Novel set in the shabby world of British (third-rate) theaters circa 1900. Christopher Tatham tries to survive by going from bit part to bit part, and by his uncle's charity, while hoping for a leading-man role. He meets Peggy Harper, who is in a similar situation. We follow them in their attempts to carve out a life for themselves and to attain fame and success. Leonard Merrick had worked as actor and actor-manager in the theater himself, and used his experiences in this novel (Summary by Anna Simon).
