A screenshot of a webpage from the Historical Novel Society. It shows the front cover of The Players Act 1 novel: a parchment background with a ribbon tumbling down bearing the title: The Players Act 1: All The World's A Stage. Five commedia dell'arte characters in purple are dotted around. Website text reads: The Players – Act 1: All the World’s a Stage Written by Amy Sparkes Review by Keira Morgan Two bands of itinerant players wander the backroads, alehouses and fairs of early Georgian England: one an acting group of four led by a morose manager staving off its imminent demise; the other a trio of aerialists managed by a narcissist, Piero, bent on avenging himself for his inability to love. Three narrators, each with a distinct voice, carry the acts forward: lead actor Thomas, the eternal optimist criticized by the others for his obsession with success, yet haunted by his father’s condemnation of him as a failure; Caroline, the prickly, defensive protector particularly of manager Robert, who swings a cutting wit and sword; and prancing Piero...