Peg Woffington

In the dim glow of a single candle, a penniless playwright named Triplet wrestles with poverty, sleepless nights, and the chaotic ambitions of his actress wife. Set against the smoky back‑streets of mid‑century London, the opening plunges us into cramped rooms, unpaid bills, and the frantic scribbling of a man who believes his next drama might finally catch the public’s eye. Reade’s narrator, with a wink to the legendary Margaret Woffington, sketches a world where stagecraft and survival clash, and where even a humble sausage on the fire can trigger a cascade of desperate ideas.

When a crisp invitation from Covent Garden arrives, Triplet sees a flicker of hope beyond his shabby flat. The novel follows his scramble to turn raw observations into a play that might earn him a place among the theatre’s bustling crowd of actors, patrons, and schemers. With sharp humor, vivid period details, and a keen eye for the theatrical life of the 1850s, the story offers listeners a lively portrait of ambition, love, and the fragile glory of the stage.