting a comedy Macbeth, that needs to be done! I could completely visualise the ‘busyness’ of being backstage in putting on the performance and what it entailed. Set in Northern England in the early 1920s, we discover The Empire is struggling. (In a good way).

Mrsbookburnee

There’s more going on behind the scenes than on the stage. A fantastic debut, the author really set the scene and I really felt I was amongst the workers at The Empire. The Empire evokes the grandeur and magic of the theatre setting, the excitement, hard work and extravagance of staging a show, especially when it’s a make or break situation.