The Swish of the Curtain

My thanks to Steerforth Press/Pushkin Press and Netgalley for a review copy of this book.

The Swish of the Curtain is the first of the Blue Door series of books by Pamela Brown, first published in the 1940s. This is a series a goodreads friend of mine had been telling me about for years but I hadn’t so far been able to get my hands on a copy. When I noticed that this series was being brought out again, and this was being offered on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance.

This is essentially the story of seven children between the ages of 9 and 17 (three sets of siblings, a pair among them twins) who are all interested in the stage, and are coincidentally talented in different ways in that direction. By accident, they discover a derelict place in their town of Fenchester where they can try out their talents, and form the Blue Door Theatre Company which stages amateur performances of various plays—from scenes from Shakespeare to pantomimes to plays that they write themselves, complete with songs and music. Lyn is a talented actress, Jeremy a violinist, Sandra designs and sews costumes, while Nigel does the sets (besides all of them acting of course)—the others, Maddy, the youngest, Bulldog, and Vicky too have different talents acting and dancing. Their parents are sceptical of their talents but the children soon prove that they have it in them. While this leads to praise and encouragement from their vicar and even the Bishop, their parents still want them to take up more conventional lines of work. The children, however, dream of going on the stage professionally. Will their dreams be realised, or will they have to give in to their parents’ diktats? To know you will have to read the story of course.

This book did take me a little while to get into (possibly my fault rather than the book) but after I got a little way in, I really began to enjoy it, and wanted to keep reading on to see how the children got on with things. The story of course is of their various adventures in getting their theatre together as well as putting up the various theatricals which they come up with or are asked to put on, but it is also about their ambitions to really do something on stage professionally, and how this leads to much unpleasantness with their parents, who don’t see things in the same way as they do. These parts of the story I thought were really well done. Obviously one finds oneself supporting the children, but one can see the point the parents have since their decisions come from their worries about their children’s future. Also enjoyable were the performances the children put up, since one goes through the whole process with them, from planning and writing the plays to set design, rehearsals, make-up and costumes, to the actual show, it is great fun seeing all of it play out. But aside from all of this, what had me in awe of this book was that it was written by Pamela Brown (who herself did go on stage as well) when she was 14 or 15, and it is remarkable how she has brought out not only the aspects of the performance, the writing of the plays, and songs, but also their parents worries about their future and their ‘clashes’ with the children, and even their dismal (or close to) performance at school—I mean even though the reader’s (and her) support is for the children, Brown does manage to still give a picture of all the characters’ viewpoints, and objectively assess the children themselves (their anger, jealousy, strengths, and weaknesses) and also in some ways, the grown-ups. Very enjoyable read. Four and a half stars.

ARC Copy...old timey type of narrative and suggestible for the theatrical type of middle grade read outlining both the thrills of theater and the inner, frantic workings behind the curtain.

An utterly delightful re-publication of a classic children’s series from the 1940s. I’m both embarrassed that I never knew this series existed and happy that I get to discover it now. Originally published in 1941, the author began work on it in 1938 when she was 14 years old -- helping to explain why the children all feel so authentic. Maggie Smith says, “I wanted to act before I read this book, and afterwards there was no stopping me.”

This story follows seven children from three families in the town of Fenchester (based on Colchester in the UK) as they found the Blue Door Theater company and forge a future in the dramatic arts. Nigel (15) wants to be a commercial artist and designs and builds all the sets; Vicky (13) is a dancer; Bulldog (13) is a comic and a builder (he does the electric work himself and designs a mechanism to make the curtains “swish”); Jeremy (14) composes music and plays the violin; Lynette (13) is the consummate actress of the group; Sandra (14) sings beautifully and designs and makes all the costumes; and Madeleine (9) acts and works as the group promoter!

What I love about the story is the detail about every aspect of the theater — from converting an abandoned church into an actual theater to writing the pieces to performing them. The children do everything themselves — they create the costumes, they build the sets from abandoned materials, they write the plays and the music and act in them. They learn new skills and use them to create something where nothing had been before. They even make use of one of their mother’s “hair” — the ringlets she cut off and saved ages ago. They also make mistakes and while the story in the book does not revolve around these mistakes, they do lend an air of credibility to the story. Not everything goes perfectly all of the time! I also learned a lot about life in Britain in the 40s: an introduction provides currency translations (12 pence to the shilling; 20 shillings to the pound; 21 shillings to a guinea) and distinct art forms like the English pantomime are introduced. Each performance they give is described in great detail as well — the music, the drama, and the comedy.

This is the first volume of five and I’m happy to find that the publisher intends to release them all. Great for fans of Noel Streitfeld.

Vintage kids’ books are one of my favourite things to read in winter, and I was completely tempted by the beautiful new cover of The Swish of the Curtain, which was originally published in 1941. It’s absolutely delightful and I’m really glad that a new generation gets to discover it!

This will probably be quite a short review, because the thing about this book is that it’s the acting equivalent of Ballet Shoes. If you like that style of warm, cozy children’s fiction, then you will love this. Ballet Shoes is one of my favourites, so it really wasn’t surprising that this was a hit for me! There’s a sort of feel to early 20th century children’s books that is so appealing to me – the kids are innocent, plucky, innovative and creative, and they feel so much more intelligent and capable than a lot of children’s protagonists are today.

The Swish of the Curtain follows seven friends as they set up a successful amateur theatre company in their town – they have a determination and drive that is wonderful to read about. Seven feels like a lot of children to keep track of, but they are all really well-defined, and they become like familiar old friends very quickly. Their parents are only really loosely involved in their lives, and they have a guardian angel in the form of the local bishop, whose scenes were a delight. Obviously it is quite old-fashioned (I laughed at the explanation of ‘old money’ in the front of the book), but it’s that kind of lovely, rose-tinted middle-class interwar England that is just delightful to read about. I’m surprised this hasn’t been more recently adapted for TV, as it would make a lovely Sunday teatime show.

As someone who’s done quite a lot of amateur dramatics, I loved seeing the way the children used their various talents – they weren’t all just great actors! I recognised a lot of the fun of the backstage preparations for a show (I was very amused by Sandra’s stage manager role and her insistence on keeping everything tidy backstage). I don’t think you need to be an actor to love this book, but it added a lot of joy for me. I’m keen to read the continuation of the story in the sequels, and will definitely be buying a hard copy of this to reread when I need something comforting. Five out of five cats!

Pamela Brown was fourteen when she wrote this, her first novel, although it wasn’t published until 1941, when she was a venerable sixteen. It was the first of a series and became a beloved children’s classic, cited as a favourite by Maggie Smith and Eileen Atkins among others. And it’s no accident that it appeals particularly to actors, because the Blue Door series follows the fortunes of a very special theatre company, set up by a particularly ambitious and determined group of children. It all begins when a new family moves into the Corner House in Fenchester. Across the road, two sets of siblings keep a watchful eye out: Sandra Fayne and her little sister Maddy from one side of the fence; Lyn Darwin and her brother Jeremy from the other. Soon it transpires that there are no fewer than three new children at the Corner House. The stage is set – literally – for a wonderful summer adventure that promises to become something much, much bigger.


The four Fenchester natives take the new arrivals under their wing. Before long Nigel, Vicky and Percy (known as Bulldog) are swooping around on their bicycles with the Faynes and the Darwins, climbing the cliffs, eating ice-cream, exploring the town and making grand plans for the future. But even adventures wear thin after a while, and the children are left wondering what to do with themselves. When they stumble across an disused chapel with a blue door in a Fenchester street, an idea occurs to them. Why not transform it into a theatre and put on a play? Each of them is theatrically gifted in some way: Sandra with her gift for whipping up costumes; Lyn’s acting; Vicky’s dancing; Bulldog’s clowning; and so forth. It’s a stroke of genius. As they begin to put together a programme for a variety show, to raise money for the local church, they suddenly begin to realise that maybe those grand plans for the future aren’t so impossible after all. When the Blue Door Theatre Company finds a patron in the Bishop of Fenchester himself, the children dare to hope. What if their dream of life on the stage really could come true?

This is a warm, cosy, thoroughly vintage story of self-discovery and a fight against the odds – to prove to disapproving parents that ‘the stage’ can be something magical and wonderful. One has to suspend disbelief to some extent, as the children manage to do up the chapel with their own hands, tackling electrical circuits, roofing tiles, painting and decorating with equal facility (the curriculum was obviously more rounded in those days). Of course, they also write their own material. But that’s the point of these classic stories, isn’t it? Adults, even the kindliest ones like the Bishop, stay at arm’s length. The children are the driving force of the plot, their passion and talent bringing their wonderful dream to life. If only all grown-ups could share the Bishop’s insight and see what a rosy future the Blue Door Theatre Company has! But unfortunately the children have to win over their parents – who have their eyes set on conventional, non-scandalous professions – not to mention their nemesis, the domineering Mrs Potter-Smith.

I can imagine that these stories would still turn young heads nowadays, especially if readers already have a passion for acting or performing. It’s hard to judge a suitable age bracket: I suppose from eight to thirteen might be about right. The fact that Brown wrote this at fourteen is just incredible: sure, there are moments of naivete, but no more so than in works written for children by grown-ups. I have review copies of the next two books all lined up, so I’m looking forward to seeing how the children cope as their destinies pull them apart – some to stage school in London, others remaining behind in Fenchester – and what the future holds for the Blue Door and all who sail in her.

For the review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2019/02/09/the-swish-of-the-curtain-pamela-brown/

"The classic story of seven children with a longing to be on stage: the inspiration for actors from Maggie Smith to Eileen Atkins.

In the town of Fenchester, seven resourceful children are yearning to be famous. One day, they come across a disused chapel, and an idea is formed. With a lick of paint and the addition of a beautiful curtain (which, however much they try, won't "swish" as stage curtains ought), the chapel becomes a theatre - and The Blue Door Theatre Company is formed.

The children go from strength to strength, writing, directing and acting in their own plays. But their schooldays are numbered, and their parents want them to pack it in and train for sensible jobs. It seems that The Blue Door Theatre Company will have to go the way of all childhood dreams. But with a bit of luck, and the help of some influential friends, perhaps this is not the end, but only the beginning of their adventures in show business..."

It's like Noel Streatfeild meets the origin stories of famous Dames!

If you loved Theatre Shoes and Ballet Shoes and all those other lovely Noel Streatfeild books, you should definitely pick up The Swish of the Curtain, first in a series of books about a group of kids who start their own theatre company in the English town where they live. Originally published in the 1940s and written by Pamela Brown (who was an actor herself), this book is a delightful trip back in time. Three families of children get together to put on a play one summer and end up completely falling in love with acting, borrowing an empty building from the town to be their theatre and competing to win scholarships to a competitive acting school in London. It's definitely old-fashioned but in all my favorite ways.

Magical. Perfect for lovers of Noel Streatfeild, fairytales, the theatre, and kids of all ages! I'm just said it never crossed my path when I was a child.