Following on from her successful 2008 dbut, The War Before Mine , Caroline Rosss second novel is set in pre-regeneration Newcastle on Tyne, taking us back to the glory days of community theatre in the 1970s and 1980s. The first-person narrator has a sharp wit, a deliciously whimsical sense of humour, and a feigned cynicism thoroughly befitting a small-time actor whose hopes and ideals, though eroded, are not yet entirely dashed; and Ross convincingly captures all the highs and lows, expectations and disappointments of life both on the boards and in a north-east of England struggling under Thatchers reign.Narrator Ham (who tried to change his name to Huntley at a tender age, but was thwarted by his mother) has seen better days. He even spent a period with the Royal Shakespeare Company, every serious actors dream. But hes been resting for five years now, and taking it very easy for another five before that. With his acting career pretty much dead in the water, Ham is trying his hand at scriptwriting, though thats not going too well either, so hes reduced to living in a bedsit and working in Najib Khans corner shop. Khan is a larger-than-life figure, an Afghan refugee who engages Ham in lengthy discussions on Archimedes, Shakespearean metre, the Greeks definition of different types of love (eros, agape, philia, storia and xenia), and the ancient birth of theatre in Afghanistan. Gradually, a utilitarian relationship becomes one that enhances both mens lives.

In the meantime, Ham has fallen out of love with the present day and spends his time looking back thirty years to the heyday of Alive and Kicking Theatre a vibrant community theatre group that is held together by loyalty and commitment but is eventually torn asunder by jealousy, betrayal and tragedy.In Small Scale Tour , Ross addresses age-old themes whose fascination never wanes. Her characters are heart-rendingly human. And her drama grips until the final curtain falls. Suzy Ceulan Hughes It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgment should be included: A review from www.gwales.com , with the permission of the Welsh Books Council. Gellir defnyddio'r adolygiad hwn at bwrpas hybu, ond gofynnir i chi gynnwys y gydnabyddiaeth ganlynol: Adolygiad oddi ar www.

gwales.com , trwy ganiatd Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru.