The Understudy

THE UNDERSTUDY
Julie Bennett
Simon & Schuster

REVIEWED BY FEBY IDRUS
The year is 1973 and the Sydney Opera House is about to launch its first production when its prima donna goes missing.

Her understudy, Sophie Carlton, must suddenly step in to perform the role of a lifetime, while shouldering the gaze of everyone who thinks she is behind the mysterious disappearance.

A juicy premise set in the opera world holds the promise of a guaranteed page-turner, and, as Sophie's 1970s story intertwines with the past of the woman she replaced, suspense builds as we move between the two chronologies. Unfortunately the overall execution is unsubtle and cartoonish.

The female characters are catty and all attempting to sleep their way to the top, and the final reveal of Sophie's motivations feels like a betrayal of our investment in her character.

Moreover, the opera world is depicted as melodramatic and two-faced, a far cry from the supportive community it really is.

Overall, a disappointing read.