Trip To Jerusalem [Paperback]

First Sentence: Enemies surrounded them.

Bookholder Nicholas Bracewell and the theatre company of Lord Westfield's Men decide to leave London in an effort to avoid the plague, which seem already to have felled one of the troupe's members. More the plague troubles the troupe. They find their plays have been given to a rival company, who are performing them on the road just ahead. When a young player is kidnapped, Nicholas is determined to learn who is out to sabotage his troupe.

Although I am not as big a fan of Marston's 'Elizabethan Theater' books as I am his 'Domesday' books, this was still a very enjoyable read. Nicholas Bracewell is an intriguing character about whom we learn a bit more and who grows as a character with each book. He is the core of reason and sanity in the world-wind of artistic personalities and the vanity of actors. His background of sailing and fighting with Sir Francis Drake make him a strong, credible investigator.

Marston fine eye for history is well portrayed in aspects. From the dialogue, to the vagaries of an actor's life on the road, a look behind the scenes of Elizabethan theater and the dangers of the political and religious times; Marston doesn't 'pretty-up' the period but helps us understand the challenges of living during that time. At the same time, I appreciate Martson's humor and the bombastic personalities of some of the characters which enliven and lighten the plot.

This was a short, light, fascinating read that I very much enjoyed and series with which I shall continue.

THE TRIP TO JERUSALEM (His Mys, Nicholas Bracewell, England, Elizabethan) ' Good+
Marston, Edward, 3rd in Elizabeth Theater Series
St. Martin's Press, ©1990, US Hardcover ' ISBN; 0312051743

The third of Edward Marston's saga of the Elizabethan theatre (the first two being "The Queen's Head" and "The Merry Devils"), and the best of the three.

Lord Westfield's Men, the theatrical company at the centre of the books, face yet another mysterious loss. Promising young actor Gabriel Hawkes meets an untimely end. Another victim of the cut-throat competition between companies competing with one another for audiences and patronage? Maybe a jealous rival is to blame?

London, meanwhile, is racked by an outbreak of plague; with many people shunning public places, it makes sense for Westfield's Men to quit the capital for a tour of the provinces, where they will find fresh audiences, fresh air, and escape from affliction. Unfortunately, their great rivals, Banbury's Men, have had the same thought, and are intent on stealing their thunder ... and their plays.

The two companies race for York, picking up a motley selection of bosomy companions en route. Unseen by either, intrigue and secret service surveillance dog them, and it seems that either group of players could be incriminated in a Catholic plot to overthrow the queen.

Marston offers ironic asides on the vanities and insecurities of the acting profession. Lawrence Firethorn, the actor manager, is a serial adulterer, always on the lookout for likely totty: Barnaby Gill, the other leading actor in the company, has an eye for young boys; their rivalry is a source of subplot dynamic and relieves the tension as the plot builds, keeping the reader focused on the stage and its claustrophobic world rather than becoming too involved in the detail of state and politics.

The plot moves at fast pace towards its final denouement. Intriguing, engaging, entertaining, and well worth a read. ["The Nine Giants" is the next in the series.]

The third of Edward Marston's saga of the Elizabethan theatre (the first two being "The Queen's Head" and "The Merry Devils"), and the best of the three.

Lord Westfield's Men, the theatrical company at the centre of the books, face yet another mysterious loss. Promising young actor Gabriel Hawkes meets an untimely end. Another victim of the cut-throat competition between companies competing with one another for audiences and patronage? Maybe a jealous rival is to blame?

London, meanwhile, is racked by an outbreak of plague; with many people shunning public places, it makes sense for Westfield's Men to quit the capital for a tour of the provinces, where they will find fresh audiences, fresh air, and escape from affliction. Unfortunately, their great rivals, Banbury's Men, have had the same thought, and are intent on stealing their thunder ... and their plays.

The two companies race for York, picking up a motley selection of bosomy companions en route. Unseen by either, intrigue and secret service surveillance dog them, and it seems that either group of players could be incriminated in a Catholic plot to overthrow the queen.

Marston offers ironic asides on the vanities and insecurities of the acting profession. Lawrence Firethorn, the actor manager, is a serial adulterer, always on the lookout for likely totty: Barnaby Gill, the other leading actor in the company, has an eye for young boys; their rivalry is a source of subplot dynamic and relieves the tension as the plot builds, keeping the reader focused on the stage and its claustrophobic world rather than becoming too involved in the detail of state and politics.

The plot moves at fast pace towards its final denouement. Intriguing, engaging, entertaining, and well worth a read. ["The Nine Giants" is the next in the series.]