THEATRE

'The Bird of Paradise', Tully's best-known play, is set in Hawaii during the 'Revolutionary Days of the Early Nineties'. It was the subject of what the New York Times called 'one of the bitterest plagiarism suits on record'. A schoolteacher named Grace Fender was initially successful in her claim that it was based on her play 'In Hawaii', but the case was reversed on appeal. It was first produced in Rochester, USA, in December 1911, with productions at Daly's in New York in 1912, and the Lyric Theatre, London, in September 1915. A total of 158pp., 4to.

For more about Corrie see his entry in the Oxford DNB, which states that 'His most effective mature work, A Master of Men, about the conflict between a mine manager, the mine owners, and the miners, was performed by the Glasgow Citizens' Theatre in 1944.' 111pp., 4to. On paper of various colours. Autograph title-page: 'English Version | A Master of Men | A Play | Joe Corrie | Hill's Hotel | 41 Princes Sq. | London W2 | Tel. Bay. 0118'. (Many of Corrie's plays were written in Lowland Scots.) In good condition, lightly-aged, in worn buff card wraps. With a few autograph emendations.

Brook's 1949 production of 'Dark of the Moon' was praised by the critics, and favourably compared with a rival production of 'Oaklahoma!' 'I'm not sure', Brook wrote, 'whether it's a good thing to be original in the theatre. The critics slated my Romeo and Juliet for being too original, but they applaud the quality in Dark of the Moon.' J. C. Trewin, in his 1971 biography of Brook, states that the play had attracted Brook's attention 'when he saw pictures in an American magazine and observed with rapture that there were witches in the cast.

158pp., 4to. Typed text on rectos only. With manuscript emendations (possibly in the hand of Judith Spearman, stage manager) throughout, including deletions and a few short additional passages, as well as stage directions. Makeshift thumb index at head. In fair condition, with moderate signs of age and wear, bound with pink ribbon into buff card covers. Typed label on front cover, together with 'Judith Spearman' and 'Effects' in pencil.

168pp., 4to. Pages typed in black and red (by Active Secretarial Bureau, Wardour Street) on versos only. Bound in grey card wraps, with red tape spine. Typed title on cover, with circular red label of 'British and Continental Plays Ltd'. The main characters include the unnamed members of a continental royal family, together with 'Baroness Sibyl Konigsmark' and 'Section-Leader Grumb', and the scene is set at an Old Castle and Summer Palace, and 'Late in June of the year 1941. Three o'clock p.m.' and periods shortly following.

74pp., 8vo. Stapled duplicated typescript, with pages on rectos only. In fair condition, with moderate signs of age and wear. Light staining at head, and discoloured title-leaf detaching. A few minor manuscript emendations, and '-Debel' added in manuscript to the translator's name. 'La Princesse Americaine' was first performed in 1963, and like Aloni's other early work was influenced by the European Theatre of the Absurd. An English translation of the play appeared in 1980, but OCLC WorldCat has no record of the publication of a French translation.

One page, 4to, pasted to card frame, grubby and stained but text readable and complete. "I confess your offer to be liberal in the extreme - and if [excision] I possibly can,will be with you about the second week in January - I am now interestingly engaged being on the point of marriage with a young lady of this place (Manchester) therefore the excuse of 'being married and can't come' (at least these 2 months) must in this case be valid - Have the goodness to send the agreeement [...] to me at T. Wilson Esq.

136pp., 4to. Duplicated typescript (by Catherine Billinghust, Westminster) with pages on rectos only. Bound in grey card wraps, with red and black cloth spine and title typed on front cover. In good condition, with light signs of age and wear. '12' in manuscript at head of cover. 'Sleep My Pretty One' has been described as 'a study of a young girl driven to distraction by the death of her mother and the, to her, totally unacceptable remarriage of her father'.

114pp., 4to. Typescript by May Hemery Ltd in black and red ink, with pages on rectos only. In black card covers, with label on front. In good condition, with light signs of age and wear, in worn covers. See Steve Nicholson, 'British theatre and the Red Peril: the Portrayal of Communism 1917-1945': 'Originally called 'Face to Face', 'Comrade Detective' was translated, designed and produced by Herbert Marshall on the suggestion of the wife of the Soviet Ambassador.

126pp., 4to. (Act 1 has 55pp. and Act 3 has 71pp.) Each act bound in grey card covers. Worn and aged, with the remains of the purple ribbon used to bind the leaves into their covers. A heavily reworked typescript. As is customary, the typed text of the play is on the rectos only, but leaves with additional typed and manuscript (presumably autograph) text have been inserted. Numerous manuscript additions and deletions to the text on the rectos, with additional typed passages on pieces of paper laid down onto the facing versos, which also carry further manuscript changes.

52pp., 4to. Duplicated typescript with pages on rectos only. Perfect bound in plain grey paper wraps. In fair condition, with moderate signs of age and wear. A page giving the names of the members of the cast and crew begins with the following: 'La première représentation de "REVELATION" a eu lieu 26 mai 1961 au Théâtre dramatique yougoslave, dans une mise en scène de Mata Miloševic et Predrag Bajcetic, avec la distribution suivante: | [...]'.

137pp., 4to. Typed text on rectos only. Bound with red ribbon into red wraps, with typed label on front cover. In fair condition, aged and worn, in heavily-aged wraps. Pencil annotations to the list of characters. Bound in before the beginning of almost every scene is a manuscript leaf carrying a page giving the layout of the set. The label of Joan Ling Ltd, Gloucester House, 19 Charing Cross Road, WC2, is pasted over Knoblock's typed address 21 Ashley Place on the title page. Knoblock's papers are at his alma mater Harvard.

[1] + 115 + [1]pp., 8vo. Printed on rectos only. Bound by two metal studs in yellow card covers. In fair condition, with moderate signs of age and wear. Apparent ownership inscription ('Vickers Staniforth') at head of title page, beside a number '3' in red ink. Never produced and unpublished. 'The Vicar's Wife' was Bennett's first film script, and was written for Ned Sherrin, who was working at the time for Columbia Pictures. According to Kara McKechnie ('Alan Bennett', MUP, 2007), it 'pre-dates his first stage play by a few years, and is simultaneous with 'On the Margin' for television'.

Part of Letter, c.15 x 10.5cm, staining and remnants of album page on reverse, text clearas follows: "[...] I wish you would looke for that Mem[oran]dum of Murphy's - when we lent him ye money & only let me know what were ye contents of it - if you can find too the List of his Subjects for plays that nobody else was to make use of - I think it is in ye office

Typescript: 132pp., folio. Each page on a separate leaf, all of which are attached with metal clasps in a grey card folder, with the label of the International Copyright Bureau Ltd, London, on the front cover (as well as on the title page). In fair condition, lightly-aged and worn, with title leaf coming away. Text with a few minor manuscript emendations. Accompanying the typescript is Harbottle's letter, signed 'Laurence'. 1p., 8vo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper.

Iv + 224pp, 8vo. Ownership inscription of 'Jennifer Samuel 16.12.58'. In good condition, lightly-aged and worn. The diary is arranged with two days to a page, and with fourteen lines available for each entry. Seven pages of 'cash account', giving expenditure from January to July, at end. Almost without exception, each page is fully filled in, mostly in pencil.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of glue from mount on reverse of letter and envelope. Envelope, with penny red, addressed by Lovell to 'Dillon Croker Esq. | 3 Gloucester Road | Old Brompton'. Reads: 'Mrs. Lovell begs to thank Mr. Croker for his polite note and for the trouble he has kindly taken - | Should there be any occasion Mrs Lovell will gladly avail herself of Mr. Croker [sic] offer of further assistance.'

Both items in good condition, on aged paper. Lovell begins the first letter (3pp., 12mo) by expressing disappointment at not having heard from Webster yet 'with the M.S.', and offers to 'save [him] any trouble in explanations' by calling on him. If that is not acceptable he asks him to 'let me have the copy with your notes upon it & I will work at once. And if you have any thing more agreeable in the way of criticism to communicate it will put me in better spirits'.

Both items in good condition, on lightly aged paper. Letter: 2pp., 12mo. The letter begins: 'Mrs. Kean has given me back possession of the two Plays. The Wife's Secret & The Trial of Love. & the advice of Mr. Coyne was that I should add them to the Dram[ati]c. Authors Society's list.' Under the circumstances, he asks whether Lacy would be 'desirous of printing them & if so what would be your arrangement?' He suggests a meeting the following day. Autograph prelims: 3pp., 4to. Bifolium, with bottom half of second leaf torn away.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on aged paper, with light glue stains on blank reverse of second leaf. Lovell writes in jaunty tones: 'When I quitted Town I left your incomparable Cardinal in the plenitude of his power & on my return I find him still in the ascendant & his glory undiminished! - Such a man belongs to posterity & my posterity are anxious to pay (?) [the question mark is Lovell's, the implication being that they want to get in to a performance without paying] their homage to him.

The four items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The first two items originally pinned together. The signature on the first letter clearly written out, the other three signatures more hurried. ONE: 8 February [1880]. 1p., 12mo. 'I am going to take a rest. Supposing I can give you a week (two sketches an evening) between Feb 21 & March 13th. What will you stand?' TWO: Signed undertaking. 1p., 12mo. Not addressed. Begins with quotation: 'Right you are says Moses'. States: 'This is an equivalent for booking you for 23rd. 7 performances'. THREE: 17 February [1880].

In black and white on 34 x 23 cm shiny art paper. Possibly extracted from an unnamed periodical. Lightly aged and worn, and ruckled from being laid down on paper backing. Tiny chip lost at foot. Sixteen female figures are shown, in costumes representing newspapers from the 'Daily Mail' to 'The Sketch', and including 'Mdlle. Zangfretta as Fashion', around a central representation of a scene from the ballet, featuring Adeline Genée as the Liberty of the Press.

Three pages, 12mo, bifolium, faint foxing and minor damage, text clear and complete. " The son of my excellent friendm Robt Harrison, Librarian of the London Library, is an applicant for the assistant Librarianship of the Royal Academy. [...]" He gives information about him (education, languages, travels, familiarity with "library work" (as assistant to his father), current filling in work in the Observatory at Kew. He solicits Woolner's vote, and adds, in a postscript, that the applicant is the grandson of an artist.

1p., 12mo. On aged and ruckled paper, with closed tear unobtrusively repaired. In the author's distinctive, heavily-inked hand. He writes to inform him that he has 'the MS of the piece I wrote about', and that if it meets with his approval 'it may fill up the gap till Black Mail is completed'. He continues: 'I repeat it is a most powerful drama as strong as the Dead Hearts | Will you and Churchill come and hear me read it? [last two words underlined three times] | If so - when? | Will you drive over tomorrow???? | If so - at what hour? - Telegram back and I will be in Price and condition.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He is 'willing to undertake the office' under the rules mentioned: 'the two theatres you mention shall invariably be noticed - also the Panorama'.

8pp., 12mo. Stapled. Heavily aged and worn. A trim little catalogue, with 158 books described on the first seven pages, and the last page devoted to prints. Beneath the drophead title: 'Post Office Orders to be made payable at High Holborn. | No books or prints sent on approval.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition. In stamped envelope addressed to Boas at the Royalty Theatre, Dean Street. He thanks Berman for drawing his attention to the two versions of the play, adding: 'I feel that in this Goethe Centenary year, when the Urfaust is so rightly being performed, some English manager should put Marlowe's play on the stage for a few performances.'

Both items in good condition, with minor signs of age and wear. The black and white photographic print is 24.5 x 19.5 cm, and depicts a chubby Hall, in shirtsleeves and tie, leaning over a seat at the back of a darkened theatre, with a positive look of concentration on his face, as he stares at the stage, a playscript in his hand. The reverse carries two stamps by 'Tony Armstrong Jones, one of them declaring his copyright. Also on the reverse are pencil calculations of dimensions for cropping for publication.

[4] + 81pp., 8vo. The four pages 50-53 have been deleted in pencil, and a new version, on four pages also paginated 50-53, has been loosely inserted. Duplicated typescript, on 85 leaves, stapled together. In fair condition, aged and worn, with minor damp staining at head. 'No. 22' in red ink at head of cover. The play is said to be 'based on fact; on an actual historical situation', and is 'set in Cape Town and London between July 1899 and March 1992'. Aaronson was the author of 23 books on royal subjects. The present title is not to be found on either OCLC WorldCat or on COPAC.

Two pages, 8vo, fold marks, good condition. "I have a letter from Mr. Milner - whoi tells me you want my advice on some musical matter - I shall be down here for a fortnight and then go to the sea - but you will let me know when you're likely to be in town. I will try and get up to meet you somewhere."