I have very happy memories of being involved in school musicals*. I was only ever a chorus member. I didn’t have the voice or the acting skills to warrant a role but nor did I want one – I simply wanted to be part of the excitement. The weekend rehearsals, the energy, the stage makeup, the opening-night nerves… it was all such fun.

School musicals provide the setting for Allee Richards’ coming-of-age novel, A Light in the Dark. We meet Iris, who earns a scholarship to a private school, where she is exposed to a level of wealth and privilege previously unfamiliar to her. She struggles to find her tribe until the drama teacher introduces her to the world of musicals. From there, Iris’s school year revolves around the musical – when she’s not rehearsing or performing, her time feels empty. Continue reading →