The Ghost Theatre

‘A master storyteller, judging from his virtuoso novel … a great read [that] makes you look at a familiar historical period through fresh eyes’ * Mail on Sunday *
‘An excellent novel – riotous and abundant, full of vivid, dirty life’ * The Guardian *
'Rich and evocating; the kind of story you get lost in' * The Independent *
'The Ghost Theatre finds its way into the hidden corners of Elizabethan London, telling the story of a group of misfit actors. Beautifully written and completely convincing’ * Alex Preston, Observer *
"Combining breath-taking world-building with vivid characterisation … An imaginative tour-de-force of theatre, magic, love and betrayal" * Editor's Pick - The Bookseller *
"This imaginative novel brings a raucous, evocative world to life" * Sunday Express *
'Wildly inventive and full of fantastical elements jostling alongside gritty realism’ * The Times *
A story of rebellion and magic, of mysticism and broken love in the streets and theatres and rooftops of Elizabethan London. Beautifully written, delicate and sad. I'm still haunted by it. * Mariana Enriquez, author of Our Share of the Night *
"A blistering ride" * i news *
Dramatic and gripping, The Ghost Theatre pulled me on a breathless journey of hope, beauty, wonder, tragedy, and the power of theatre. * Isabelle Schuler *
“The star of the show in The Ghost Theatre is Osman's fanciful rendering of Elizabethan England, sometimes dreamlike, sometimes apocalyptic, depicted with such a wealth of sensory detail that it blurs the line between memory and fantasy.” * Dexter Palmer *
"Smart, bold, and original, THE GHOST THEATRE brings to life a slantwise Elizabethan London where appearance is everything and nothing you see can be trusted. Every page is alive with the heady, dangerous energy of an opening night, and Shay and Nonesuch are unforgettable. For readers who like their historical fiction with imagination and flair, this book is a must-read." * Allison Epstein, author of A Tip for the Hangman *
A wild, vivid, eerie flight of imagination about the stories we live, and those we tell others. Utterly transporting. * Catriona Ward *
Stunning! I devoured The Ghost Theatre and when I finished I couldn’t stop thinking about it; all I wanted was to be back in that world. Beautifully written; rich and evocative with shades of Angela Carter. * Ever Dundas *
I was utterly immersed in the world of Shay and Nonesuch, swept into the ordure and shine of Elizabethan London, felt the mad rush of performance and the darkness after it has passed. The last third, with its reversal and manic dash had me furiously turning pages, the events of Saturnalia as big as the city itself. It is vivid, heady and brilliantly staged. * Stuart Evers *
From the first page, Osman brings the underworld of Elizabethan London to life with its child theatres, rioting apprentices and anarchic riverine world, its jumble of squalor and glamour. The line between stagecraft and witchcraft is erased, and now larger-than-life heroes raise child rebellions; pursue exalted, treacherous love affairs; see the future in a flock of birds. As a reimagining of history, The Ghost Theatre has the subversive power of The Quincunx, with an added dash of prophetic magic and fantastical extravagance. Glorious! * Sandra Newman, author of The Heavens and Julia *
If you don’t read anything else this year make sure you read this. * BBC Radio London *
Written with wit, invention and a luxuriantly gorgeous prose style. This is historical fiction that's larger than life and twice as much fun. * Guardian, Summer Books 2023 *