Hi besties! In honor of World Theatre Day on the 27th, I thought it would be fun to share some recommendations for books involving theatre. We all know that if a book mentions theatre in any way I will be picking it up, and the five on this list are some that I really love!
This list could’ve been VERY long, especially if I decided to include non-fiction recs, but I decided to keep it short and sweet this time around — I know, you’re all shocked! So, grab a cup of tea, turn on your favorite cast recording, and let’s get to the recs.
Enter the Body by Joy McCullough
Enter the Body is my latest obsession and if we’re being honest, this is most likely my second favorite Shakespeare-inspired book just behind If We Were Villains. That is how good this book is. I devoured this book — once I picked it up, I could not put it down. You can read my review here, and I’m planning on doing an Annotate with Me post (series?) for Enter the Body at some point where I’ll go more in-depth with my thoughts, but if you’re a fan of theatre or Shakespeare, this is an absolute must read!
Links for Enter the Body: Goodreads | TheStoryGraph | Bookshop | IndieBound
Echo After Echo by A.R. Capetta
What theatre kid doesn’t dream about being cast in the lead of their favorite show? I think that A.R. Capetta did a great job of showing both the positive and negative sides of theatre, and did so with nuance, sensitivity, and honesty. This book is more on the heavy side, but I do think that if you’re a theatre fan you will enjoy this one! I’m looking forward to rereading and annotating so that I can dive deeper into this story.
Links for Echo After Echo: Goodreads | TheStoryGraph | Bookshop | IndieBound
Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson
Okay, so while Nine Liars is not exactly theatre centric, it does involve theatre! In Nine Liars the mystery from the 90s that Stevie is trying to solve centers around a theatre troupe — so there are lots of drama and theatrical references. I think you’ll also have a great time with this one if you’re a fan of the musical Six as there are a lot of Henry VIII mentions and references to Anne Boleyn! It was just a really fun read and I do think that theatre fans who are also murder mystery fans will enjoy this one.
Links for Nine Liars: Goodreads | TheStoryGraph | Bookshop | IndieBound
Twelfth by Janet Key
Twelfth Night is my favorite Shakespeare comedy and I think that this was such a fun way to introduce middle-grade readers to the story! I loved the way that the author wove Twelfth Night into the story in multiple ways — as the show that they’re putting on at camp, and the key to solving the camp mystery/legend. I thought the story unfolded really nicely and I just had a great time reading this! I’ll definitely have to do a reread soon.
Links for Twelfth: Goodreads | TheStoryGraph | Bookshop | IndieBound
The Appeal by Janice Hallet
When you’re in a show or do multiple shows with a specific company, you really do become a family and I think that this book does such a great job of showing that. While theatre is not the main focus of The Appeal, it is a huge part of it and sets the perfect backdrop for this mystery. Additionally, I loved how the drama of the mystery unfolded alongside the drama of tech week and performances for the drama troupe’s production of All My Sons. It’s a low-key theatre book, but a theatre book nonetheless and definitely an intriguing mystery!
Links for The Appeal: Goodreads | TheStoryGraph | Bookshop | IndieBound
There you have it! A few books that I think you should definitely check out if you’re a theatre fan. If you’ve read any of these I’d love to know your thoughts and if you’ve got any recs for books involving theatre drop them here! Until next time!
