Michael Ball is writing his first novel, set in the world of theatre.

The book, titled The Empire, is the first in what is expected to be a series.

It’s set in a scandalous 1920’s northern theatre, which is a place of dreams.

But behind the footlights there is treachery and a dark secret waiting in the wings.

Speaking about the book, Ball said: “In my opinion, nothing beats the magic of the theatre and, my goodness we’ve missed it! And so I wanted to try and capture that magic on the page, through the fictional lives of a cast of characters whose world revolves around this wonderful theatre, The Empire. Performing and bringing joy to people is what I love more than anything and to think that I might be able to bring that to a different audience is truly exhilarating.

“These novels are going to be a love letter to all the theatres and performers I’ve worked in and with around the world.”

The Empire is set to be released in October.