A delightful comedy of errors in two halves which dovetail together beautifully. We have a fading Hollywood diva, at 29 fearing her superstardom is slipping and so tired of her life. She takes a lowly-paid part as Rosalind in As You Like It on a small London stage. Contrasting the life of a pampered American film star with that of a poor stage actress is done with much humour and insight. The twists and misunderstandings are charming in a most enjoyable romp where all’s well that ends well. I loved it.
Paige Carson - starlet, diva, mess. The daughter of an 80s soap star and a rock god, it's no wonder Paige has no idea what 'normal' means. And Hollywood life isn't helping. She's sick of working with her latest co-star, a boorish Aussie heartthrob, sick of being told she's over-the-hill at 29, and sick of dates that are nothing more than PR stunts. So when she's offered a Shakespearean role on the London stage, it seems the perfect chance to get away from it all, gain some artistic cachet and catch up with her best friend who quit the States and the music business for a new life as lady of the manor with her British husband. But Paige is in for a surprise. London is damper, dirtier and far more carb-heavy than the life she's accustomed to. As opening night looms, Paige must learn not only how to ditch her Dick Van Dyke attempt at a Brit accent, but how to stand on her own two feet for the first time. And though she may not have her therapist on speed-dial, on her way she'll find real friends and maybe love, too.
Robyn Sisman was born in Los Angeles, but lived in Illinois, Geneva, Oxford, and Munich as a child. She worked as an au pair, an English teacher in Ethiopia and then finally as a secretary in publishing - from where she worked her up to a glittering career - before changing it all and becoming a mother and bestselling novelist. Married to the biographer, Adam Sisman, Robyn lives in Bath. She died in May 2016.