The Ghost Theatre: Utterly transporting historical fiction, Elizabethan London as you've never seen it

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BOOK OF THE YEAR - EVENING STANDARD, OBSERVER and THE TIMES Beautifully written and completely convincing Observer An excellent novel riotous and abundant, full of vivid, dirty life Guardian On a rooftop in Elizabethan London two worlds collide. Shay is a messenger-girl and trainer of hawks who sees the future in the patterns of birds. Nonesuch is the dark star of the city's fabled child theatre scene, as famous as royalty yet lowly as a beggar. Together they create The Ghost Theatre: a troupe staging magical plays in London's hidden corners. As their hallucinatory performances incite rebellion among the city's outcasts, the pair's relationship sparks and burns against a backdrop of the plague and a London in flames. Their growing fame sweeps them up into the black web of the Elizabethan court, where Shay and Nonesuch discover that if they fly too high, a fall is sure to come Fantastical and captivating, The Ghost Theatre charts the rise and dramatic destruction of a dream born from love and torn apart by betrayal. 'Wildly inventive and full of fantastical elements jostling alongside gritty realism The Times 'Rich and evocative with shades of Angela Carter' Ever Dundas 'A story of rebellion and magic, of mysticism and broken love in the streets and theatres and rooftops of Elizabethan London. Beautifully written, delicate and sad. I'm still haunted by it' Mariana Enriquez 'Brings the underworld of Elizabethan London to life with its child theatres, rioting apprentices and anarchic world, its jumble of squalor and glamour... larger-than-life heroes raise child rebellions; pursue exalted, treacherous love affairs... Glorious!' Sandra Newman Hauntingly beautiful Thrilling and thought-provoking Independent

Reviews

A master storyteller, judging from his virtuoso novel a great read [that] makes you look at a familiar historical period through fresh eyes * Mail on Sunday *
An excellent novel riotous and abundant, full of vivid, dirty life * The Guardian *
'Rich and evocating; the kind of story you get lost in' * The Independent *
'The Ghost Theatre finds its way into the hidden corners of Elizabethan London, telling the story of a group of misfit actors. Beautifully written and completely convincing * Alex Preston, Observer *
"Combining breath-taking world-building with vivid characterisation An imaginative tour-de-force of theatre, magic, love and betrayal" * Editor's Pick - The Bookseller *
"This imaginative novel brings a raucous, evocative world to life" * Sunday Express *
'Wildly inventive and full of fantastical elements jostling alongside gritty realism * The Times *
A story of rebellion and magic, of mysticism and broken love in the streets and theatres and rooftops of Elizabethan London. Beautifully written, delicate and sad. I'm still haunted by it. * Mariana Enriquez, author of Our Share of the Night *
"A blistering ride" * i news *
Dramatic and gripping, The Ghost Theatre pulled me on a breathless journey of hope, beauty, wonder, tragedy, and the power of theatre. * Isabelle Schuler *
The star of the show in The Ghost Theatre is Osman's fanciful rendering of Elizabethan England, sometimes dreamlike, sometimes apocalyptic, depicted with such a wealth of sensory detail that it blurs the line between memory and fantasy. * Dexter Palmer *
"Smart, bold, and original, THE GHOST THEATRE brings to life a slantwise Elizabethan London where appearance is everything and nothing you see can be trusted. Every page is alive with the heady, dangerous energy of an opening night, and Shay and Nonesuch are unforgettable. For readers who like their historical fiction with imagination and flair, this book is a must-read." * Allison Epstein, author of A Tip for the Hangman *
A wild, vivid, eerie flight of imagination about the stories we live, and those we tell others. Utterly transporting. * Catriona Ward *
Stunning! I devoured The Ghost Theatre and when I finished I couldnt stop thinking about it; all I wanted was to be back in that world. Beautifully written; rich and evocative with shades of Angela Carter. * Ever Dundas *
I was utterly immersed in the world of Shay and Nonesuch, swept into the ordure and shine of Elizabethan London, felt the mad rush of performance and the darkness after it has passed. The last third, with its reversal and manic dash had me furiously turning pages, the events of Saturnalia as big as the city itself. It is vivid, heady and brilliantly staged. * Stuart Evers *
From the first page, Osman brings the underworld of Elizabethan London to life with its child theatres, rioting apprentices and anarchic riverine world, its jumble of squalor and glamour. The line between stagecraft and witchcraft is erased, and now larger-than-life heroes raise child rebellions; pursue exalted, treacherous love affairs; see the future in a flock of birds. As a reimagining of history, The Ghost Theatre has the subversive power of The Quincunx, with an added dash of prophetic magic and fantastical extravagance. Glorious! * Sandra Newman, author of The Heavens *
If you dont read anything else this year make sure you read this. * BBC Radio London *
Written with wit, invention and a luxuriantly gorgeous prose style. This is historical fiction that's larger than life and twice as much fun. * Guardian, Summer Books 2023 *

Author Bio

Mat Osman is the bassist and founder member of iconic British rock band Suede and a composer of music for TV and films. He also worked as a culture journalist during the noughties, writing about art and travel for papers, magazines and online.