My thanks to Netgalley and Random House for a copy of “ Break A Leg” for an honest review .
Unfortunately this was only an ok read for me.. The write up sounded interesting but I just couldn’t connect with the book and it didn’t really hold my attention.,
I’m sure if someone has a better knowledge of am dram than me it would be perfect for them.

I really couldn't get along with this book at all.

I just found the structure to be all over the place. I don't think it quite knew what it was. Was it a memoir? Was it a non-fiction about theatre?
It tried to be too many things, and it didn't execute any of them very well.

I really didn't enjoy this.

This book purports to be a history and celebration of amateur theatre, and while to an extent it does achieve this, it is interspersed with the author's family history in theatre and her observations while writing it. So if you are expecting an academic review of theatre from its roots to today, you may be disappointed.

The author's style is very colloquial and not all all detached - describing someone as a 'dickhead' isn't really accepted literary practice, even if they are.

However, it does provide an interesting insight into the world of amateur theatre, comparing it to 'professional' and offering a sympathetic and supportive insight to this valuable element of our culture.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK, Vintage Publishing and Chatto & Windus for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.