The Rehearsal - the review

Having said - erroneously - the story was set in America I am now happy to report it was actually set in New Zealand! I knew it wasn't the UK but it didn't seem quite right for America either so I'm glad to have that point cleared up. I finally gave it a 4 star review on Amazon.

There was some excellent writing in the book and it raised some profound questions about the connections between theatre and reality and how much we are all playing a part in our lives. I got really sick of the Saxophone Teacher - who is never named - but the other characters were well drawn and believable especially Stanley - the drama student and Isolde the sister of the girl involved in the scandal at school.

Some scenes were written as though they were being performed in a theatre and others were described several times from different viewpoints. As I said before it almost didn't matter what order you read the book in but I got more used to that as I got into the story. Overall I did enjoy it though the first 100 pages were very confusing.

Brilliant idea for a crime novel

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7777086.stm

I can't help feeling this has been used in a crime novel but offhand I can't think of one. An actor on stage was supposed to commit suicide by cutting his throat. He picks up the knife thinking it's the usual blunt stage prop and finds out too late that it's a real knife. Fortunately he survived to tell the tale and the audience having applauded a brilliant special effect were shocked when the 'corpse' got up and staggered off stage.

The police are investigating.