Carrie Hope Fletcher's new children's book to be released in September

Posted on 14 April 2020

Carrie Hope Fletcher’s highly anticipated retelling of Noel Streatfeild’s Ballet Shoes is scheduled to be released on 17 September 2020. The new children’s book will mark Fletcher’s sixth major publication to date following the success of last year’s In the Time We Lost: The Most Spellbinding Love Story You'll Read This Year.

The 27-year-old Sunday Times bestselling author – who is now one of the biggest names in the West End today and is set to star in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s upcoming Cinderella musical at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in London this autumn – recently revealed the title for her new novel. And no, it’s not Ballet Shoes.

Carrie Hope Fletcher reveals title of her new children’s novel

Last month, actress, writer, and vlogger Carrie Hope Fletcher revealed in a video on her YouTube channel that the title of her new book based on Noel Streatfeild’s 1936 children’s novel Ballet Shoes would be Into the Spotlight. Fletcher’s new novel is to be published by Puffin Books and is already available for pre-order. 

The young actress admitted she was told to be cagey on the details when it came to her new book, Into the Spotlight, but now the cat is out of the bag! Following the exciting reveal, she explained her reasoning behind the new title: 

So many of Noel Streatfeild’s books were 'Ballet Shoes', 'Circus Shoes', 'Tennis Shoes', even 'Theatre Shoes'. So I felt it was right to sort of move away from that because that’s Noel Streatfeild’s classic... thing. That’s HER thing. So I didn’t feel it was right to tread on the toes of 'Ballet Shoes' and name my book ‘Something Shoes’, especially because 'Theatre Shoes' still exists. So, after long chats with the Puffin Team, we have settled on 'Into The Spotlight', which I just think is the most perfect title.

📺 Be sure to catch the full video reveal to hear Carrie Hope Fletcher read an excerpt from her new title, Into the Spotlight, which is now available for pre-order with Foyles here.


Spotlight on Carrie Hope Fletcher's career

Now one of the most prominent performers in London's West End, former Heathers The Musical actress and Les Miserables regular Carrie Hope Fletcher is a triple threat in the entertainment industry. Not only has she delved into musical theatre and acting but has also made a name for herself as a recording artist and established author.

They say, 'If the shoe fits, wear it' and after winning multiple awards for Best Actress over the years, there seems to be no better candidate to don the famed glass slipper this autumn than Carrie Hope Fletcher. But what else has this captivating young star accomplished before being announced to headline the new Cinderella? Here's a nice little roundup:

Carrie Hope Fletcher made her first big break in the biz when she appeared in a short ident on Channel 4 and starred opposite Kelsey Grammer (Man of La Mancha, Frasier, X-Men) in an advert for the cereal brand Honey Nut Cheerios. After later appearing in a number of minor TV roles, including the role of Jenny on CITV's Dog and Duck, Fletcher caught the eye of West End theatre producers who cast her as Young Eponine in Les Miserables (2001). The role marked her first big break in London theatre at just nine years old and she would go on to star as Adult Eponine and Fantine later in her career.

Following a successful West End debut, Carrie Hope Fletcher's stage career really began to take off, and she has since appeared in such major West End productions as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (role: Jemima Potts, 2002, London Palladium; role: Truly Scrumptious, 2016, UK tour), Mary Poppins (role: Jane Banks, 2004, Prince Edward Theatre), A Christmas Carol (role: Emily, 2016, UK), and The Addams Family (role: Wednesday Adams, 2017, UK tour).

Fletcher once again rose to prominence in the West End when she was cast as Veronica Sawyer in the Other Palace production of Heathers (2018), which ended up transferring to the Theatre Royal Haymarket due to overwhelming ticket demand.

As a recording artist, Carrie Hope Fletcher released her first solo album When the Curtain Falls, which peaked at 49 on the UK charts. She also has two West End original cast recordings under her belt: the OCRs for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Heathers. Fletcher also frequently uploads cover songs on her YouTube channel with her most successful music video to date being her cover of McFly's "Love is on the Radio" (Hopeful Live Mix), which she performed with her brother Tom Fletcher and which now has over 1.5 million views.

As for Fletcher's writing career, the actress released her first book based on her blog entitled All I Know Now: Wonderings and Reflections on Growing Up. The 2015 non-fiction novel was an autobiography on Fletcher's life as a teenager and quickly shot to #1 on the Sunday Times bestseller list upon its release, remaining in the top 10 for seven whole weeks. She followed on her success with the release of four fiction novels, including On The Other Side (2015), All That She Can See (2017), When The Curtain Falls (2018), and, most recently, In the Time We Lost (2019).

Tickets for Carrie Hope Fletcher in Cinderella on sale now from £24!

You don't want to miss the incredibly talented Carrie Hope Fletcher grace the Gillian Lynne Theatre stage this October as Cinderella! The fabulous star will be joined by the newly announced Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (Death of a Salesman, The View UpStairs) as Cinderella's Evil Stepmother. Andrew Lloyd Webber's new take on the fairytale classic is set to be a highlight this Halloween after the West End is fully back up and running, and you'll want to be part of the magic! Your fairy godmother is begging you to bibbidi-bobbidi-book your tickets now to secure the best seats at low prices whilst stocks last!

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Nicholas Ephram Ryan Daniels

By Nicholas Ephram Ryan Daniels

Ephram is a jack of all trades and enjoys attending theatre, classical music concerts and the opera.