Bernard Cornwell takes us into the Elizabethan era and the world of the theatre evolving from a transient company of players touring London and other towns to the birth of permanent theatre, with buildings built solely for this purpose. The popularity of plays with audiences puts pressure for new plays on a continuous basis, leading to a demand for writers to satisfy the demands of growing audiences. At the same time, the chill winds of Puritanism drive a desire to destroy the growing bastion of the theatre and its association with bawdiness, criminal elements, and seen to be a threat to the god fearing and austere section of Protestantism. If the Puritans had their way, players and writers would be purged, and to enforce their views are the Pursuivants, aka the Percies, raiding theatres and pursuing Catholics and those they deem 'criminal' with the power to hang people. However, the aristocracy and royalty are equally determined to support and sponsor this source of popular entertainment.

Cornwell has clearly done his research of this historical period and his love of theatre shines brightly throughout. He does take some liberties as he blends a mix of fact and fiction as he delivers a thrilling historical take on the drama and details of the process of putting on plays with the Lord Chamberlain Men, for whom William Shakespeare writes and Richard, his brother, is a lowly but ambitious player. The two brothers are estranged, with William unwilling to help Richard. It is 1595 and Richard is a gifted thief, a skill honed by his three years of misery with Sir Godfrey Cullen, a church minister and predator that preys on the boys of St Benet's Choir School, for which William was responsible. Richard has had to suffer the indignity of continually playing women but is determined to play men with meatier roles. We are given a picture of his life of poverty, his lodgings, and relationships with the others in the company. There are the insecurites, rivalries, jealousies, betrayal, romance and intrigue as the players rehearse to perform A Midsummer's Night Dream written by William for the wedding of the daughter of the Lord Chamberlain. There are numerous real figures from the period such as the famous Will Kemp, the comic actor, and almost anything that can go wrong does.

Cornwall's love of Shakespeare is transparent in the title of this novel and the knowledge of the Shakespeare plays permeating the narrative. There is rich period detail of London and the intense and demanding process of what it takes to put on a play, right down to set design and costume. Little is known of the actual Richard Shakespeare, leaving Cornwell free to breathe life into him as the protagonist, a gifted player struggling to survive, embarking on adventure and romance, and facing grave dangers. You can't help but get engaged with his travails, character and life. Cornwell does a wonderful job in making the Elizabethan world of London, Shakespeare, and theatre come vibrantly alive. A fantastic piece of compelling historical fiction which I highly recommend. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.

Fools and Mortals is a change of pace from a standard Bernard Cornwell novel. Gone are the battles, the soldiers, the blood and the guts. Instead we are given a homage to Cornwell's love of the theatre. The book starts slowly, and takes its time to build. Initially I felt it was weak, and a loss of form from a man who is probably our greatest historical fiction author.

However after a while, boy does it pick up. The story is set around the first performance of A Midsummers Nights Dream. The main character, Shakespeare's little known younger brother Richard, is compelling, and the supporting cast, including The Bard himself, carry the story brilliantly. We even have great villains (which in perfect Cornwell fashion, are religious nuts). The plot is simple, but it steams ahead in such a manner that the book flies by.

The closing stages of the book, the staging of the play itself, are just magical. Beautifully written by a man who clearly loves the theatre and Shakespeare, we're drawn into the performance, as enchanted and spellbound as those who first saw in in the 1590s. A brilliant book, truly brilliant.