The Playmaker

Series. RGG: Mystery. Good references to the Lord Chamberlain's Men, the experience of acting, Shakespeare's plays, spying and treason, and punishment for treason.

Fourteen-year-old Richard Malory has come to London as a last resort. After the death of his mother his only choice is to seek the father who left them so many years ago. But his inquiries in the city involve Richard in a series of intrigues that leave him fearing for his life.

In an attempt to disappear, Richard apprentices as an actor - ironically the one place no one would think to look for him despite his high visibility. Now Richard must balance the demands of his new life, new friendships, and his desire to unravel the treasonous plot that is playing out all around him.

This novel was an interesting twist on the usual Shakespearean theater stories. The main character has potential in the acting field, but he has both moral objections and very real limitations that keep him from fulfilling it. And because of the focus of the protagonist on finding out what happened to his father and unmasking a plot, the theater aspects, while interesting and consuming, are more secondary. The plays are used as a means of exploring Richard's emotions.

This wasn't at all what I had expected, but I found it quite engaging and even riveting at times. This is a definite young adult novel - the focus is on Richard coming into his own and coming to terms with his father's desertion - but it appealed to me. Richard makes mistakes and flies into rages, but he remains a likeable character dedicated to what is right. A good story where the growth of the main character isn't shoved down your throat. ( )