Our five contestants are - naturally - not all they claim to be. From the outset we know that some of those involved are hiding things...the question is, how relevant are these secrets to what is happening in the caves during the course of the show? finally, but that's just my personal preference, i would have liked this better if there was actual paranormal involved ; the fact that the "twist"—adding quotation marks because said twist was very anticlimactic—ended up being a human murdering people disappointed me. also, i'm not sure i really understood her motives ?? that might just be me though, i didn't pay much attention during the classic "villain's monologue where they reveal their whole plan". Bestselling author Alexandra Christo, author of TikTok sensation To Kill a Kingdom, introduces her new book, The Night Hunt (Hot Key Books), a dark... Cultural historian and writer Christopher Frayling delves into the archive to explore the rich and surprising history of pantomime.

The novel falls victim to an issue that I find in most mystery novels - the characters are underdeveloped. When the story focuses more on the mystery thriller element, it forgets to really bring the characters to life, and relies on exposition to tell you what the character's motivations are. I did like the range of characters we got, and I think for most of them I could grasp their personalities and reasonings. Lex, as a main character, was wonderful; it was so different having a main character who was a little self-centred and a lot chaotic. She was fun and was only there to win, and it made her interactions with everyone so much more interesting. It took a bit for the story to get going (and I initially hated the MC, Lex) but once all the contestants entered the cave, the story really took off. The setting was exceptional and the feeling of dread and claustrophobia was palpable throughout the story. The familiar trappings of modern British panto originated with the Victorians - the principal boy, the dame, popular tunes with new lyrics, double entendres, and those well-worn catchphrases - 'It's behind you!' and 'Oh yes it is!'. And here it is, our final night alive. And as the earth burns to the ground - oh boy it’s you, that I lie with.“ as world caves in- sarah cothran Starring:- Terry Scott, Hugh Lloyd and Reg Varney, with Norman Mitchell, Patricia Lambert, Yvonne Marsh, Gerry Lee, Barbara vonThis was where the horror came in for me. All the unnerving scuttling about and shadows? Someone in there readying to strike. And finding out who came from finding out why - and naturally everyone (except the lead) had secrets. I also just realised that I started the year by reading two books about ghosts even though they both couldn’t be any more different. I was a little surprised as Lex wasn't hiding something, and wasn't involved in the big conspiracy that drew everyone together. She is an unsuspecting person to make up numbers and ends up along for the ride. It was quite nice though, not to have a "twist, it was the main character all along" or "twist, the main character is the focus of the act." Of all of them, I think I disliked Marla the most. I still think Marla was so one-dimensional - just a stubborn self-absorbed actor, and I don't think any real redeeming qualities of hers were even shown. Was I supposed to actually feel bad when she died? Augustus Harris, a dominant figure in West End theatre and often referred to as the father of modern pantomime, encouraged lavish productions and competition between British theatres. When he took over the lease of London's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, he would put on huge spectacular annual pantomimes that ran from Easter to Christmas. Some of the pantomimes he co-wrote and staged included Little Red Riding Hood, Little Bo-Peep and Hop o' my Thumb, driven by his passion for the old Harlequinade and its lavish scenery, acrobats and clowns. The very last Harlequinade was performed at the Lyceum Theatre in 1939. The Future Of Panto

Performers would wear masks to make their characters immediately recognisable. It also meant the actors could make political jokes and satirical comments without being recognised. Commedia dell’arte toured across Europe, arriving in England several times. Performances were seen and written about by Moliere, Shakespeare and other playwrights of note in the period. Commedia reaches England What is most brilliant is the play’s commentary on the British acting industry. The performer;s commitment and comedic timing are applaudable. The audience gets to revel in a failed children’s entertainer turned drug addict, a legend of Shakespearean theatre looking for his next acting challenge in the form of a cow, and a Joanna Lumley-esque crone. I have never been one to really mix my thrillers with the paranormal but I thought the paranormal wasn’t over done here. Highly preferred this book to Kathryn Foxfield’s previous book, ‘Good Girls Die First’ and I’d recommend it. amateur societies and groups over a number of years. If you have any enquiries for your next pantomimeA solid and fast-paced thriller. It's Behind You reminded me of the Scream tv show, where the stakes are high and the killer is the last person you'd expect, but it's too entertaining and over the top to actually be scared. I really enjoyed reading about the characters in this book and I really grew attached to them over a span of like 4 hours. One thing I will say is that this needs to be a movie asap. I thinking one of the main reasons as to why this wasn’t as scary for me was because I had imagining the scary dark caves in my head and I think if this was a movie the creepiness would come across a lot better. And once again, I read a horror in one go right before sleeping, and it was a bad idea. I should really have learnt by now that I just can't deal with creepy things before bed, because this certainly was creepy. With the help of pantomime historians, actors, writers and directors, Christopher Frayling explores how the form has remained so very popular for almost as long as Shakespeare's plays. He examines its role in our more enlightened, politically correct times and hears how companies are striving to stage pantomimes in 2020.

It’s Behind You! is a testament to British culture and humour. Just remember not to bring any children along! The plot of this story is not really pacy, but slow and engaging as the teenagers' personalities are disclosed to the reader along with their secrets, making it suitable for the 13+ reader, confident/non confident who are not afraid of things that go bump in the night. Therefore, not for the nervous reader. The story would be great for book clubs and for intervention groups as it's completely engaging with lots of discussion points. This is the second book by this talented author, who really knows how to build suspense and create an unsettling atmosphere; she clearly deserves a place in any school library as her books will be very popular. Crosier (joining us for the fourth year). The dates are the 10th December 2005 - 21st January 2006.The familiar trappings of modern British panto originated with the Victorians - the principal boy, the dame, popular tunes with new lyrics, double entendres, and those well-worn catchphrases - 'It's behind you!' and 'Oh yes it is!’. Re: What is the difference between Peter Pan to The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan? - Ari 21/7/2023, 3:26 pm unfortunately, this book was quite disappointing ! let me preface this by saying i never usually read horror/thriller—a friend gifted it to me—, so i don't have much to compare it to, but i'm still going to try and write a constructive review !