Event Review: Kate Mosse – Unlocking the Secrets of the Labyrinth
A brilliant one-woman stage show weaving narrative and history
Norwell Lapley Productions
BEAM Theatre, Hertford, March 9, 2025
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of her multi-million international bestselling novel Labyrinth, Kate Mosse will launch a one-woman theatre tour… Kate will share the secrets behind the writing, offer unique and personal insights into the real true history of the Cathars and lay bare the arcane mysteries that inspired this most timeless and beloved of stories.
A one-woman stage show is first for me in the realm of book events. I’m used to author panels at conventions, or interviews in a bookshop, so to see Kate Mosse go the extra mile with an actual show to talk about her phenomenal historical fiction book Labyrinthwas going to be a draw.
Confession: I’ve actually only read the opening three chapters of the book as of writing. My plan to read Labyrinth was scuppered due to edits and beta-reading, but thankfully there were few, if any spoilers.
In this dazzling extravaganza, the audience learns of the historical context of Carcassonne and the wider Occitania region of what is now southern France; and the crusades which shaped its past; and crucially, the backdrop for Labyrinth, interspersed with personal anecdotes and inspiration behind the writing and ordering the sweeping narrative.
There are those who know their subject matter, and those who live and breathe it; and Mosse falls in the latter.
If you’re a fan of the books, the stage show is a no-brainer; especially as Mosse offers to sign your book after the show and ends. What’s not to like?
This review originally appeared in Dispatch Edition #5.
The Dispatch is a monthly roundup by British speculative fiction writer, Jordan Acosta. News, short reviews and more, published every first Thursday. You can subscribe at jordanacosta.co, and read previous editions, here.
