The Swish of the Curtain
Encyclopedia
The Swish of the Curtain is a children's novel by Pamela Brown
(1924–1989). It was begun in 1938 when the author was 14 but was not published until 1941. The novel has been reprinted many times and has been adapted for television and radio. It was followed by four sequels.
contest which they have to win in order to be allowed to attend dramatic school to realise their dream of a career in the professional theatre
.
starred in the production as Sandra Fayne.
In 1994, the book was adapted for a radio production, broadcast on the old BBC Radio 5, before it became BBC Radio Five Live. This is regularly repeated in the Young Classics Hour on BBC Radio 7. James Lance
starred in the production as Jeremy Darwin, and Caroline Harker
as Lynette Darwin. Susannah Harker
played a smaller role as actress Felicity Warren. A further dramatisation of Golden Pavements, amalgamating material from Maddy Alone, followed later, featuring the same cast.\\
Pamela Brown (writer)
Pamela Brown was a British writer, actress and television producer.-Literary career:Pamela Brown was just 13 when she started writing her first book, The Swish of the Curtain, in 1938. A year later, when World War II broke out, she left Colchester County High School and went to live in Wales with...
(1924–1989). It was begun in 1938 when the author was 14 but was not published until 1941. The novel has been reprinted many times and has been adapted for television and radio. It was followed by four sequels.
Plot summary
It tells the story of seven young people in three different families who form an amateur theatrical group, the Blue Door Theatre Company. The children write, produce, direct and act in their own plays, each of them harnessing a particular talent. Nigel designs scenery, for example; Jeremy composes music; while Sandra makes costumes. During the course of the book, each of the young people realises a particular ambition. It is "Bulldog", who shines in comic roles, who realises his ambition to create the elusive "swish of the curtain". At the book's climax, the "Blue Doors" enter a dramaDrama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
contest which they have to win in order to be allowed to attend dramatic school to realise their dream of a career in the professional theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
.
The series
Brown wrote four sequels:- Maddy Alone - 1945
- Golden Pavements - 1947
- Blue Door Venture - 1949
- Maddy Again - 1956
Publication
Until recently The Swish of the Curtain was the only one of the "Blue Doors" series to have been republished after the 1970s. However, The Swish of the Curtain (2006), Maddy Alone (2007) and Golden Pavements (2009) have been republished by Longwater Books, suggesting that affordable reprints of the remaining two titles might be available in the future. As the remaining titles have not been published for many years, original copies of the 1940s editions are now quite valuable. Copies of the books are very rare, and very hard to find.The Characters
- Nigel Halford
- Percy Halford ("Bulldog")
- Victoria Jane Halford ("Vicky")
- Jeremy Darwin
- Lynette Darwin ("Lyn")
- Sandra Fayne
- Madeleine Fayne ("Maddy")
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
In 1980, the book was adapted for BBC television. Sarah GreeneSarah Greene
Sarah Greene is a British television personality well known for presenting live TV: long-running series e.g. Blue Peter, from 19 May 1980 until 27 June 1983, Saturday Superstore, Going Live for 10 years and big event/awards shows.- Early life and career :Greene was born in London, England, the...
starred in the production as Sandra Fayne.
In 1994, the book was adapted for a radio production, broadcast on the old BBC Radio 5, before it became BBC Radio Five Live. This is regularly repeated in the Young Classics Hour on BBC Radio 7. James Lance
James Lance
James Lance is a British actor who is best known for his appearances in a number of British comedy series. James Lance attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School...
starred in the production as Jeremy Darwin, and Caroline Harker
Caroline Harker
Caroline Harker is an English stage and television actress, the sister of actress Susannah Harker, and the daughter of actors Polly Adams and Richard Owens...
as Lynette Darwin. Susannah Harker
Susannah Harker
Susannah Harker is an English film, television, and theatre actor. She is the daughter of English actress Polly Adams and actor Richard Owens, and the great-niece of Gordon Adams. She was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award in 1990 for her role as Mattie Storin in House of Cards...
played a smaller role as actress Felicity Warren. A further dramatisation of Golden Pavements, amalgamating material from Maddy Alone, followed later, featuring the same cast.\\