Shadowplay

by Joseph O'Connor

A West End theater in London is shaken up by the crimes of Jack the Ripper in this novel by the New York Times –bestselling author of The Star of the Sea .

Henry Irving is Victorian London’s most celebrated actor and theater impresario. He has introduced groundbreaking ideas to the theater, bringing to the stage performances that are spectacular, shocking, and always entertaining. When Irving decides to open his own London theater with the goal of making it the greatest playhouse on earth, he hires a young Dublin clerk harboring literary ambitions by the name of Bram Stoker to manage it. As Irving’s theater grows in reputation and financial solvency, he lures to his company of mummers the century’s most beloved actress, the dazzlingly talented leading lady Ellen Terry, who nightly casts a spell not only on her audiences but also on Stoker and Irving both.

Bram Stoker’s extraordinary experiences at the Lyceum Theatre, his early morning walks on the streets of a London terrorized by a serial killer, his long, tempestuous relationship with Irving, and the closeness he finds with Ellen Terry, inspire him to write Dracula , the most iconic and best-selling supernatural tale ever published.

A magnificent portrait both of lamp-lit London and of lives and loves enacted on the stage, Shadowplay ’s rich prose, incomparable storytelling, and vivid characters will linger in readers’ hearts and minds for many years.

“A vibrantly imaginative narrative of passion, intrigue and literary ambition set in the garish heyday of a theater. . . . Artfully splicing truth with fantasy, O’Connor has a glorious time turning a ramshackle and haunted London playhouse into a primary source for Stoker’s Gothic imaginings.” —Miranda Seymour, The New York Times Book Review

“A gorgeously written historical novel about Stoker’s inner life. . . . I wasn’t prepared to be awed by his prose, which is so good you can taste it. . . . O’Connor dazzles.” —Michael Dirda, The Washington Post

“And Mr. O’Connor’s main characters—Stoker, Irving and the beloved actress Ellen Terry—are so forcefully brought to life that when, close to tears, you reach this drama’s final page, you will return to the beginning just to remain in their company.” —Anna Mundow, The Wall Street Journal

“This novel blows the dust off its Victorian trappings and brings them to scintillating life.” — Publishers Weekly , PW Picks, Starred Review

FINALIST 2019 COSTA BOOK OF THE YEAR

FINALIST 2020 DALKEY LITERARY AWARD

2020 WALTER SCOTT PRIZE

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Gothic, Irish Literature, Ireland, Audiobook

328 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 6, 2019

About the author

There is more than one author with this name

Joseph O’Connor was born in Dublin. He is the author of the novels Cowboys and Indians (short-listed for the Whitbread Prize), Desperadoes , The Salesman , Inishowen , Star of the Sea and Redemption Falls , as well as a number of bestselling works of non-fiction.

He was recently voted ‘Irish Writer of the Decade’ by the readers of Hot Press magazine. He broadcasts a popular weekly radio diary on RTE’s Drivetime With Mary Wilson and writes regularly for The Guardian Review and The Sunday Independent. In 2009 he was the Harman Visiting Professor of Creative Writing at Baruch College, the City University of New York.

Reviews

[Paromjit · Rating 5 out of 5]

The gifted Joseph O'Connor writes a smart and profoundly moving piece of historical fiction that is an absolute joy to read set in the Victorian era and featuring a famous trio of real life characters of the time. Abraham 'Bram' Stoker, a part time clerk in Dublin, born in 1847, who went on to become business manager of the Lyceum Theatre in London, who died unable to achieve his dream of literary success, receiving little support for his writing, and the brilliant Shakespearean actor of his day, Henry Irving, and the towering Alice 'Ellen' Terry, the best paid and adored actress of her era. Stoker's classic tale Dracula is writ large in the entire narrative, such as when Stoker's wife, Florence, inquiring as to the mark on his neck, which he brushes off by dismissing it as a cut from shaving, their marriage is a troubled affair.

Bram leaves Ellen a host of documents that illuminate how specific characters informed Dracula, the air of menace drawing on the reign of terror and fear that Jack the Ripper engendered in the dark streets of London, how the brutality and depravity of his crimes led to women having to take extreme care, such as having to take cabs, and how the atmospheric if dilapidated state of the Lyceum and the story of a ghost played their part too. This is a story of the relationships, drama, between the trio, the love, intense feelings, passionate, and complex. Irving may well have been a marvellous actor, but he was mercurial and volatile, very demanding, challenging with a strong streak of cruelty, with Terry the only person who could make a difference in ameliorating his behaviour. Terry is compassionate, independent, and unafraid to speak her mind. Unlike Dracula, there is no immortality for the three as they are plagued with all that is associated with the decline of getting older.

O'Connor brings alive the characters, the historical period, theatre life, the issues of sexuality, and beautifully lays out the the multitude of factors that inspired Stoker's novel. The most affecting part for me was the the relationships between the three of them, the pain, the sorrow, the loss and the joy. A wonderful read that I cannot help but recommend highly. Many thanks to Random House Vintage for an ARC.

[Dem · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read but not a book that bowled me over.

I loved Joseph O'Connor's Star of the Sea and Ghost Light and was really excited to pick up a Hard Copy of Shadowplay. I was aware that while the novel is based real events surrounding the lives of Bram Stoker (author of Dracula) Victorian actor-manager Henry Irving and leading actress of the day Ellen Terry, but many liberties had been taken with the facts characterization and chronologies and while this is effective in order to create the story I felt I could never connect with the story or the characters.

The setting of the novel really brings this story to life. London of 1880s is beautifully described by Joseph O'Conner and the novel is atmospheric and descriptive but I found the story a little complex and I wasn't really a fan of Theater history to begin with so unfortunately this wasn't my wow book but lovers of Bram Stoker'sDracula or readers who enjoy Theater history may get more from this book than me.

Not a book for my real life bookshelf but hopefully when I place it in the bookclub swap book pile some other reader may find their joy in this one.

[Peter Boyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

We've all heard of Dracula, but have you ever wondered about the man who invented him? Shadowplay is a fictionalized retelling of Bram Stoker's life, beginning with his origins as a Dublin civil servant. When Stoker writes a positive review of actor Henry Irving's Hamlet, Irving hires him to run his Lyceum Theatre. Stoker and his wife Flo are excited by their new life in London, but when he discovers the wretched state of the theatre and experiences the first lash of Irving's notorious temper, the young writer begins to question his decision. After a lot of hard work, the Lyceum starts to make a profit and the two men become more at ease in one another's company. They are soon joined by the beguiling Ellen Terry, the finest actress of her generation. Though he is swamped by his job, Stoker still finds time to write, undeterred by the muted reception for his output. Inspired by the people he meets at the theatre, he conjures up a charismatic Count from Transylvania, and sets about writing a story that will ensure his name will be never be forgotten.

I knew little about the life of Bram Stoker before reading this novel, so it was interesting to learn more about him. Of course Dracula became a sensation after he had passed, so he never received recognition for his talents, and you can sense his frustration in this story. I had never heard of Ellen Terry or Henry Irving, who has been referred to as the Mick Jagger of Victorian theatre. The book suggests there was something of a love triangle between the three of them, with Stoker's unrequited feelings for Terry a considerable source of disappointment on his part. I admired the colourful portrait of Victorian London that O'Connor painted, with Jack the Ripper terrorizing the locals. But I'm afraid the novel never caught fire for me as a whole - much as I enjoyed the verbal jousting between Stoker and Irving, the narrative lacked any sort of momentum. I'm still glad I read Shadowplay, but it was more of an educational experience than a riveting story.

[Chadwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical fiction of the highest order. Absolutely top-notch.

This is one of my favorite novels of this year . . . or any year. I love everything Joseph O’Connor has done here: the structure, the characters, the story, his gorgeous prose. It’s deeply satisfying fiction.

It’s a terrific theatre novel. On the surface, it’s reminiscent of O’Connor’s fine prior novel GHOST LIGHT (which deals with the doomed romance between playwright J. M. Synge and actress Maire O’Neill in early 20th century Dublin). But for me SHADOWPLAY is the more successful novel -- it’s confident, witty, and bursting with life, and it has more emotional depth than the somewhat staid GHOST LIGHT.

But the best thing about SHADOWPLAY is how O’Connor gets inside the mind of another writer: Bram Stoker. It’s a deeply imaginative novel about the process of imagination. We read about Stoker’s personal life, his frustrations as a writer, his sexuality, and his long career as manager of the Lyceum Theatre in Victorian London. There are also Stoker’s dreams, nightmares, and fantasies. O’Connor takes a lot of liberties to be sure. But along the way, he ingeniously weaves a tale that brings every part of Stoker’s life -- interior and exterior -- together into the formative process that ultimately resulted in DRACULA, Stoker’s magnum opus. I can’t do justice to how cleverly O’Connor has done this. It’s a real tour de force.

The cameo appearance of Oscar Wilde at the Lyceum is worth the price of admission alone.

And it’s a devilishly good ghost story too.

With that, I’m off to begin DRACULA. Could it be any other way?

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do like books set around the theatre. This was a very evocative and atmospheric read and I really enjoyed the clever elements that lead us through the journey of Bram’s writing Dracula. Irving was a well drawn character and I really felt for Bram’s poor wife! But I felt the book went off in too many different directions and the style of chopped up narrative is not one I enjoy. A very good read though.

[Essie Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shadowplay by Joseph O’Connor is a tenderly observed account of the – sometimes surprising – inspirations that eventually led to the creation of what many call the masterpiece of gothic literature.

Dracula, or The Undead, written by Bram Stoker is an epistolary novel in which imagined documents form the development of narrative. Echoing this style, O’Connor shows how Stoker’s work was influenced by certain people, by the places and events observed during the years the author spent working as the business manager at London’s Lyceum theatre.

The building as we see it first is decaying, damp, and full of cats. Haunted by a ghost called Mina, it provides a fine allusion to the castle of Count Dracula. With the scaffolding and riggings of the stage the reader cannot help but think about the ship on which The Vampire sailed to England. The music from the orchestra, the squeaking clarinets and violins, provides the perfect soundtrack for this tormented dark production. But Stoker also would have read the Penny Dreadful magazines, such as Varney the Vampire. He would have seen the shocking photograph in which the actress Sarah Bernhardt lay as dead inside her coffin. We know he was affected by the mummified remains of a Crusader in an Irish church. And then, there was his own demise, most probably from Syphilis – though O’Connor does not dwell on this. Still, it is a fact that this infection of the blood was a great scourge for the Victorians. Acquired during sex, it then led on to cruel disfigurement, insanity, and even death.

Sexual desire and predation dominate this book. At the time the Ripper’s crimes led to a fevered atmosphere of dread. Never cliched or too obvious, O’Connor draws upon the blood lust and the spirit of depravity, showing how it influenced the horror found in Dracula. When the atrocities were going on, females employed at the Lyceum were instructed to share cabs at night, rather than risk walking alone through London’s filthy foggy streets – a consequence that leads to the great actress, Ellen Terry, sleeping inside the theatre, along with Bram, and Henry Irving; the three members of the trinity on which this story has been based.

Ellen Terry is a sheer delight, witty, angelic and alluring, almost seeming supernatural when she glides through London’s streets in veils. Irving is the actor manager whose dangerously dark good looks and cruelly sardonic wit is charismatic and yet troubling. He is certainly the model for the ‘exquisitely corrupt earl”, providing words and actions later echoed by The Vampire. Very early in the novel, when Stoker waits to be invited into the great man’s dressing room, the actor tells him, “I don’t bite.” Later, Irving mentions how the two old friends have known each other going on for 700 years.

There is amusement here, and poignancy because, of course, they’re not immortal. In this novel age, decline, and death are constant and disturbing themes, as is the torment of the writer who lives in fear of never being known. How ironic that, long after they all made their bows to leave this mortal stage, the three live on in memories today – their names and work still proving as eternal as The Vampire.

A thrilling construct of a novel, exquisitely contrived to show the settings and the characters whose loves and lives inspired the evil decadence and dark despair contained in Stoker’s Dracula. A great tribute, and a work of art. Deeply affecting.

[Nigeyb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored Shadowplay. The first book I have read by Joseph O'Connor, but certainly not the last

It's a bravura reimagining of the real-life relationship between Bram Stoker and the two greatest stars of Victorian theatre, Henry Irving and Ellen Terry

Huge names come and go: Oscar Wilde has a tragicomic cameo; Jack the Ripper terrorises the London streets; WB Yeats is glimpsed on a Dublin bridge, his appearance serving only to fire Stoker's need to escape to London.

Bram Stoker, Ellen Terry and Henry Irving are such compelling characters and the writing is beautiful, and very perceptive.

The allusions to Dracula add another level of pleasure to appreciate as Stoker's wonderful novel grows in his subconscious. A Jonathan Harker comes to work at the Lyceum; a man in an asylum eats insects; Stoker consults a book on theatrical effects by a writer called Edward Helsing; a ghost called Mina haunts the Lyceum; and so on.

Ultimately though, Shadowplay is a novel about love, friendship, success, failure, and transience - and, what's more, a hugely entertaining one. I doubt many readers will finish this novel without a tear in their eye and joy in their heart.

5/5

[Margaret · Rating 1 out of 5]

Such potential. Was really looking forward to reading this book but i found it rather irritating. there were passages where i was really into the atmosphere and story line but it went on too many different tangents for my liking. it jumped around from character to character and place to place in a way i found hard to follow.
also the actual writing, while trying to be atmospheric and it was. But at times was far too descriptive - too many adjectives. adding descriptions that were really not necessary to the point where i felt they was just to fill out the word count.

[Anne Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing read. The language and dialogue are simply superb here. It's harsh, tender and humorous all in one must read book. This tracks Bram Stoker and his life around the time of his writing of Dracula. This is a triumph from Joseph O'Connor, one of Ireland's true masters.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prevod Vladimira D. Jankovića posebna uživancija

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this fictionalized account of the life of Bram Stoker, the author adopts some of the literary techniques of Stoker’s famous novel, Dracula, including the use of diary entries, letters and transcripts of conversations as well as more traditional third person narration. As Stoker struggles – with limited success – to achieve his literary aspirations, some of the fun is spotting names and places that will later find their way into Dracula.

The core of the novel is the relationship between Bram Stoker and the bombastic Sir Henry Irving. When famed actress, Ellen Terry, arrives on the scene it creates an even more turbulent triangle. Poor Florence, Bram Stoker’s wife, is rather left out in the cold as the Lyceum Theatre becomes central to Stoker’s life. Not to mention attending to the whims of Sir Henry Irving, an equally all-consuming occupation, the main qualification for which seems to be the ability to consume large quantities of alcohol.

I loved the descriptions of the theatrical performances and all the backstage goings on. There is a great episode where Oscar Wilde attends a performance and provokes a very raucous after show party. The author also throws in some supernatural elements and it’s all set against the backdrop of a London stalked by Jack the Ripper.

The last, quite long, section of the book transports the reader ahead a number of years and has a distinctly melancholy tone as age and infirmity catch up with the main characters. I found the end of the book poignant and rather moving.

I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by Anna Chancellor and Barry McGovern. To be fair, the latter does the majority of the narration with Anna Chancellor contributing a couple of sections purporting to be recordings of Ellen Terry’s recollections of Sir Henry Irving. These are wickedly funny and delivered in Anna Chancellor’s inimitable style. Where Ellen Terry appears elsewhere in the book, she is voiced by Barry McGovern rather than by Anna Chancellor, even in chapters told from the point of view of Ellen Terry. However, I can’t fault Barry McGovern’s representation of the rich, plummy tones of Sir Henry Irving or the soft Irish lilt of Bram Stoker.

Shadowplay is inventive, imaginative and full of Gothic atmosphere. I can definitely see why it has earned a place on The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2020 shortlist.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dear God, this book is tiresome.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Like a lot of thumping good stories, it starts on train.”

So begins Shadowplay, a beautifully written, surprisingly sweet account of Bram Stoker’s life and (perhaps) the things that inspired Dracula that were connected to Stoker’s tenure as a theatre manager at the Lyceum.

First, here is what this book is not: A vampire novel. If you’re looking for a new spin on Stoker’s Dracula, this isn’t it. (I’d suggest Lauren Owen’s The Quick or Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian if that’s what you’re after).

The author does try to connect real life figures in Stoker’s life to characters from Dracula, but that’s actually the weakest part of the story in Shadowplay. And the book never gives that delightfully macabre feel that Dracula does (though the author makes some halfhearted attempts at this, unsuccessfully and usually to conclude a section of the story).

The assertion that theater owner and Stoker’s boss Henry Irving was the primary inspiration doesn’t make much sense in real life or in this book. All the “ooh, he’s wearing a cape and standing in shadow!” moments are cute but a reach, and the implication that Irving and Dracula had anything in common personality-wise at all is downright preposterous. They’re both megalomaniacs, I suppose, but Irivng’s bratty bombast is a far cry from Dracula’s gentlemanly cruelty and subtle menace. Oh and Irving, for all his faults, isn’t anything even close to evil. Soooo that’s a problem.

Far better are the fictional reimaginings of Jonathan and Mina Harker, both terrific characters in this story and cleverly drawn with respect to their imagined connections to Dracula.

And it’s Stoker’s relationships with others (not his work on Dracula) that really make this book. From the volatile and contentious (Irving) to the sweetly fond (Jonathan Harker and Ellen Terry) to the creepily bizarre (Mina Harper), we cant help but adore Stoker’s sweetly exasperated nature and loyalty to his loved ones.

Other cameos include Florence Stoker (who was well-drawn in the narrative in a way that allows us to connect it to her real life role as a pioneer in acquiring copyrights for authors), Jack the Ripper (whose presence looms over the novel for a time and gives us the closest thing to eerie Dracula vibes that the story has to offer), and finally fellow contemporary writers like Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw. The jokes at Shaw’s expense were kind of funny, but Wilde’s presence felt kind of forced. He comes up far too often for someone who has no real relevance to the story, and you can feel the effort behind the attempt to make the mentions fit the narrative.

But despite some misses in the allusion department and a too fanciful attempt to connect Irving to Dracula, this is a funny, beautifully written imagining of Stoker’s life at the theater, where he finds what might be considered his true family as well as his place in the world.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75

There was so much about the synopsis that had me excited - Victorian England, Jack the Ripper, theater, Bram Stoker writing Dracula...there was so much potential. This book had moments where I felt invested, but unfortunately, it never quite worked for me. The writing style was strange - it jumped from letters, to journals, to narrative and there were many times where it was unclear who's perspective I was reading from. It felt very choppy and hard to follow.

I really enjoyed the parts that gave insight into the writing of Dracula, as well as the fear of Jack the Ripper terrorizing London. However, there was never enough of those plot elements. I feel like the author was trying to do too many things with the story, making it feel convoluted and confusing. I feel like I don't quite understand what story the author was trying to tell.

ARC provided via Netgalley

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many times (maybe most times) we have little idea of where our next great read is coming from. We can be caught almost completely unaware. ~ as I pretty much was with this wonderful find! 

One day recently, I happened to be reading an article about Sinéad O'Connor. In it, it was mentioned that her brother Joseph is a writer. 'Hmm...', thought I. 'What's he written?' 

Turns out he's been at it for awhile. But it was this book - published in 2019 - that caught my attention: an imagining of the working relationship between legendary stage actor Henry Irving, leading (and celebrated) English actress Ellen Terry and Bram Stoker - marginally a writer of supernatural stories but here detailed in his hired capacity as manager of Irving's Lyceum Theatre. 

In O'Connor's stunning construction of historical fiction, this triad isn't really fueled by sex but, instead, by ambition. Irving's grandiose dream of commanding his own theatre company quickly morphs into something herculean, before turning more nightmarish. Though Stoker (a complete neophyte to all things drama but a devoted spirit nevertheless) tries to maintain himself at his level-headed best, Irving - time and again - is shown to be a hotheaded mass of actorly insecurity... and restoration of peace will often be left to Terry.

This is among the best books I've read this year! 

~ and it may sound like it has the makings of simple, backstage soap opera. But that's where O'Connor makes all the difference. Aside from the fact that this is an admirably vivid portrait of how day-to-day theatre-life of the time most likely unfolded, O'Connor is a refreshingly poetic novelist in general. He knows how to deftly and persuasively play his hand, effortlessly mixing (deeply researched) atmosphere with sharp character detail, rich visuals and punchy, era-specific dialogue. He makes his human triptych come memorably alive. 

What actual 'plot' there is rests with Stoker's sideline activity of writing what would eventually become his novel 'Dracula' - a work which, before the author's death, went largely undiscovered and was considered a commercial flop (!). With subtle brushstrokes, O'Connor reveals how surrounding Victorian elements filtered their way into Stoker's fiction - whether it be Irving's 'Count'-like dominance, the omnipresent terror of Jack the Ripper or the general squalor and / or oppression of the period. 

Making an appropriately showy entrance (and then performance throughout) is O'Connor's loving presentation of the indefatigable Terry - who is wonderfully entertaining from start to finish:

"No, no, it's not beauty, it's just *looking*, dear Bram. It's knowing everything contains the opposite of itself. It's the key to playing Ophelia, Desdemona, Lady M. Put something into every lover that wants to be rejected. And something into every villain that wants to be loved. All the evil in the world, it comes from shattered love. Forget that and the audience won't believe you."

Also on-board for comic relief is the tertiary appearance of theatre contemporary Oscar Wilde:

"That is why England shall strangle me, Miss Terry. In Ireland, having charm is seen as an accomplishment. Here, it is a shame on the family, like an idiot cousin."

The humor in the novel is offset by a fair dose of underlying gothic horror - not only in the periodic Ripper attacks but also in the spare room in the theatre that Stoker uses for his writing endeavors: that's where a ghost is waiting; that's where she visits the author. 

Oddly somehow... the novel ends uncharacteristically with an extended 'Coda'; the actual story has finished but we're allowed to see the aftermath of the main characters. At first, this section may seem superfluous (or even a bit tedious). But stay with it. Here, O'Connor is simply in service to romantic sentiment; the conclusion reached is a gentle, affectionate requiem.

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent fictional account of the relationship between Irving, Stoker and Ellen Terry while also bringing the reader through the probable journey that ended in the writing of Dracula.
Joseph O'Connor is such a brilliant writer and manages to convey both Dublin and London in detail.
The dialogue and rapport between the characters was amazing and at times hilarious: had to read some parts aloud to himself and we had a good cackle together.
The pace was at times a bit choppy which was distracting from the narrative and the story: that said this was a rather lovely read and one I recommend wholeheartedly.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, beautiful writing.

[Iza Brekilien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed for Books and livres

My first novel by Joseph O'Connor : it was absoluely bril-liant !
I first borrowed it at the library because it was about Bram Stoker, whose Dracula I recently read, because of the 19th century atmosphere, almost gothic with Jack the Ripper making a shadowy appearance and a couple of ghosts, because of the theater, which I love, and because I'd never read Joseph O'Connor, whose sister I know a lot better.
It is a big book, almost 500 pages, but I devoured it very quickly, enthralled right from the start.
I loved the characters, of course, wonderfully written, and there were such witty dialogues and depth. There are many references to Dracula, in the way the novel is written (sometimes letters, sometimes recorded sound, sometimes steno) but also the cut on Bram's neck (he cut himself while shaving !).
I loved reading about the three of them, Bram, Irving and Ellen, that twisted love triangle, twisted yet with deep affection for each other, whether they're showing it or not. Watching Bram with Irving talking was like watching an old couple bickering, they were endearing. Poor Bram who tried to achieve literary recognition and only succeeded once he was dead... and meanwhile, got no support at all from Henry !
This novel was deeply moving but absolutely not without humour :
"They really and truly don't mean to be idiots. But it's like a Roman Catholic person not wanting to feel guilt. Might as well ask water to run uphill. Except that might conceivably be contrived. With a pump."
I borrowed it from the library but I'm going to buy it and keep it.
Brilliant, I said ! What are you waiting for ? Go read it !!

[Marina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joseph O’Connor is a fabulous writer and it’s on the strength of his name that I started this book, without reading the blurb. I was surprised to discover that his main characters were real people – Bram Stoker, Henry Irving and Helen Terry.
I enjoyed reading the atmospheric recreation of a 19th century theatre with its flamboyant occupants and yet I’ve found the intervals between putting it down and picking it up again are getting longer and longer. Although I’ve read way over half of (what seems) a long book, I think I’ve finished with it.
The problem is that the characters’ lives are a fact of public record and so I know nothing very unexpected is going to happen. For example, there were lots of references to Jack the Ripper and one of the characters liked to walk around at night. But I know that a) he’s not going to turn out to be the ripper and b) he’s not going to be murdered. There just didn’t seem any impetus to keep turning the pages. (Contrast that to his novel The Salesman which is a real page-turner.)
Well done to O’Connor for not just churning the same book out year after year. However, this one, despite the beauty of the prose, wasn’t right for me.

[Dragan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ovo je ipak bilo jedno razočaranje. Mislim da sam previše očekivao od ove knjige koja je baš obećavala: fikcionalizirani život Brama Stockera ( pisac kultnog romana Drakula), njegova karijera kazališnog menagera, visoko londonski društvo, kraj 19.st., Oscar Wilde, dekadencija i sve te radosti... Ali "nada" . Tek onako ugodno i lako čitljivo postmoderno štivo bez neke dubine i priželjkivanog x faktora.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immersive, evocative, and colourful!

Shadowplay is a beautiful, powerful, alluring interpretation that sweeps you away to London in the late 1800s and into the life of Bram Stroker, from his employment as manager of the Lyceum Theatre, his tumultuous relationships with both his employer, Henry Irving and the celebrated actress Ellen Terry, to his ultimately writing the infamous Dracula.

The prose is expressive and eloquent. The characters are exceptionally drawn, complex, and authentic. And the plot set to the backdrop of a city terrorized by Jack the Ripper and using an intriguing mixture of narration, letters, diary entries, and transcripts is an exceptionally absorbing tale of life, loss, loneliness, loyalty, friendship, desires, aspirations, heartache, drama, and love in all its different forms.

Overall, Shadowplay is a vivid, pensive, compelling story by O’Connor that does a remarkable job of highlighting his considerable knowledge and impressive research into these renowned historical figures whose lives and contribution to the dramatic and literary worlds are often unknown or unfortunately long forgotten.

Thank you to Publishers Group Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Paul Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Not a 5 star which I award quite sparingly. Loved the albeit slightly fictional characters and found their story, perhaps slightly less fictional, fascinating.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved this. Very well written and brilliantly evocative of the time and place it is set in, I found it completely compelling and thoroughly enjoyed it. It examines, with great imaginative flair, the relationship between Henry Irving, Ellen Terry and Bram Stoker, who arrives in London from Dublin in the 1870s to work for Irving as General Manager at the actor’s Lyceum Theatre. During his time at the Lyceum, Stoker attempts to pursue his own literary career, with very little success, with the even today still popular Dracula passing relatively unnoticed. The novel presents itself as unpublished writings by Stoker, which he bequeaths to Ellen Terry, and comprises a collage of phonograph recordings, newspaper extracts, letters and theatre posters, and creates from all these a panoramic view of London life, both in and out of the theatre. Even the little touch of magic realism, something that I don’t usually enjoy in an otherwise realistic novel, seemed appropriate and fitted in well with the novel’s overall schema. O’Connor doesn’t pretend to total historical accuracy, again something I normally demand in an historical novel, but I really didn’t mind here, as the book feels completely truthful in spirit in its depiction of these people and their world. I could actually hear their voices as I read, such is O’Connor’s marvellous ventriloquism, and the book brought a small slice of theatre history vividly alive for me.

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joseph O'Connor's Shadowplay is an absolute delight—a novelization of the relationship among actor and producer Henry Irving, actress Ellen Terry, and theatre producer and author Bram Stoker. This tale belongs to Stoker more than the other two, and O'Connor presents it in a variety of formats similar to those Stoker used when writing Dracula: recordings, letters, journals. Such fun!

This is one of those titles you'll race through, not because it's short or simple (it's a rich piece of writing), but because you can't bear to put it down. O'Connor evokes the readers' emotions again and again in all sorts of ways, but never leaves the reader feeling manipulated.

If you're interested in theatre history, the private lives of the famous, the relationships among artists, or just ripping good reads, you'll want to get started on Shadowplay as soon as possible.

[Robin Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please don't be put off by this very misleading and unattractive cover - this is a brilliant imagining of the life of Bram Stoker in the years before he wrote Dracula, when he was the manager of Henry Irving's Lyceum Theatre. Really clever and beautiful, a must for any Dracula fan (15+)

*Please note: this review is meant as a recommendation only. If you use it in any marketing material, online or anywhere on a published book without asking permission from me first, I will ask you to remove that use immediately. Thank you!*

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a book so interesting I finished it. Not easy for me to get into a book during the current plague, but I did. The setting is mostly London in the late 19th & early 20th centuries, including the time of Jack The Ripper. Bram Stoker, Ellen Terry & Henry Irving are the main characters & all work at the famous Lyceum Theatre. If you don't know all these people, you will soon enough. The writing is witty and also moving. Highly recommended!

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Europa Editions for this ARC through Net Galley.
4.5 stars for a wonderfully rich read
This book was available earlier from other publishers and there are plenty of favorable, descriptive goodreads reviews of this work of literature I need not add to beyond my appreciation for this fictional account of real characters who were early celebrities in the world of theater.
We meet the two main characters on a train heading for yet another theater tour, Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, and his boss Henry Irving, Shakespearean actor. The wheel rolls back in time to allow for the story of their initial meeting in Dublin where Stoker was a clerk and Irving was in need of a theater manager in London. The lives they led, the shifting fortunes, the other stars of the time of both theater and literature all play their parts. The story is rich in history and deeply emotional.

[Linn Ålund Thorgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helt fantastisk, en fulländad roman!!

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

As if I didn’t have enough theatre in. my life, I went to read about it too. But to be fair, not just any theatre, The Lyceum theatre in London. The place that has witnessed its share of greatness, the place one devotedly managed by Bram Stoker. Yeah, that guy, the only ordinary person to legitimately reach immortality through vampirism. But first, he was a mere Dublin clerk, whisked away on a promise of an adventurous and challenging employment to London by Lyceum’s star and impresario. Thus began a decades long professional and personal relationship that was unbalanced, emotionally abusive and often frustrating, but nevertheless it changed the lives of both men. And yes, it was technically a love triangle with Ellen Terry, the most famous actress of her time, but Stoker was much too meek and proper to ever act upon it, so it was a wildly uneven triangle at best. Stoker was also married, but then they all were, Stoker’s wife seemed pretty great, actually, but he was much too dedicated to his job to be a proper spouse, all his eggs were in that theatre basket. Well, maybe a few eggs went to his writing, but that was never appreciated in his lifetime, not by anyone. In fact, irony of ironies (unless I’m using it wrong and it’s something other entirely) is that only the age of cinema brought Dracula to popular attention that theatre failed to do. The fact that Stoker’s widow was industrious enough to sue the first unofficial adaptation for copyright and win certainly helped. This was the kind of woman that Stoker has all but outright neglected during their long marriage in favor of chasing dreams of camaraderie and glitz. Strange man. And if you think this book will help you get to know him more…well, it might, but not a lot. There are physical descriptions (he was a fitness fanatic), there are descriptions of his work, there are a lot of descriptions, but none of them really convey the mystery of Stoker. The closest you get is to understanding the man is by understanding his magnum opus’ origins, this is something the book excels at and Dracula fans will get a lot of enjoyment out of all the easter eggs throughout the novel, obvious and otherwise. Because it is a fascinating thing…for a seemingly ordinary man to produce such an extraordinary story. So for that alone it’s worth a read. Other than that, well it’s certainly interesting for historical fiction fans, there are a lot of details of the time, real events, etc. The writing’s good, but not especially dynamic. I didn’t care for the constant shifts of narrative, change of tenses and perspectives seems overutilized and unnecessary. The description makes the book seem somewhat more exciting than it actually was, in fact the book is quite subdued, which, for a book set mostly in the wildly unsubdued environment that theatre is, almost odd. Stoker was presented as such a mild man, positively milquetoast, all his passions simmering quietly buried. Was it really the case? And so much homoerotic innuendo. Was that really the case? But at any rate, I enjoyed it enough. Some things more than others. Thanks Netgalley.

[Booknblues · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited about reading Shadowplay which promised to be very evocative and atmospheric, with shades of Dracula and Jack the Ripper. As I read it I felt those elements were almost a distraction and didn't blend easily with the rest of the story.

While this book is about Stoker, Henry Irving and the Lyceum theatre over powers. What stands out in Shadowplay are the wonderful characters and interactions which really come to life. Henry Irving is a great actor of late 19th century England, who owned the Lyceum Theater. He conned Stoker into coming to London from Ireland to be his secretary. Stoker imagined that as his secretary he would have plenty of time to write his own work, but upon arriving he found that he was given the herculean task of renovating, opening and managing the Lyceum Theater.

The theater itself is intriguing. There are plenty of characters who work in and around the theatre to catch your attention. Here is a wonderful bit with Ellen Terry (Ophelia to Irving's Hamlet) and Oscar Wilde:


“That is why England shall strangle me, Miss Terry. In Ireland, having charm is seen as an accomplishment. Here, it is a shame on the family, like an idiot cousin.” “Pish, Oscar, old thing,” said Irving, “you are a little too hard on us. We exported our language to you primitives, after all.” “Indeed you did, darling. Now we can say ‘starvation’ in English.” “Now, Oscar, you are naughty, but there is a time and a place. Let us not waste the rare pleasure of your visit on a battle of wits.” “Yes, I shouldn’t like to fight a battle with an unarmed man.”

I am certainly glad to have finished this book and would recommend it.