WINNER:NOVELOFTHEYEAR,AnIrishPostBookAwardsAFiveBooksBestHistoricalFictionBookof2020ShadowplaybyNewYorkTimesbest-sellingauthor,JosephO’Connor,issetduringthegoldenageofWestEndtheaterinaLondonshakenbythecrimesofJacktheRipper.HenryIrvingisVictorianLondon’smostcelebratedactorandtheaterimpresario.Hehasintroducedgroundbreakingideastothetheater,bringingtothestageperformancesthatarespectacular,shocking,andalwaysentertaining.WhenIrvingdecidestoopenhisownLondontheaterwiththegoalofmakingitthegreatestplayhouseonearth,hehiresayoungDublinclerkharboringliteraryambitionsbythenameofBramStokertomanageit.AsIrving’stheatergrowsinreputationandfinancialsolvency,helurestohiscompanyofmummersthecentury’smostbelovedactress,thedazzlinglytalentedleadingladyEllenTerry,whonightlycastsaspellnotonlyonheraudiencesbutalsoonStokerandIrvingboth.BramStoker’sextraordinaryexperiencesattheLyceumTheatre,hisearlymorningwalksonthestreetsofaLondonterrorizedbyaserialkiller,hislong,tempestuousrelationshipwithIrving,andtheclosenesshefindswithEllenTerry,inspirehimtowriteDRACULA,themosticonicandbest-sellingsupernaturaltaleeverpublished.Amagnificentportraitbothoflamp-litLondonandoflivesandlovesenactedonthestage,Shadowplay’srichprose,incomparablestorytelling,andvividcharacterswilllingerinreaders’heartsandmindsformanyyears.“Funny,smart,tender,wise.“--ColumMcCann,authorofApeirogon“JosephO’Connor’smagnificentnoveldoesevenmorethanfly,itsoars.“--MichaelDirda,TheWashingtonPostFINALIST2019COSTABOOKOFTHEYEAR,FINALIST2020DALKEYLITERARYAWARD,2020WALTERSCOTTPRIZE
