To put this review in perspective: I received an ARC of this book, and it is my practice to read the entire ARC out of respect for the author. If that had not been the case, I would have stopped reading well before the mid-point. As it turned out, I'm glad that that's my policy because the 2nd half of the book was really worthwhile.
Yes, the novel's set in the time of Covid, and we will all recognize the restrictions - and dodging of those restrictions - that most of us have experienced. It does help if you're British, or at least know about the form of British theatre known as Pantomime (not to be confused with the whiteface pantomime of Marcel Marceau), as much of the plot and humor centers around Pantomime productions. If you aren't and don't, it's likely that much of the Pantomime-related humor will fall rather flat for you. (side note: Pantomime is hugely popular in London. Some producers had the idea of introducing American audiences to this very successful form of theatre entertainment, and presented a production in California. It pretty much flopped; American audiences just "didn't get it".)
I found the first half of the book boring - a number of different characters that I didn't connect with or care about, circumstances (in terms of the theatrical production) that did not engage or interest me - just pretty much words on a page. Interestingly, the second half of the book started to change that. At that point, the characters became a bit more engaging and somewhat endearing, and my interest grew in the story. By the time I finished the story, I enjoyed it. But it took half the book to get there.
As noted, I did receive an ARC of this book. That affected neither my opinion nor my voluntary review.
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