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{{work}}
The 18th [[Discworld]] novel, and the fourth or fifth in the 'witches' theme. Its purpose within the theme is to bridge ''[[Discworld (Literature)/Lords and Ladies|Lords and Ladies]]'' and ''[[Discworld (Literature)/Carpe Jugulum|Carpe Jugulum]]'', which it does by means of an [[Twice-Told Tale|extended parody]] of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical version of ''[[The Phantom of the Opera]]''.
 
With the loss of Magrat to her royal calling, Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax find themselves with a coven of two. Their eye falls on the expansive Agnes Nitt, who prefers calling herself Perdita X Dream (or, as the women of Lancre say, "that girl who calls herself Perditax"). Agnes, though, has no interest in witches, and wants to be an opera singer. Stealing away to Ankh-Morpork, she soon finds herself (and her amazing voice) as a vocal understudy to the skinnier but much dumber and less melodious Christine.
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* [[Arbitrary Skepticism]]: Throughout the book, Granny criticizes people for ''not'' being this, assuming that she uses magic to {{spoiler|block a sword}} when she may well have had a bit of metal in her palm. As it happens, she ''did'' use magic (though she only used magic to delay it. The sword still hurt her, but not at such a critical time, both practically and for appearances), but that's not the point. Another example is a man assuming she used magic to know it was him at the door (which in fact she had) when she had a window.
* [[Arc Words]]: Granny asking people the question "If your house was on fire, what would you take out?" She finds out that {{spoiler|Walter Plinge}} thinks in an unusual, but not evil, manner when he replies: "{{spoiler|The fire!}}"
* [[Ascended Extra]]: Agnes briefly appeared in ''[[Discworld (Literature)/Lords and Ladies|Lords and Ladies]]'', and goes on to have a prominent role in ''[[Discworld (Literature)/Carpe Jugulum|Carpe Jugulum]]''.
* [[Asymmetric Dilemma]]: Done brilliantly by Nanny Ogg.
{{quote| "Has anyone got an opener for a bottle of beer? ... Has anyone got something to drink a bottle of beer out of? ... Good. Now, has anyone got a bottle of beer?}}
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* [[Bilingual Bonus]]: The swan's line from ''Lohenshaak'''s "Pedlar's Song" translates as "I'm cutting my own throat", which is both a Dibbler reference and an accurate description of what the swan does by singing it.
* [[Brainless Beauty]]: Christine.
* [[Chess Withwith Death]]: As usual Death dislikes the traditional game, so Granny challenges him to a hand of poker instead for a boy's life. She wins, though it's implied that Death let her, because he's ''on our side''. She also fixes his arm bones for him with chiropractic.
** Although there is also the implication that he was simply scared of her. {{spoiler|She admits that, if she had lost, the first thing she would have done would be to [[Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?|break his arm]].}}
** There's also the fact that {{spoiler|he says that his hand was a pair of "ones." As in aces.}}
* [[Contest Winner Cameo]]: Collette.
* [[Continuity Nod]]: Obscure, but Mr. Bucket's remark about "a dreadful bend in the road" might be referring to Dead Man's Curve, where Susan's parents and {{spoiler|Mr. Clete}} were killed in road accidents in ''[[Discworld (Literature)/Soul Music|Soul Music]]''.
** Also, several to ''[[Discworld (Literature)/Lords and Ladies|Lords and Ladies]]'', such as the brief mention of a new Carter son named after a vice, Deviousness Carter.
* [[Born in Thethe Wrong Century]]: It's said that Agnes was born 20 years to late, back when your voice mattered more than your looks and everyone had a build like her, were every one of the greats had names that were puns for how fat they were.
* [[Contrived Coincidence]]: Played for laughs when someone's long-lost love shows up at the very end, with no real impact on the plot. Hey, that's how opera works.
* [[Corpsing]]: A blink-and-you'll-miss-it subversion towards the end, when {{spoiler|Andre, the Cable Street Particular who'd been investigating the goings-on at the opera house, mentions that Salzella's cooling body needs to be dealt with}}.
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* [[Flynning]]: Shown and mentioned between the two ghosts, until it becomes deadly real.
** Except, in true Discworld fashion, they're ''still just Flynning''.
* [[Fun Withwith Foreign Languages]]: The Italian... Er, Brindisian aria in the opera is about [[Train Station Goodbye|how hard it is for the heroine to leave her beloved]]. In fact, it quite literally is:
{{quote| "This damn door sticks, this damn door sticks<br />
it sticks no matter what the hell I do<br />
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* [[Good Is Not Dumb]]: Agnes.
* [[Head-Tiltingly Kinky]]: The Joy of Snackes.
* [[Humanity Ensues]]: The human-form Greebo the cat from ''[[Discworld (Literature)/Witches Abroad|Witches Abroad]]'' reappears, pressed into service as Granny's fake paramour and bodyguard.
* [[Hurricane of Puns]]: In the grand tradition of [[Discworld (Literature)/Moving Pictures|Moving Pictures]] and [[Discworld (Literature)/Soul Music|Soul Music]], {{spoiler|Walter's}} opera titles are all puns on popular musicals.
* [[Hypocritical Humor]]: The villain gives a long [[Final Speech]] about how ridiculous opera conventions like the long [[Final Speech]] are. This comes not long after he claims to be the [[Only Sane Man]], using multiple exclamation marks (a sure sign of madness).
* [[I Just Want to Be Normal]]: Agnes
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* [[Motive Rant]]
* [[Mugging the Monster]]: Subverted; Granny and Mrs. Plinge are threatened by some muggers, but before Granny can open up a can of whup-ass on them, the Ghost does it for her.
* [[Not Listening to Me, Are You?]]
* [[Obfuscating Stupidity]]: Commander Vimes does this off-screen. He sends Detritus and Corporal Nobb to act as "undercover officers" in the last act of the book. The attention on them leaves the ''real'' undercover officer, {{spoiler|André}}, free to get on with things.
* [[Only Sane Man]]: Agnes seems to be the only one thinking sensibly about things at the opera house, which only helps her feel alienated at first.
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* [[Pimped-Out Dress]]: One specially made for the dowager duchess of Quirm, that fits Granny perfectly.
* [[Self-Made Man]]: Mr Bucket is described as 'a self-made man who is proud of his handiwork.'
* [[Shout-Out]]: "Walter Plinge" is a real-life pseudonym used by actors who don't want to be associated with early minor parts (similar to "A.N. Other") and the character's description clearly evokes Frank Spencer from ''[[Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em]]'' (Michael Crawford, the first actor who played the musical version's Phantom, was once best known for that role).
** The troll name for Granny Weatherwax ("She Who Must Be Avoided") is a reference to the [[H. Rider Haggard]] novel ''[[She (Literature)|She]]'' and the eponymous character "She Who Must Be Obeyed".
** Granny [[Predator|ain't got time to bleed]], or at least, not until later.
** Also, all the opera names. ''La Triviata'' for ''[[La Traviata]]'', ''The Ring of the Nibelungingung'' for ''[[Richard Wagner|The Ring of the Nibelung]]'', ''Il Truccatore'' for ''Il Trovatore'' and so on.
** Later, {{spoiler|Walter}} invents the modern musical and Nanny sees some of his ideas, such as [[Andrew Lloyd Webber|an opera about cats]], ''[[Les Misérables|Miserable Les]]'' and ''[[Seven Brides for Seven Brothers|Seven Dwarfs For Seven Other Dwarfs]]''.
* [[This Is My Name Onon Foreign]]: Henry Slugg becomes Enrico Basilica.
* [[True Beauty Is Onon the Inside]]: ''painfully'' subverted. In the end, despite the fact that Christine is just [[Brainless Beauty|very pretty]], [[Giftedly Bad|has no voice, and has absolutely no talent whatsoever]], [[So Beautiful It's a Curse|everyone in the opera still fawns over her]] and chooses ''her'' over Agnes, who is [[Magic Music|incredibly talented]] and who has been signing Christine's songs the entire time (something that is made very clear by the end that everyone knows).
{{quote| '''André''': It'd be terrible if anything happened to [Christine] ''(in the aftermath of her 'fainting' again)'', everyone says she shows such promise.<br />
'''Agnes''': Yes, but... ''you'' know it was me doing the signing. <br />
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* [[Stealth Pun]]: When Agnes finishes one last yell, going from one side of the audible spectrum to the other, Nanny Ogg remarks "''Now'' it's over". [[Don't Explain the Joke|Agnes is very large, and they're in an opera.]]
* [[Undercover Cop Reveal]]
* [[Wanton Cruelty to Thethe Common Comma]]: Played with incessantly. An earlier statement in ''[[Discworld (Literature)/Reaper Man|Reaper Man]]'' that "five exclamation marks are the sure sign of a diseased mind" is expanded on here, to the point where a character's ongoing descent into madness is marked by the [[Painting the Fourth Wall|number of exclamation marks after his statements]]. When he hits five, he's gone over the edge.
* [[Wham! Line]]: Granny's {{spoiler|"Who's to say there's only one Ghost?"}}
** And shortly before that, André's [[The Reveal]]:
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'''Granny:''' Really? There's a word for people like that.<br />
'''André:''' Yes. {{spoiler|It's "policeman"}}. }}
* [[The Worst Seat in Thethe House]]: Spoofed, when Nanny and Granny trade in tickets for the Stalls for ones up in the Gods due to the name. Though the truly worst seat is probably the one next to Nanny Ogg.
* [[Xtreme Kool Letterz]]: Apparently the X in [[Awesome McCoolname|Perdita X Dream]] stands for "Someone who has a cool and exciting middle initial".
 
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