Maskerade is the eighteenth novel in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. The witches Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg visit the Ankh-Morpork Opera House to find Agnes Nitt, a girl from Lancre, and get caught up in a story similar to The Phantom of the Opera.
Plot summary
The story begins when Agnes Nitt leaves Lancre to begin her career at the Opera House. The Witches leave to obtain the money owed to Nanny Ogg by the publisher of her books, as well as to meddle and bring Agnes Nitt home.
Agnes Nitt is being used as a backup voice, giving Christine the spotlight. However, during this time the Opera House is being haunted by a ghost. With the money rightfully coerced out of the publisher Granny Weatherwax pretends to be a rich patron to catch the Opera Ghost. Near the end of the novel a member of the Cable Street Particulars, along with the Witches determine that the finances of the Opera House are deliberately a total mess to disguise the money-laundering going on, and the murders and 'accidents' were caused to distract the manager from investigating the matter properly.
It is revealed that there were two people pretending to be the ghost, the original Ghost was the janitor's son who wished to watch the Opera, while the second Ghost did it to steal the money.
Portrayal
A significant character in the book is Walter Plinge, the Opera House's clumsy and not-too-bright odd-job man. He is, quite possibly, really the suave "Opera Ghost", but is described in terms reminiscent of Frank Spencer, the lead character of the BBC sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. The joke is that this character was played by Michael Crawford, who went on to play the Phantom in the Andrew Lloyd-Webber musical.
The title is a pun on Masquerade, a key song in the musical.
Translations
- Masker (Swedish)