Deadly Performance: A World War II Mystery (Deadly Series)
Historical Cozy Mystery
12th in Series
Setting -West End of London, Summer, 1941
Publisher ‏ : ‎ JDP Press (December 9, 2024)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 301 pages

Synopsis

Behind the spotlights and glamour lurk secrets and murder.

Amid the grim realities of wartime Britain, inside during the blackout hidden from the tatters left by the Blitz, glitz and glamour live onstage in the West End. But at one theater, The Regent, a malevolent force is causing escalating problems. Sabotage, damage and injury feed mistrust among the cast and crew.

Then during opening night, the hated director drops dead from poison, and Olivia Redmond’s colorful, kindly editor is arrested for murder. Determined to investigate, Olivia finds secrets piling up among the bodies. But which secret leads to a crafty killer who won’t hesitate to remove anyone in their way, including Olivia.

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Guest Post

Theater

The theater during World War II in Britain was as heavily regulated as everything else in the country. Britain is an island nation that has to import most goods. During the war, when the country was standing alone against Hitler and the Third Reich, everything that was imported or manufactured or grown in Britain had to be put to the best usage for the war effort. And since the U-boats were sinking a large percentage of the imported goods to the bottom of the Atlantic, it became more important than ever.

1. Shows had to be put on using the least amount of new fabric, wood, paint and other goods. Clothing was rationed, and it was hard to get any extra coupons for clothing or fabric for costumes that couldn’t be worn out on the street. Wood and furniture used for stage sets had to be reused over and over. The slogan about “reuse and make do” was never so true as in the theaters. These supplies weren’t needed for BBC radio productions or movies which were made in the still neutral U.S.A.
2. Plays were censored by both the Lord Chamberlain’s office in their traditional role of censoring all plays performed on the stage and by the MOD (Ministry of Defense) in World War I and World War II. Censorship was used to protect military secrets, to guard against obscenity, and to promote patriotism and optimism. While plays were the traditional focus of censorship, during World War II, variety shows were also censored to make sure they were promoting patriotism and uplifting the spirits of the public.
3. Variety shows were very popular during World War II. They consisted of many small acts and traveled from theater to theater around the country. The individual acts were responsible for their costumes and props, and there was little in the way of stage sets required, which cut down on the material that needed to be found or remade for a new play. Each show consisted of comedians, female dancers, an orchestra, and specialty acts such as gymnastic routines. It fell to the comedians and the orchestra to provide patriotic music and making Hitler the butt of jokes. Uplifting spirits was done by the female dancers, as the majority of the audience was male, and by the tunes played by the orchestra.
4. The plays chosen to be performed in theaters all over Britain fell into one of two groups: Shakespeare, or comedies including musical comedies. Starting times for both plays and variety shows were chosen so the performance would end in enough time that the audience could get home before the blackout. Comedies were chosen to be uplifting, for who doesn’t need a laugh or a song in the midst of tough times. Shakespeare was the one exception to the comedy rule, since the audience could recite the dialog along with the actors. This familiarity, as well as the pride people had in their most famous playwright, made his plays box-office winners.
5. Operas and concerts were also performed with the same difficulties, but in much smaller numbers.

Some of the theaters from that time are still in use and are great locations to enjoy now non-censored theater.

Deadly Performance by Kate Parker is the twelfth story in the Deadly Series of historical mysteries. It can be found in e-book and print at all your favorite online retailers.

About the Author

Kate Parker has long wanted to build a time travel machine. However, after several false starts, she gave up and created time travel by going back in time inside her books. Since she’s fond of murder mysteries, it is probably best that all of her travel is inside books or police from various ages would be hunting her. When not recreating old time buildings and fashions, she can be found with a modern computer and modern air conditioning in North Carolina with her daughter and a 115 lb. puppy who could just crash through any time barrier.

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