Book Recommendations: Theatrical Historical Fiction

While most major theatrical personalities are catered for in non-fiction, recent years have curiously seen a few bestselling theatre-related historical fiction releases.

It's always important to be wary of historical inaccuracy in this sub-genre, and ideal to use a biography as a reference to ascertain how far the writer adheres to the facts of a particular subject. However - what many of the following titles lack in historical accuracy, they more than gain in absorbing the reader on a more visceral, emotional level. The author is given license to flesh out details that are more specific than we could ever possibly know, and often present a first-person perspective allowing a direct portal into the psyche of a character.

Here are a few recommendations for those who would like to read more:

Hamnet - Maggie O'Farrell

Maggie O'Farrell's book is based on Shakespeare's sole son, Hamnet, who tragically died aged just 11. The playwright himself only appears as a peripheral character, O'Farrell focuses instead on the family left behind in Stratford while William rose to prominence in London. The reader mostly experiences the story through Anne Hathaway - presented here as Agnes, as named by her father (Richard Hathaway) in his will.

Our knowledge of the Shakespeares' domestic life in Stratford is very limited - we don't even know for sure how Hamnet died - so there are naturally many details in the narrative which have been fabricated rather than based on actual events. Fortunately, O'Farrell's prose is assured, vivid and sensitive enough to breathe life into personalities and domestic lives of historical figures we know little about.

For casual readers, it's worth noting that the story of 'Hamlet' existed before Shakespeare wrote the play. Although perhaps inspired by the grief he suffered for his son of that/a similar name, the tragic hero wasn't entirely drawn from that source. This might seem like an insignificant quibble but it goes unmentioned in the novel so worthwhile to be informed.

A big hit when originally released in 2020, Hamnet has already been successfully adapted for the stage by the RSC and a major screen adaptation is set to be released later this year.

The Perfect Royal Mistress - Diane Haeger

Less than a century following the subject matter of Hamnet, here is the story of one of the earliest female stars of the English stage - Nell Gwyn.

The Perfect Royal Mistress follows Nell's ascent from a lowly orange seller raised in a brothel to a beloved actress and favoured mistress of King Charles II.

The opening scene is an imagined first meeting between the King (disguised) and Nell selling oranges outside Theatre Royal Drury Lane during the Great Fire of London. The fact that Nell Gwyn's meteoric rise as an actress in reality started a year before shows the extent to which Haeger has taken liberties in this rather romanticised version of events. Nevertheless, it's an enjoyable re-imagining of an unlikely love story.

As its title suggests, this book dwells more on the political manoeuvrings inside the court of King Charles II than the theatre scene of the late-17th Century. The King himself - a renowned philanderer - is depicted in a rather flattering light, unlike the conniving courtiers surrounding him. Perhaps his dying wish - 'let not poor Nelly starve' - is justification enough for him to take the hero's part in Nell's story.

The Young Pretender: The Dramatic Return of Master Betty 

- Michael Arditti

A star actor of the early-19th century, Master Betty gained public acclaim at the tender age of 11. Dubbed 'the Young Roscius', after the legendary actor of Ancient Rome, he quickly became the toast of London. Unfortunately, Betty's fame proved short-lived and he was forced to retire before his 14th birthday.

Michael Arditti's novel recounts the true story of this once-renowned actor attempting his comeback as 'Mr Betty', aged 20. As he wends his way towards London, the journey is filled with references and personal encounters with a variety of contemporary theatre stars, including William Macready, Sarah Siddons and John Philip Kemble.

Master Betty's fictionalised first-person account allows the reader inside the mind of this unique actor, combatting self-doubt and potential disgrace as he prepares to tread the boards again. The book carefully balances the humour and pathos of its subject - the proud buffoon (increasingly incensed at constantly having to correct 'Mr Betty' for 'Master Betty') versus the depressing reality of a young man coming to terms with the idea that his best days might be behind him. There are also more sinister implications suggesting that the exploitation he suffered from those closest to him was more personal than mere financial extortion.

If you're intrigued by the story of Master Betty and would value an insight into the theatrical landscape of the early-19th century, I'd definitely recommend this book. A very entertaining read.

Booth - Karen Joy Fowler

The greatest tragedy of the Booth dynasty is that their lasting renown turned from public adoration to infamy overnight, thanks to John Wilkes Booth's assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865. In this book, Karen Joy Fowler gives a thorough account of the Booth family lives and the circumstances leading up to that terrible event.

Set in 19th Century America, Edmund Kean is the most likely cause for the Booth's paterfamilias' decision to leave Britain in 1821. Junius Brutus Booth's move to the States was allegedly prompted by being publicly outshone onstage by Kean, his great rival, on the London stage. Junius' sons June, Edwin and John Wilkes all followed in the footsteps of their famous, volatile father.

Similarly to Hamnet, Karen Joy Fowler favours the perspectives of those who would more often appear as peripheral players - John Wilkes' siblings Rosalie, Edwin and Asia. Alongside the Booth family story, the reader is also given intermittent updates on the career of politician Abraham Lincoln and the turbulent environment leading up to his time in office.

It's evident that Fowler has taken great pains to maintain historical accuracy where possible in this account - making the crime at the climax of the novel, and its consequences, all too vivid. Partially inspired by contemporary political events - the surviving families of mass shooters - the personal and political fracturing of the American Civil War shares haunting parallels with recent events in the US. 

A remarkably detailed and sensitive work of historical fiction, Booth offers an insight into this extraordinary family in a way that a work of conventional non-fiction couldn't hope to achieve.

Shadowplay - Joseph O'Connor

Our final book is set at the Lyceum Theatre during the Victorian era, under the co-management of Henry Irving and Bram Stoker. The book is written as if cobbled from an assortment of diary extracts, newspaper clippings, letters and private notes left behind by Stoker; with a few intermittent transcribed phonograph recordings made by the Lyceum's lead actress, Ellen Terry. Deploying this ruse, O'Connor weaves his narrative in a fashion reminiscent of Stoker's great gothic novel, Dracula - to which this feels something of a homage.

In contrast to Booth, Shadowplay is a consciously playful rather than faithful work of historic fiction. Biographies about Henry Irving, Ellen Terry and Bram Stoker abound* so perhaps O'Connor has more license to veer from the truth in favour of a good story.

It's certainly an intriguing fact that Bram Stoker, unrecognised in his lifetime, wrote Dracula whilst co-managing the Lyceum - and supposedly based the title character on Irving, his employer. In this version of reality, Stoker is haunted by self-doubt and unrealised potential as he develops his gothic masterpiece in a haunted attic known as 'Mina's Lair' at the top of the Lyceum.

O'Connor entertainingly draws out the patter and tumultuous relationships of the central trio, and a variety of Victorian personalities who appear as peripheral figures - including Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw and the ever-lingering fear of Jack the Ripper. For this reader, the great actor Henry Irving appears more garrulous and caustic than his usually considered, enigmatic reputation would suggest but perhaps this is failing to accept this novel on its own terms.

Shadowplay is ultimately an enjoyable account of Bram Stoker's time managing the Lyceum, offering a playfully imagined creation of the novel Dracula and the personalities and atmosphere that likely influenced his masterpiece.

*Recommended non-fiction titles include 'A Strange Eventful History: The Dramatic Lives of Ellen Terry, Henry Irving and their Remarkable Families' by Michael Holroyd and Bram Stoker's own exhaustive double-volume, 'Personal Reminiscences of Henry Irving'.