Helen in Musical Comedy

by Linda Graeme

Second in the 'Helen' series. Author Linda Graeme was herself a ballet student, and has drawn vividly on her own experience for the authentic ballet background.

184 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1957

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

When ballet student Helen is given the opportunity to dance in musical comedy, she finds herself unexpectedly torn in two between the worlds of theatre and ballet. Which will she choose? There are other mysteries too, as Helen gets involved in the search for the runaway daughter of a millionaire, while money keeps going missing from the dressing room. And then of course there is Peter, who wants a commitment from Helen that she doesn’t believe a ballet dancer can give…

This story had so much potential, but it falls sadly flat. Helen and her friends don’t encounter the problems of rejection, critique or poverty that most dance students have to deal with, while their theatre production has some minor sniping but no real backstage drama. Even the mystery of the missing money isn’t really dramatic, while the secret of the runaway millionaire’s daughter is blindingly obvious from the start. This is 1950s British theatre and ballet at its cosiest. And of course as it’s a 1950s career novel, we all know how Helen and Peter will end. If only a life in the arts was as straightforward as this book makes out…