Teodora’s Book Reviews: “The Secret Hen House Theatre” by Helen Peters

If you are really good at acting and don’t mind living in a farm with lots of animals and mud, then this book is perfect for you!
Hannah Roberts is the main character of this story. She lives in a farm with her father, her two sisters, Martha and Joanne (or Jo, for short), and her brother, Sam. Hannah’s mother died a long time ago. Mr. Roberts’s life isn’t that easy. He has to take care of his children, his animals and he also has to pay his rents.
Hannah loves acting. She writes plays and after that, she and her best friend, Charlotte Perfect (or Lottie, for short), play their roles. They have so much fun! One day, Hannah and Lottie find out about a youth drama competition. The prize is five hundred pounds. Hannah thinks of her poor dad and all his rents he has to pay. She decides to enter the competition, give her best and win the prize for her dad!
After a few adventures, it is time to announce the winner of the youth drama competition! The judge who sees Hannah’s play is impressed! Everyone keeps saying that Hannah really has an unusual talent in writing plays and acting them. And the judge is also saying that it is very surprising that five kids (Hannah, Lottie, Martha, Jo and Sam) managed to take care of the whole hen house theatre! All by themselves! They decorated the theatre, brought the costumes and the make-up... This, of course, makes Hannah very happy! She thinks that there is a pretty big chance on winning this competition! If she won the competition, she would write more plays, act them and hopefully become the best actress ever! (“And finally, I want to say how well organised your whole production was. Your programmes are beautiful, you’ve created a lovely atmosphere in your theatre and you all knew exactly what you were doing. So very well done, all of you.”)
Sadly, I have to say that the youth drama competition winner isn’t Hannah’s play... Miranda Hathaway’s play is declared the best one this year! Miranda Hathaway is Hannah’s enemy. They can’t stand each other, and now, when Hannah hears that Miranda won the competition, she is very sad. (“After a lot of deliberation,” she said, “we did decide on our winner. The Wilmot-Fawcett Shield and a prize of five hundred pounds for the best production in the under-fourteen age range is awarded to...” Hannah’s heart stopped. She sat rigid as stone, gripping Lottie’s hand. “... the Linford Youth Theatre!” The group across the aisle erupted into celebrations. They punched the air, cheered, whooped and hugged each other. (...) So that was it. The cows would be sold to pay the rent, and when the next rent day came round, there would be nothing left to pay it with. And their farm and their home would be demolished.”)
Now, your question, dear reader, might be: “What is going to happen to Hannah’s farm?” Well, one day, Hannah takes a photo of some silver candlesticks, which belonged to her mother, her grandmother and so on. They are very valuable and Hannah thinks that maybe she could sell them and win lots of money. Sadly, a man from an antique shop tells her that these are just ordinary silver candlesticks, no big deal. The thing is that, in the picture made by Hannah, behind the silver candlesticks, there is a Ben Gunn painting. A man called Sebastian Milsom, from Sotheby’s auctioneers (the antique shop), sees the photo and comes to Hannah’s farm. He tells her and Mr. Roberts that this painting can be taken to Sporting Art Sale and be sold. Surprisingly, Hannah’s father agrees with this idea, hoping to win some money. On the 6th of May Hannah finds herself at the auction. The painting is worth thirty to forty thousand pounds! It is a fortune!
When the auction starts and the painting is brought, Hannah gets really excited! (“May I start the bidding at twenty-eight thousand pounds?” said the auctioneer. “Thank you, madam.” The bidder was a woman in a pale-pink dress. “Do I see thirty thousand pounds?” A small man in a navy suit, a striped shirt and a spotty tie raised his paddle a few centimeters and nodded. “Thirty-two?” This time it was a telephone bidder. “Thirty-four?” The man with the spotty tie again. “Thirty-six?” (...) “Thirty-eight?” The woman in the pink dress raised her paddle. “Forty?” The man in the spotty tie. “Forty-two thousand?” It was just the two of them bidding now. “Forty-four thousand?” Time slowed down. “Forty-six thousand?” There was a pause, before the woman in the pink dress slowly raised her paddle. “Forty-eight thousand?” The man in the spotty tie raised his paddle. Hannah felt dizzy. “Fifty thousand?” The woman shook her head and put her paddle in her lap. (...) “Sold, for forty-eight thousand pounds.”)
Everyone from Hannah’s family is now happy, especially her father! He manages to pay up a lot of rents, all thanks to her daughter! If Hannah hadn’t shown the picture with the Ben Gunn painting, Dad couldn’t have paid his rents...
The story has a happy ending. Hannah continues writing plays. Even though she didn’t win the youth drama competition, Hannah didn’t give up and kept believing in her dreams... just like her mother would...
I liked the whole story, except for this part (when Hannah finds her theatre into a complete disaster): “Lottie pushed past the chairs into the theatre. And froze. Hannah stood absolutely rigid. She couldn’t move and she couldn’t speak. Her eyes huge with horror, she stood and stared at the scene before her. At the crimson curtains, slashed to ribbons. At the wooden panelling, scrawled all over with neon spray paint. At the eyeshadows, blushers, nail varnish and lipsticks, smashed to pieces on the floor. At the Persian carpet, smeared and splattered with stamped-on make-up. At the perfume bottles from the queen’s dressing table, lying in shattered shards of glass all over the carpet. (...) Hannah raised her head and looked. Scrawled on the mirror in blood-red lipstick were the words: GOT YOU BACK, YOU COW.” When I read this part, I felt very sad. I thought that every last hope was ruined... all because of some stupid boys, Danny and Jack! Surprisingly, Hannah, Lottie and the others don’t lose their hopes and repair all the damage made, just in time for the judge’s arrival, to see the play!
I liked this book, because the story is breath-taking, funny and very nice written. I’ve read the story after I’ve seen a play, too! I think I want to be an actress, too! But I need a lot of talent and no stage fright... I guess I have to believe in my dreams, like Hannah, and maybe my wish could become true! I mean, technically, this is what you learn from the book: believing in yourself and your dreams! :)
I give five stars for the story... and for Hannah’s beautiful play, “By Her Majesty’s Appointment”! :)