All the world’s a stage, said the bard, and the men are merely players. Most of us take this as a purely metaphorical (and metatextual, if you’re an English major) statement about the role humans play in our vast earthly drama. For Shay, an impoverished member of a clannish group of outsiders and our protagonist, the words of Shakespeare might have been better put to use as a warning to watch out for anyone who might fancy themselves a director. The Ghost Theatre, by Mat Osman, is a wild ride through early seventeenth-century England, the world of the theater, civil strife, and betrayal.
Shay is in a very bad place when we first meet her at the beginning of The Ghost Theatre. The men chasing her are in a violent mood. There’s also the fact that she’s racing across the rooftops of London to get away from them. It’s only by luck that she spots a kind soul who helps her find a place to hide until the danger passes. The kind soul reveals himself to be Nonesuch, a star player at a popular but not prestigious theatre run by a vile man who gets up to all kinds of unsavory things to make money (often involving Nonesuch and his fellow players). Nonesuch whisks Shay into his world. Before long, Shay is barely going home to visit her elderly father in their isolated community of bird-worshippers. (Sadly, the history of the Aviscultans is not explored in this novel.)
When things are good, they’re pretty good for a teenager who previously made money running messages or irregular gigs as a falcon attendant for the wealthy. The good times include a fierce physical connection with Nonesuch, a daring turn at rebellious street theater, and unintentional prophecying. But when times turn bad, they turn very bad indeed. Shay’s accidental prophecies (apparently a gift inherited from her mother) bring her to the attention of the powerful in London and, even worse it turns out, to the attention of the would-be powerful. When plague arrives in London, Shay, Nonesuch, and their friends depart for a tour of the country that quickly becomes disastrous.
Saying any more than that would ruin the pageant of The Ghost Theatre. This book is an incredible romp through the end of the Elizabethan era, when the shine has worn off and everyone is desperate to not be the lowest person on the ladder. Osman’s novel is rich in detail and action—there are many cinematic chases through the streets and across the roofs of London. It’s the kind of book that I read faster and faster the further I get into it; I just have to know what comes next. Readers who enjoy unusual historical fiction will enjoy this one.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.