The Swish of the Curtain (Blue Door 1) (The Blue Door Series) - Softcover

Pamela Brown

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1782691855 ISBN 13: 9781782691853

Publisher: Pushkin Children's Books, 2018

Synopsis

'I wanted to act before I read this book, and afterwards there was no stopping me' Maggie Smith

'An enchanting book. A must for any child who wants to become an actor' Eileen Atkins

What starts as a diversion to stave off boredom during the Easter holidays soon becomes much more for the seven young members of the Blue Door Theatre Company. The four girls - Lyn, Sandra, Vikcy and Maddy - and three boys - Bulldog, Nigel and Jeremy - play every part in the theatre, not only onstage but off it too, producing everything from the scrips and sets to the music and costumes. They also learn that the show must go on, even in the face of their arch-enemy, Mrs Potter-Smith, local critic and leader of the Ladies' Institute.

And what a show it will be for them all...

About this title

Review:

'I wanted to act before I read this book, and afterwards there was no stopping me' -- Maggie Smith

'That's what I wanted to do' -- Victoria Wood, on the children setting up their own theatre in The Swish of the Curtain

'I'd soon read my way along all the Browns on the shelf in the library. I particularly liked her Blue Door series about a group of children who set up their own theatre' -- Jacqueline Wilson

'As a child I loved The Swish of the Curtain' -- Julia Donaldson

'An enchanting book. A must for any child who wants to become an actor' -- Eileen Atkins

'A wonderful story of the intense please of performance and this life-changing effect that putting on a play has on a group of children' --Julia Eccleshare

'Budding thespians will adore this' -- The Times, Best Children's Books to Take on Holiday this Summer

'Part of the novel's appeal, as well as it's humour and the excitement of the group's entry into an acting competition, is Brown's pitch-perfect depictions of childhood... Rereading The Swish of the Curtain, I'm amazed by how much of it has stayed with me; it is one of those books that makes up my very bones' -- Alison Flood, Guardian

'Pure nostalgia... Fans of Noel Streatfeild will love this and thought you may want to buy this for your own children, it's absolutely worth reading before you pass it on' -- Sarra Manning, Red Magazine, Summer Reads to Escape With

'A much-loved classic... captivating' -- Daily Express

'I loved this as a child. It's about two families with an actress in each - it spoke to me as I wanted to be an actress' --Janet Ellis

'This pooh-stick filled, taffeta-crisp joy of a book... will put you and all the youngsters around you in the right mood for pantomines and puppet shows... A grand story in the old tradition' -- Bookanista

'The tales of [the children] have stood the test of time. Their determination to make a success of the Blue Door Theatre Company, write scripts, design sets and costumes and build acting careers will charm readers new and old, young and not so young. Bravo Pushkin Press for bringing them back' -- Good Schools Guide

'There is careful detail and good dialogue' -- Kirkus Reviews

'I lost count of the number of times I borrowed this book... And now it has been republished and issue for a new generation of theatre mad, or not so theatre mad, children to read. I could not be happier... Gorgeous' --Random Jottings (blog)

About the Author:

Pamela Brown (1924-1989) was a British writer, actor and television producer. She was just 14 when she started writing her first book, and the town of Fenchester in the book is inspired by her home town of Colchester. During the Second World War, she went to live in Wales, so The Swish of the Curtain was not published until 1941, when she was 16. She used the earnings from the books to train at RADA, and became an actor and a producer of children's television programmes.

About this edition

• Publisher: Pushkin Children's Books
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1782691855
• ISBN 13: 9781782691853
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224