The Position of Peggy Harper

Set in British theatre-land in the very early twentieth century, The Position of Peggy Harper tells of Christopher Tatham's quest as an actor for a secure wage and fame. Tatham lurches from bit part to bit part, always hoping for the longed-for leading-man role, relying on the kindness of relations to keep him housed and clothed. A chance encounter with the enchanting Peggy Harper seems to pre-empt a change of fortune. Will they both attain the success they crave? Toasting engagements with ginger-beer, living hand-to-mouth, Merrick's seedy world makes for grim reading and when Peggy turns out to be as fame-hungry, vain and vacant as she first appears, Christopher's lot looks unlikely to improve. In an age in which fame and celebrity are widely courted and craved, The Position of Peggy Harper still makes for an intriguing and, potentially, cautionary tale.

“"The special thing that Merrick could do, and which no one else seems to have done, is to reproduce the atmosphere of low-class theatrical life: the smell of greasepaint and fish and chips, the sordid rivalries . . . the forlorn collection of press cuttings, the manager who bolts in the middle of the tour with all the takings."”

--George Orwell

Leonard Merrick (1864-1939) was an English novelist. Born Leonard Miller, he worked as an actor and actor-manager under the stage name of Leonard Merrick. He was widely admired by his peers, J. M. Barrie calling him the "novelist's novelist." George Orwell (1903-1950) was an English author, essayist, journalist, and literary critic best known for his novels "1984" and "Animal Farm."

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