Mairéad comes over from Ireland and gets a job in the wardrobe department of a West End theatre. Many authors would use this scenario for a fun aspirational tale but Elaine Harvey opens the doors on what it is actually like to be in a stressful role when you are washing underwear and mending gloves for a minimal wage living in London without friends or a support network. Mairead doesn't like herself and doesn't have the social skills to engage with people. We discover why when she goes back to Ireland for a family funeral, Mairead cab finally can be free to make her own destiny.
A tough fascinating read worth reading to the end.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Canongate Books for the advance review copy.

A novel of two halves, set in the wardrobe department of a London theatre and a small town in Ireland. There are a lot of characters to keep track off, probably too many, but the bustling and frenetic life of back stage is well drawn and the lead character is convincing.

This was quite middle-of-the-road for me; I didn't dislike it, but I also didn't actively enjoy it. However, since finishing I have found myself thinking about it occasionally, and there's something to be said for that. It seems to me that a lot of debut authors recently are trying so hard to Say Something that they end up actually giving us Really Not Much. It was almost too subtle at times, and I found it hard to keep track of which character was which, whether they were important, and their relationship to the protagonist.

This was a story of two halves - set fairly equally between London and Ireland. It opens with Mairead working in London in a Wardrobe Department. I found this section of the book slow and uninspiring. Mairead's life seems dull and lonely, though this pace changes drastically when she is unexpectedly called back home to Ireland following her grandmother's death.

The Irish section of the novel is gritty and compelling to read. There is life and energy during this period and the characters were relatable. Mairead is not there long, but there are many characters who are loud and opinionated and direct. This contrasts enormously with the quiet mouse-like existence of Maread in the earlier section. Before returning to London, Mairead's mother reveals some deep, dark secrets which she had been carrying with her for a long time and will have undoubtedly coloured her life in ways which clearly came as a shock to Mairead. She seems to return to London louder and more strident in her approach to life - which is not liked by everyone.

This is novel which ends in hope, and I could see the transformation which had taken place in Mairead by the end. However, I did not really connect with her and found this a fairly slow read. The setting and pace felt dated, though the novel is set in 2002, a lot of the description and events felt like they could have taken place many years earlier.

This is a book that is more interesting than it is compelling. The author does a great job in bringing to life the daily routine of a wardrobe department at a West end theatre, but the story itself had a slightly odd narrative structure, with a long section describing Mairead’s return to Ireland for a family funeral breaking up the story in the middle. Mairead was not a particularly easy character to identify with either, which made the book feel like a bit of a slog to the end.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

The Wardrobe Department, for me, was more of 3.5 star. It held a lot of promise but for the first two-thirds I struggled to connect or even understand Mairéad and how she behaved. I didn't really like her though loved the environment and other staff members of the wardrobe department. The ins and outs and the requirement of that team, with the strong personalities of actors and actresses one must navigate whilst dressing them, felt wholly real. The casual chit chat and gossip around mugs of tea was authentic and genuine. That part was spotless, I felt I was there but Mairéad was the element that didn't fully fit? She seemed to hold herself back from everyone and failed to engage. She acted like a kicked dog fearful of contact but it wasn't really explained. There was one potential incident but that didn't match her level of aversion. If the story her mother conveyed later was actually Mairéad's, it would make full sense. But no. She also starved herself without much clarity as to why. It just seemed awkward. At the point where I thought I might give up, it turned a corner. The last third felt like it was penned from a different hand. It was more lucid and cohesive. If the entire book had been like that throughout, I would be looking at a five star review. I didn't dislike it, as there were incredibly strong elements, but Mairéad was the one bit that failed to fit until the end.

#gifted

It is 2002 (though you'd be forgiven for feeling it is much more historical than that for the most part), and Mairéad works in the wardrobe department in a small, rundown theatre in London’s West End. She’s left her family at home in the North West of Ireland to begin a new life in London, but Mairead is doleful, unmoored, and lonely, prey to the lecherous ‘boys club’ theatre men and a producer who’s an absolute dose.

Told in fragmented prose that seems to reflect our protagonist's mental state, every moment of Mairéad’s existence in London feels hard fought. She wants to study and improve her meagre existence, but despite this desire to move forward, the past clings to her as distant voices of criticism and doubt echo in her mind, fueling her fears and insecurities.

Then, she heads home to Ireland for a bit, and suddenly, the story really quickens in pace. The past unravels, she comes fully into focus, and I was hooked.

But here’s the thing—I found parts of the London sections a slog, while the Ireland section felt too rushed. The balance was off, and I was left wanting more of what was working and less of what wasn’t.

It’s grand, not great—compelling, raw, realistic characters, a strong premise, but a small bit uneven. That said, there’s real potential here, and I’d be very interested to see what this author does next. 3.5/5

Thank you to the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read via NetGalley and for sending me a physical copy. As always, this is an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Canongate for this eCopy to review

Mairéad works tirelessly in the wardrobe department of a run-down West End theatre in London. Her days are filled with mending shoes, fixing zips, and handwashing underwear. Despite her skill and growing experience, she feels stuck between her demanding job and the life she left behind in Ireland. As she navigates the challenges of backstage life, including avoiding inappropriate behaviour from colleagues and dealing with a bullying producer, Mairéad struggles to find her true identity and the courage to change her present circumstances. The story beautifully captures her journey of self-discovery and the tension between her past and present.

The Wardrobe Department is a poignant and beautifully written novel that delves into the complexities of Mairéad's life. Elaine Garvey's prose is both sharp and tender, capturing the emotional struggles of a young woman caught between two worlds. The depiction of the theatre world is vivid and authentic, adding depth to the narrative.

A heartfelt story and insightful character development.

I felt for Mairead. She is so lonely and uncomfortable in a place where she doesn't feel like she fully belongs to yet. She isn't even comfortable in her own skin. And she is prone to projecting all her insecurities on to how she thinks other people view her.
While the writing style felt distant, to me it perfectly captures Mairead's internal world. The monotony of a job that doesn't bring you joy, interactions with colleagues who you aren't sure are your friends.
Her return to Ireland presented a shift in dynamics, and we really get to see more of her and understand where she is coming from.

I love that by the end, Mairead feels more secure in her decisions and on who she is and on what she wants to do. The book ends on a hopeful note, like the light at the end of a long dark tunnel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canongate Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

It was so easy to identify with Mairéad – who doesn’t remember a new job, in a new city, away from friends and family? The insecurity, the sense of not fitting in, resenting the sense of entitlement by some of the ‘superiors’ … and raged with her at the assumption that actors, producers had the right to fondle, with no right of reply or refusal. I loved her self-deprecating humour, her reluctance to involve herself, let others get to know her. The beautifully drawn characterisations – especially of her Irish family – puts the reader in her shoes
It’s not Proust, but it’s a really good read with plenty of meat to chew on.

As an Am Dram luvie , I was drawn to this book by its setting in the wardrobe department for London Theatre . The story follows a young Irish girl Mairead who escapes a suffocating family situation to move to London and take up a job working in the wardrobe department of a theatre.
The story follows her day-to-day life in this job and the characters that she meets along the way including spoiled male leads and spiteful department heads. This is not an easy job by any means and she really struggles.
I love the description of the job itself making replacement gloves for example by hand and sourcing seemed stockings from sex shops in Soho
There is a “me too “ element at the end which is shocking but I really loved the absolute end of the novel it was perfect
The author has a clear flowing writing style. The book was an enjoyable read and I found it difficult to put down reading it in one session.
I’d recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a primarily character driven novel with a unique setting of a London Theatre backstage
I read an early copy of the novel on NetGalley UK. The book was published on the 13th of February 2025 by Canongate
This review will appear on NetGalley UK, StoryGraph, Goodreads, and my book blog bionicSarahSbooks.wordpress.com.

It will also appear on Amazon UK

Thanks to Elaine Garvey and NetGalley for this ARC!!

Mairéad is an absolute dream of a protagonist, both understated and full of depth at the same time. I love the way it showed her trying to constantly juggle the expectations placed on her, either backstage or amongst the complex relationships of her family. There was something quite timeless about the way Garvey writes too, at any point it felt quite ‘classic’ in tone but really current at the same time. I really enjoyed it.

The Wardrobe Department uses an intriguing premise that we don't see often. The setting backstage at a London theatre and Mairead's unplanned trip home are well drawn. However, while this is a promising debut, I found that neither situation was mined as thoroughly as possible. It was an enjoyable read,d and I will look out for this author again


Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC

Mairéad, and Irish expat living in London, is working in a rundown West End theatres wardrobe department. Dealing with the “boys club” of actors, directors, and big names in showbiz, Mairead is caught between the girl she was in Ireland and the woman she wants to be in London.

Mairead’s story is told in three parts - Life in London, a fleeting visit back to Ireland, and her return to London. I have to admit I wasn’t sure if this book was for me at the beginning but once we moved onto the Ireland chapter I started to really get into it. I found the dynamic in Mariéads family to be really interesting and it is here that I really learned a lot about Mairead’s character and finally understood her story. I wish this side was explored sooner in the story, but once it was I fully invested in Mariead and her return to London.

Despite being a short novel, this dragged quite a bit for me. Set in 2002 (but feeling much more historical than that for the most part), Mairéad works in the wardrobe department in a small, rundown theatre in London’s West End. She’s left her family at home in the North West of Ireland to begin a new life in London, but she seems preoccupied with home, lacking in confidence and unable to make her mark.

In fragmented prose and choppy dialogue that I found very annoying, every moment of Margaret’s existence in London is hard fought. When she returns to Ireland, the novel improves dramatically and as a reader, you feel this is where the author is most comfortable in the story. The characters are authentic and realised, and the story compelling.

A miss overall for me but real promise there. Thank you Canongate Books for the arc via @netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 2.5/5 ⭐️

This was a very sweet debut. I enjoyed the careful detail about the way the theatre worked, the daily routine of the wardrobe and Mairead's love of clothes and tailoring. Garvey was very good on the loneliness of being new in London, the atmosphere of the early noughties and the powerlessness of being a young, female, junior employee. I didn't find the Irish part of the novel as compelling although it was nicely constructed. I did have a problem getting to grips with the characters: some of the peripheral characters at the theatre I struggled to differentiate, and some others didn't feel fully realised: Margaret/Oliver/her colleagues in wardrobe, and some of the dialogue was confusing. There were some nice themes of mother/daughter relationships, staying at home/striking out for a new life, body image/eating disorders but although this was a pleasant read, I never felt fully invested and there were moments that felt a little contrived (fainting and banging her head seemed an unnecessary part of the plot, being sacked by Oliver for one comment on a night out seemed shoehorned in). I felt as if I had read this story many times but as Garvey gains in experience I think she will produce some compelling stories.

(3.5 stars) I really enjoyed this book and raced through it! The idea that Mairéad never quite feels like she has a place to belong both in London and at home was interesting especially when we learn more about her current set-up in London and her past with her family back in Ireland. Once Mairéad is back in Ireland with her family, her character makes more sense and explains a lot about her troubles in London.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

The Wardrobe Department
By Elaine Garvey

Set in the early noughties world of London
theatre, this is a quiet, sad and at times, erratic story centring on Mairead, a young woman from Co. Leitrim, who is working as an assistant in the wardrobe department of a struggling theatre company. Mairead is doleful, unmoored and lonely, prey to the handsy theatre men and victim to the bullying producer.

After a strong opening, I began to find the narrative challenging, but soon realised that this is a clue to Mairead's state of mind. She is a bit of an oddball, she doesn't quite fit in. The author does a beautiful job of creating that sense of awkwardness, never seeming to do or say the right thing, and as the reader, the feeling is real.

When her grandmother in Ireland dies, and she makes the journey home, it becomes clear that Mairead is as much a stranger there, as in London.

"If I had two rooms to live in, I would spend my days believing I should be in the other room"

As we met her closer family, the details of her childhood unfold and the impressionistic Mairead comes into full focus.

I love this story. It's millennial backdrop, it's almost Kevin Barryesque Irishness, it's emotional hook. Garvey has found a surprisingly inventive way to explore a character from the outside in.

Publication date: 13th February 2025
Thanks to #NetGalley and #CanongateBooks for providing an ARC for review purposes

Garvey takes us back to 2002 through the eyes of Mairéad, a young Irish woman working as a Costume Department assistant at the fictional St. Leonard theatre in London’s West End. “The Wardrobe Department” is a rich and engaging character study.

Working in the cramped confines of the theatre currently showcasing Chekhov's “Uncle Vanya” , Mairéad struggles to navigate the patronising and predatory attitudes of the cast and crew while also dealing with Oliver, the theatre’s despotic producer.

Feeling out of place, Mairéad perceives a sharp divide between herself and her colleagues. Her contact with family back in Ireland is infrequent, and she consistently tries to brush off her mother’s attempts to reach her. It’s apparent that she came to London to escape something from her past and to seek renewal, yet her loneliness has left her feeling stagnant. Throughout her experience, she often quotes Uncle Vanya, highlighting the parallels to her situation: “𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧? 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘚𝘰𝘯𝘺𝘢, 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸.” It’s a brilliant choice by Garvey to feature a Chekhov play in Mairéad’s theatre. Additionally, she is reading Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway”, further reflecting her struggle with identity and belonging. I particularly enjoyed how Garvey uses these intertextual elements to reflect Mairéad's journey and the dynamics of her working life.

She wants to go back to college to study costume design, but her aspirations are quickly undermined by the wardrobe mistress, who questions her intentions: “𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘰? 𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦? 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘣.”

Despite her desire to move forward, the past clings to her, as distant voices of criticism and doubt echo in her mind, intensifying her fears and insecurities.

I enjoyed following Mairéad in and out of her theatre working life, loved reading about her navigations around London, exploring locations like the Wallace Collection, Soho, Bond Street, Oxford Street, and Piccadilly. Even her flat in the outskirts of London – Kingsbury, in Brent, is vividly depicted, bringing the city and her experiences to life.

In the first week of following Mairéad - the story spans from March 28 to April 8 - she is called back to Ireland for her grandmother's funeral. This trip serves as a catalyst for Mairéad to confront her past, where she encounters her contentious parents and we learn of a painful history of abuse that anyone in their right mind would want to escape.

Mairéad is a complex and believable character, and I found her story quite compelling. Garvey has infused each character with rich nuance, bringing them to life. Margaret, the costume department manager, is also a standout character, providing a comforting presence throughout the story.

We start the novel with Uncle Vanya - “𝘐 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘰𝘯𝘺𝘢’𝘴 ‘𝘞𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵’ 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢’𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦”– and cleverly move towards Noel Coward’s ‘Present Laughter’, this shift not only highlights Mairéad’s evolving relationship with theatre but also serves as a commentary on the self-absorbed nature of the actors and producers she encounters. Bravo Elain Garvey! Exquisetely done! #pudseyrecommends

Thanks to Canongate Books and Netgalley for the advance review copy.

When I read the synopsis of the book and I saw that it was about an Irish emigrant to London who works in a theatre, I was immediately sold. I love going to the theatre so was excited to read a book set in that world. I found Garvey's writing compelling and I flew through The Wardrobe Department. However, I was left wanting something slightly more from it. The novel is pretty short and takes place over around two weeks, which includes Mairéad travelling back to Ireland. It felt a little bit rushed. I would have either liked the novel to be longer or for the theatre and Ireland settings to be two different books. Because the book takes place over such a short period of time, I felt like we didn't see much satisfying growth from the protagonist. I also struggled to keep all of the characters straight in my mind.
I would still be intrigued to read any future books by Garvey and think if you are interested in the premise of the Wardrobe Department, I would recommend giving it a go.