The Magistrate: A Farce in Three ActsPinero, Arthur Wing
General
The Magistrate: A Farce in Three Acts
Pinero, Arthur Wing
Comedy plays; English drama -- 19th century
ACT I.
THE FAMILY SKELETON.
_At Mr. Posket's, Bloomsbury._
____________
ACT II.
IT LEAVES ITS CUPBOARD.
_Room in the Hôtel des Princes, Meek Street._
____________
ACT III.
IT CRUMBLES.
SCENE 1.--_The Magistrates Room, Mulberry Street._
SCENE 2.--_At the Poskets' again._
____________
PRECEDED BY A COMEDIETTA BY
A. W. DUBOURG,
ENTITLED
TWENTY MINUTES UNDER AN UMBRELLA.
Cousin Kate . . . Miss NORREYS.
Cousin Frank . . . Mr. H. REEVES SMITH.
____________
_Musical Director_ . MR. CARL ARMBRUSTER.
_Secretary_ . MR. GEORGE COLEMAN.
The success of "The Magistrate" was immediate, and the Court Theatre
was crowded night after night for more than a year, the play being
presented over 300 times. So prosperous was the run that there was no
cessation during the Summer holiday season, and when Mr. Arthur Cecil
went abroad for his vacation, his place as Posket was taken by Mr.
Beerbohm Tree, while Miss Lottie Venne and Mrs. Tree in like manner
relieved Mrs. John Wood and Miss Marion Terry.
This success, however, was not confined to London, for three companies
were soon carrying the play triumphantly over the English provinces,
while in September 1885 Mr. Pinero went to New York to produce his
work at Daly's Theatre. Mr. Daly had suggested that Miss Ada Rehan
should play the boy, Cis Farringdon, but to this the author objected,
and Miss Rehan played Mrs. Posket, while Mr. Posket was represented by
Mr. James Lewis, and Colonel Lukyn by Mr. John Drew. "The Magistrate"
enjoyed an exceptionally long run in New York, as well as in Boston,
and in the latter city it is now performed every year, being included
in the regular season of classic English comedies at the Boston
Museum. "The Magistrate" has also been played throughout the United
States, the late John T. Raymond having been closely associated with
the play for a considerable time.
"The Magistrate" has travelled more widely than most modern English
plays, and, besides being a stock piece in Australia, India, and South
Africa, it has been translated into more than one foreign tongue.
Under the title "Der Blaue Grotte" ("The Blue Grotto") it is
constantly played all over Germany and Austria, while in the Slavonic
language it is a favourite play at the National Theatre, Prague. At
one time a proposal was made, through the late Mr. John Clayton, that
"The Magistrate" should be adapted to the French stage, but the
suggestions of the proposed Parisian adapter were, though eminently
characteristic, of such a nature that Mr. Pinero did not feel
justified in acceding to them.
While Mrs. John Wood and Mr. Arthur Chudleigh were still joint
managers of the Court, there was some intention of reviving "The
Magistrate" at that theatre, but as matters afterwards developed, Mr.
Pinero arranged that the revival should take place under the auspices
of Mr. Edward Terry, who accordingly appeared as Mr. Posket at his own
theatre on Wednesday, April 13, 1892.
MALCOLM C. SALAMAN.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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