The plot of Behind You features a mirror as the gateway to releasing a ghost or demon of sorts. You just have to say something out loud a few times while looking into the mirror. Yes, pretty much exactly like Candyman or even the girls in Paranormal Activity 3 summoning Bloody Mary. 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

So how did the Pantomime Dame come into being and why do we continue to be fascinated by this bizarre, eccentric figure? 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. Which is how Carina Hemsley comes to be playing Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother in a rundown Newcastle theatre alongside a clutch of other showbiz hasbeens and dim-witted wannabes.As mentioned at the beginning, this movie was written and directed by the duo Andrew Mecham and Matthew Whedon. Of course, the name “Whedon” does carry some weight when it comes to genre productions. Joss Whedon wrote the horror movie The Cabin in the Woods (2011) with its director Drew Goddard. It’s a movie I love and consider terribly underrated. Of course, I’m not going to tell you who it is. Suffice to say that the revelation is not that surprising when it comes but does not do anything to spoil the enjoyment of a real romp of a read that leaves you more and more open-mouthed at just how far said baddie will go. By Victorian times, pantomime had become a key Christmas event and would include fairytales or stories of Robinson Crusoe told with a witty rhyming style and topical content. Famous names from a variety would take to the stage to perform popular songs and topical comedy. Enter The Dame Most of the characters are insufferable and not in a "hes secretly misunderstood and really interesting" way, most of them were just boring and annoying to read about. Truly, a clutch of soap star of the year awards and even prizes for best dramatic exit and best nervous breakdown will only take you so far.

In this story of hope and endurance, we follow a scientist and her team during their search for the elusive 'Giant Arctic Jellyfish'. I was as impressed by Bob's attitude about programming and stories of the earlier game industry as I was surprised by more gritty details about the skeletons in the closets of the big publishers. I don't know whether I want to Tweet Bob congrats on a career loaded with impressive feats or make a donation in his honor and encourage therapy. But in the end, I think maybe that's our line of work in a nutshell. 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. The story of pantomime is a tale of dragons and serpents. It features men dressed as women, and women masquerading as young men. Pantomime presents a tale of good and evil, where hope triumphs over adversity after danger and virtual despair. It has its roots in ancient Greece, and via Italy and France, insinuates itself into Britain. Pantomime's unique fusion of eccentricity, ambiguity and absurdity has much to tell us about our national identity. Christmas, for many of us, would not be Christmas without pantomime; and pantomime was the place we first discovered the magic of theatre. Can’t decide between 2 or 2.5 stars. It wasn’t that bad but I’ve definitely read better books and I definitely don’t think it deserves higher than 3 or 4 stars.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

ONCE one of the undisputed queens of TV soapland, Carina Hemsley has faced a hard few years since she was written out of “Winkle Bay”, the hit drama set in a north-east England fishing community. So Leno’s Dame is taking the starring role from the Regency clown. The harlequinade has mysteriously disappeared, a casualty of respectability. For the Victorian middle classes, watching policemen being beaten up is no longer a form of entertainment. But at the same time, music hall artists such as Leno were infusing pantomime with the plots and dilemmas of working-class culture. With some of these celebrities came a more raucous, bawdy and suggestive edge. Pantomime today Also I think the plottwist was kind of meh I didn’t see it coming but I think the author could have done a lot more like include Laurie more into it (if you read the book you know what I mean , don’t wanna spoil) This felt, personally, like it fell more on the thriller side than horror, in contrast to previous books. It always felt like it was a human behind it, with a very human motivation (covering up/uncovering a murder and/or secrets) rather than supernatural, which is one of the ways I differentiate between the two.that wasn't the only unrealistic part of the book. i found it kind of weird how people around her were literally dying, and Lex was barely phased by it ? it would make sense if she had previously been exposed to many deaths in her life, but that wasn't the case so i was just really confused ! and the moments she did get scared, i felt like that fear wasn't described in enough detail. the author, at best, just wrote "My heart was beating really fast", but that was about it. i get that the character was a skeptical, but any normal person would be freaked out by dead bodies ! The amazing leaps and pratfalls he performed forced Grimaldi into premature retirement, destitution and an early death. Thousands of people would line the streets as his coffin made its way up to Pentonville Hill. Into the Victoria age - Dan Leno and the Pantomime Dame also, as an avid romance reader, i never thought i'd say this one day, but the romance in this book was completely unnecessary. like, the plot would have been the exact same without it. Lex and Liam only kissed once, and her internal monologues barely mentioned any kind of feelings towards him ? plus, they only knew each other for one night, so it felt unrealistic and like the author just wanted to add romance for the sake of it. 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 !