It is the late 1950s and the lives of those involved in a new musical destined for London's West End are echoed in its plot..
The invasion of American musicals in London after World War 2 has shown that any story, however unlikely, can be used for source material. A London producer proposes to adapt the Arnold Bennett classic Riceyman Steps .Earlforward is the main charcter and the novel that takes his name tells the story of the production from inception to opening night, showing how such a project brings a kind of permanency to lives that are otherwise uncertain and, in most cases, unsatisfactory.
The relationships of those involved follow the three parts of the novel: auditions, rehearsals and performance, only the first of which is uploaded here. The total length is about 90,000 words