'I wanted to act before I read this book, and afterwards there was no stopping me' Maggie Smith

'An enchanting book. A must for any child who wants to become an actor' Eileen Atkins

In the quiet town of Fenchester, seven children dream of the stage. There is Lyn the actress, Vicky the dancer, Jeremy the musician, Nigel the artist, Sandra the designer, Bulldog the comic and of course Maddy - who is too young to know her role just yet, but busts with enthusiasm.

When they discover an abandoned chapel, a glorious plan is hatched. Together they will transform the dingy space into a theatre of their very own - writing, directing and performing plays to amaze the whole town. But with parents insisting on sensible futures and the end of their schooldays looming, can the show go on?

Part of the new Pushkin Children's Classics series of thrilling, magical and inspiring stories from around the world, which young readers will return to time and again.

Pamela Brown (1924-1989) was a British writer, actor and television producer. She was just fourteen when she started writing her first book, and the town of Fenchester in the book is inspired by her home town of Colchester. During the Second World War, she went to line in Wales, so The Swish of the Curtain was no published until 1941, when she was sixteen. She used the earnings from the books to train at RADA, and became an actor and a producer of children's television programmes.

'I wanted to act before I read this book, and afterwards there was no stopping me' Maggie Smith

'An enchanting book. A must for any child who wants to become an actor' Eileen Atkins

In the quiet town of Fenchester, seven children dream of the stage. There is Lyn the actress, Vicky the dancer, Jeremy the musician, Nigel the artist, Sandra the designer, Bulldog the comic and of course Maddy - who is too young to know her role just yet, but busts with enthusiasm.

When they discover an abandoned chapel, a glorious plan is hatched. Together they will transform the dingy space into a theatre of their very own - writing, directing and performing plays to amaze the whole town. But with parents insisting on sensible futures and the end of their schooldays looming, can the show go on?

Part of the new Pushkin Children's Classics series of thrilling, magical and inspiring stories from around the world, which young readers will return to time and again.

Pamela Brown (1924-1989) was a British writer, actor and television producer. She was just fourteen when she started writing her first book, and the town of Fenchester in the book is inspired by her home town of Colchester. During the Second World War, she went to line in Wales, so The Swish of the Curtain was no published until 1941, when she was sixteen. She used the earnings from the books to train at RADA, and became an actor and a producer of children's television programmes.