Wake up Mr Kean

Wake up Mr Kean 
By Bridget Crowley

Charlie and his mum live in the Cornish town of Penzance. In the yard of a nearby pub is the Old Theatre, dark, deserted and condemned. Charlie meets a man with wild eyes and black curls who speaks menacing words from Shakespeare. He holds Charlie spellbound – then vanishes. Who is he and what does he want? Charlie must save the theatre. It’s where the stranger will rest at last – but will Charlie do it in time or will it be knocked down and lost forever?

This exciting time-slip story is based on the legendary single performance given by Edmund Kean at the Old Theatre in Penzance. Charlie’s adventures take him to face spiteful enemies, the untidy feelings of grown-ups, and cumbersome rules and regulations. But they also take him to new friendships, dramatic events, and hope.

The real life Edmund Kean arrived in Penzance to play Shylock in the Old Theatre, on Wednesday, 13th August, 1828. One of the greatest tragic actors of all time, Kean’s performance of Shylock in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice took London by storm. Overnight, he became the first super-star.

Reading age: 6 - 12 years
Print length: 186 pages
Language: English
Publication date: 2024
Published by Jelly Bean Books, Cardiff