It’s opening night. The stage is set, the houselights have dimmed and the handsome male lead is waiting. This is Sophie’s time. It’s her chance to prove herself as so much more than just the understudy.
Sophie has worked so hard and would have done almost anything to get here. But not what they are accusing her of – never that. It’s simply bad luck that Australia’s darling of opera, Margaret Gardiner, has gone missing before the opening night, throwing the spotlight on Sophie just as the whole world is watching history in the making. But the show must go on and it’s all down to Sophie.
Immersed in the underbelly of the theatre world in the gritty streets of Sydney in 1973, The Understudy is a deliciously addictive read that will have you wondering just how dangerous ambition – and love – can be.
In 1973, Julie Bennett and her sister appeared as child extras in the Australian Opera Company’s production of War & Peace, generally accepted as the first opera publicly performed in the Sydney Opera House. It was this experience, along with her father’s role as a cast member for the Australian Opera Company for thirty years, that inspired her debut novel The Understudy.
The novel is set during the opening season of the Sydney Opera House, back when it was still a sparkling new marvel and not the familiar building that has become such a recognisable part of The Harbour City.
On the opening night of Madam Butterfly, Margaret Gardiner disappears forcing her understudy, Sophie, to take her place on stage. What follows is a sumptuous tale of drama and mystery, passion and ambition, all set against a glamorous opera world backdrop. The novel follows dual timelines, first with Sophie in 1973, then dipping back to follow Margaret in 1953, when she herself was a young opera hopeful. Bennett brilliantly weaves both timelines together to create an intriguing page-turner that will keep readers guessing from start to end.
Richly imagined and unputdownable, The Understudy is a compelling story of romance, mystery, power and betrayal that will appeal to fans of Fiona McIntosh and Taylor Jenkins Reid. A fantastic debut from Bennett. Brava!
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