The Empire by Michael Ball

 "...Absolutely cracking theatre you have here."

Apparently these were the magic words. Poole's attitude softened dramatically and he blinked rapidly. "The Empire's a jewel, Mr Treadwell. A corker, a paradigm, a diamond of the first water! There's not a finer theatre north of London, and I don't care who hears me say it."

The Empire is a delightful debut by the musical theatre legend Michael Ball. It is an enjoyable historical novel set in the 1920s, that has all the right elements of an entertaining read - romance, humour, glamour, drama and suspence.

1922.

Jack Treadwell arrives at The Theatre, looking for a job. It happens to be a rehearsal time, and he is instantly smitten with the glitz and the glamour. Jack is awfully eager to get into the theatre business and is hired as a new doorman, and he immediately proves himself useful. As Jack says, he would be delighted to take any job they can offer.

"The last ten minutes had been the most exciting and stimulating of his adult life... this was fun".

Jack's charm and outgoing personality win the hearts of the theatre staff. 

Lady Lassiter is the owner of The Empire, which has been a gift from her late husband. She was a showgirl years ago, before she married Sir Barnabas Lassiter. Coming from the humble background, she used to work at the Lassiter textile works in her young years, together with Jack Treadwell's mother. It was Bessie's wish that her son would work in the theatre.

For Jack, his job in the theatre, is the link to his late mother. "Coming to the theatre, starting a career she'd picked out for him - it was almost like she wasn't gone at all. His heart ached with missing her and Dad. "I'm beginning to think she was a genius," he went on... "I love it here. Mam always said she knew me better than I knew myself. Seems she was right".

Jack enjoys his job. He proves so capable that soon Miss Grace Hawkins, the manager's assistant, gives him all kinds of important tasks. He is quickly promoted to the position of the manager's spokesman and company manager for the musical. 

Grace is strong, competent, cool and creative. She is devoted to The Empire and would do anything to save it from the machinations of its competitors. There is an immediate attraction between Jack and Grace.

There are long-term schemes, threatening the future of the theatre and its staff. Joe Allerdyce who wants to destroy and then take over the successful venue, makes a perfect villain with Machiavellian plans and ambitions. (He is not a one-dimensional character. While being quite a monster towards his competitors, he genuinely loves the theatre and despises those who just "dabble" in theatre).How far would he go to get his hands on The Empire?

The newspaper reporters are digging into the background of the theatre manager, Mr Musgrove, and Lady Lassiter's step son who has a reputation for profligacy. There is a treachery inside The Empire... and plenty of skeletons in the closet too.

Will The Empire survive the disastrous events? Will Jack be able to discover the truth before it's too late and the theatre is doomed? 

There is a wide set of characters including the theatre stars and people working their magic behind the scenes. 

And of course, The Empire itself has its own personality. It is a living-breathing entity.

"The Empire stood right in the heart of the city, a hundred feet from the pavement to the tip of the stone torch held by Melpomene, the Muse of Drama, on the roof. The theatre was the heart of the city, facing the town hall across St Mary's Parade and the old market square... It was a joyous, glamorous, welcoming building that made everything around it look staid by comparison."

The Empire is a terrific homage to the world of theatre, from stars of the stage to the doorman. The atmosphere of the stage is portrayed with the in-depth knowledge. 

Special mention should go to Jen Richards for jacket design, and Michael Crampton/Meiklejohn for the jacket illustration. The book cover design is stylish, elegant, and reminiscent of the illustrations of the 1920s. It also makes me think of the opening sequence to Jeeves and Wooster, you feel like the glamorous couple on the front will drop off their coats and start dancing to the lively jazz music.

The Empire is beautifully imagined, evocative, vivid, immersive and heartwarming. Bravo and Encore!

Curl up, open a box of chocolates and fall under the spell of The Empire!

Many thanks to Michael Ball, Zaffre and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book!

This post is part of the blog tour.

Purchase Links - http://unbouncepages.com/Michael-ball/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Empire-charming-romantic-Cameron-Mackintosh-ebook/dp/B09X1725SP

https://www.amazon.com/Empire-charming-romantic-Cameron-Mackintosh-ebook/dp/B09X1725SP

Author Bio – 

Michael Ball OBE is a singer, actor, presenter and now author. He's been a star of musical theatre for over three decades, winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical twice, he's also won two BRIT awards and been nominated for a Grammy. Michael regularly sells out both his solo tours and his Ball & Boe shows with Alfie Boe and has multiple platinum albums. The Empire is his first novel.

Social Media Links – Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrmichaelball/   // 

 https://twitter.com/ZaffreBooks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrmichaelball/?hl=en // 

https://www.instagram.com/zaffrebooks/