Two scene from Ghosts written by Henrik Ibsen (1888 - 1906) and produced by the Actors Theatre at the Tavistock Little Theatre, London, from April 29 - 30 & May 6 - 7, 1938

Two scene from Ghosts written by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen (1888 - 1906) and produced by the Actors Theatre at the Tavistock Little Theatre, London, from April 29 - 30 & May 6 - 7, 1938, with the following production team.

Director : Arthur Johnston
Stage Director : Guy Sheppard
Assistant Stage Director : Kay Gardner
Stage Managers : Laurence Sultan, Desmond Hall
Stage electrician : C W Godbold

Cast

Mrs Alving, a widow : Margery Withers

Oswald Alving, her son, an artist : Ronald Tayler

Manders, the pastor of the parish : Rowland White

Engstrand, a carpenter : William Avenell

Regina, his daughter, in Mrs Alving's service : Margaret Godwin

Penelope (A Comedy in Three Acts), written W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965), and producued with the director of Dion Boucicault Jr. at the Criterion Theatre, London, on 9th January 1909,

   Penelope (A Comedy in Three Acts), written by the British playwright W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965), and producued with the director of Dion Boucicault Jr. at the Criterion Theatre, London, on 9th January 1909, 

   It was originally called Man and Wife and was first produced at the Comedy Theatre on Saturday, January 9, 1909, with a cast that included Marie Tempest and Graham Browne. It was later taken on tour by the Hutchinson Company, including performances at the Theatre Royal, Bath,on the 1st November 1909. The text was published by William Heinemann in the series The Plays of W.S. Maugham in 1912.

   The play was very successful when it was first produced and simple story of the stratagems that Penelope employs to regain the love of her husband, who has been having an affair with an attractive married woman. True to her namesake (Oddyeus's faithful wife), Penelope's patient sacrifice is rewarded and the husband returned.

Marie Tempest & Graham Browne in Penelope

Ethelwyn Arthur Jones

 as Peyton

Cast & Crew

Dr O’Farrell W Graham Browne

Mr Anderson J H Brewer

Mr Beadsworth Herbert Ross

Mr Davenport Barlow Eric Lewis

Mrs Ferguson Norma Whalley

Mrs Golightly Kate Bishop

Mrs Watson Mrs Charles Calvert

Penelope Marie Tempest

Peyton Ethelwyn Arthur-Jones

Professor Golightly Alfred Bishop

Some scenes from Lady Frederick (a comedy in three acts), written by William Somerset Maugham (1874 – 1965), and produced at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 1907.

   Some scenes from Lady Frederick (a comedy in three acts), written by the English playwright William Somerset Maugham (1874 – 1965), and produced at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 1907.

   His next big commercial and critical success did not come until October 1907, when his comedy Lady Frederick opened at the Court Theatre in London. He had written it four years earlier, but numerous managements turned it down until Otho Stuart accepted it and cast the popular Ethel Irving in the title role. It ran for 422 performances at five different West End theatres. 
   Lady Frederick is a comedy by the British writer W. Somerset Maugham, written early in his career. The play was first seen in London in 1907, and was very successful, running for 422 performances. The title role was played by Ethel Irving. In New York it was first performed in 1908, with Lady Frederick played by Ethel Barrymore, who reprised her role in the play's film adaptation, The Divorcee. In the play, Lady Frederick is an Irish widow, seriously in debt; she must deal with suitors who have various motives for proposing marriage, and with the man with whom she once had an affair. 

Lady Frederick, 1907

The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, November 9th, 1907, "Lady Frederick," by W. Somerset Maugham, at the Royal Court Theatre.

   1- Lady Frederick (Miss Ethel Irving), in financial difficulties, completes the conquest of a dunning dressmaker (Miss Florence Wood) by asking her to dine with a prince.

   2- The moneylender, Captain Montgomery (Mr. Holmes-Gore), having bought up Lady Frederick's promissory notes, threatens to ruin her unless she marries him, and so gets his vulgar person into titled society.

   3- The final scene.- Paradine Fouldes, who had commenced by being Lady Frederick's enemy, now pays off her money-lending and threatening suitor, saying, "A millionaire in want of ready money is always an affecting sight," and soon after is himself accepted by the lady.  The Admiral in the picture has also just proposed for the lady's hand.  Lady Frederick (Miss Irving), Mr. Paradine Fouldes (Mr. C.M. Lowne), Capt. Montgomery (W. Holmes-Gore), Admiral Carlisle (Mr. E. W. Garden), Sir Gerald O.Mara (Mr. Edmund Breon), and Rose (Miss Beatrice Terry).

   4- Lady Frederick's youngest suitor, Lady Meriston (Mr. W. Graham Browne), and Lady Frederick, after her ladyship has cured the youth's passion by "making up" her hair and face before him.

   5- Lady Mereston (Miss Beryl Faber) as an unimpeachable matron and an uncompromising enemy of the suspected "merry widow," Lady Frederick.

   6- Paradine Fouldes, who long ago nearly eloped with Lady Frederick, is now accepted as her future husband,  her other suitors,  too old, too young, or too vulgar,  having all been dismissed.

Shakespeare's ghost broods about Maugham's domination of the London stage (Punch, 1908)

Mademoiselle Zampa, written by William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965), and produced at the Avenue Theatre, London, from 18th February to 5th March 1904, running for 20 performances only.

Mademoiselle Zampa, written by  the British playwright William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965), and produced at the Avenue Theatre, London, from 18th February  to  5th March 1904, running for 20 performances only.

Some scenes from A Night Out (Farce), Mr. Charles Klein's adaptation of L'Hotel Libre-Echange, performed at the Criterion Theatre, London, in 1907.

   Some scenes from A Night Out (Farce), Mr. Charles Klein's adaptation of L'Hotel Libre-Echange, performed at the Criterion Theatre, London, in  1907.

   This farce, which, when produced in 1896 at the Vaudeville, ran for five hundred nights, is again provoking laughter in its new home at the Criterion Theatre.

Miss Marguerite Leslie, now playing, at the Criterion Theatre, the part of Marcelle in A Night Out, Mr. Charles Klein's adaptation of L'Hotel Libre-Echange.

"The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, August 17th, 1907," showing the Following 4 Photographs for "The Revival of the Farce, "A Night Out," at the Criterion Theatre."

   a- The Girls :- "Look, look, at the lights ;  how blue the flame is!"- Miss Margurite leslie as Paillard's wife, Mr. George Giddens as Joseph Pinglet, Mr. George Desmond, Miss Vine, &c.

  b- Paillard's nephew, Maxime  (Mr. George Desmond), to Miss Frances Vine (as the servant Victorine)  : "Go on!  I like that!"

  c- Mr. Giddens as Pinglet :-"I love you!  I adore you!"

  d- Joseph Pinglet (Mr. George Giddens) :- "Great Heavens!  Mathieu and his four daughters!"

Some scenes from What Pamela Wanted, performed at the Criterion Theatre, London, from 22 April to 16 June, 1905, runnnig for 56 performances.

Some scenes from What Pamela Wanted, performed at the Criterion Theatre, London, from 22 April to 16 June, 1905, runnnig for 56 performances.

The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, May 6th, 1905, "What Pamela Wanted," at the Criterion Theatre.

1- The courtship of Pamela and Raymond (Miss Ethel Irving and Mr. Leslie Faber). They have never met before, but in ten minutes have agreed to marry and afterwards to do exactly as he or she pleases.

2- But being married, they discover that liberty of action is only thoroughly satisfactory to the person liberated, and consequently soon become madly-though causelessly-jelous of each other.

3- The separation of Pamela and Raymond, when the former declares a pretended passion for the amorous but unheroic "Puff Puff" (Mr. Lennox Pawle), whom she embraces before her husband.

4- The father of Raymond (Mr. Frank Cooper), who has flirted with the mother of Pamela (Miss Lottie Venne) throughout the play, proposes to her in the last act.

5- Their children soon after patch up their quarrel on discovering that they are to fond of each other to keep apart. In future liberty of action must be subject to the consent of both.

Ethel Irving and Leslie Faber in What Pamela Wanted. 

Miss Ethel Irving, as Pamela during the period of her efforts at husband management in "What Pamela Wanted," at the Criterion Theatre. 1905.

ETHEL IRVING (1869–1963) in What Pamela Wanted at the Criterion,  1905

A scene from The Prince Chap, written by Edward Peple (1867-1924), and produced at Weber and Fields' Broadway Music Hall, New York, from September 4 to December 30, 1905, runnning for 136 performances.

A scene from The Prince Chap, written by the American playwright Edward Peple (1867-1924),  and produced at Weber and Fields' Broadway Music Hall, New York, from September 4 to December 30, 1905, runnning for 136 performances.