Difference between revisions of "Beau Brummel"

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Beau Brummel by Bertram P. Matthews. The play was staged at the Theatre Royal, Birmingham in November 1928, with Edgar Elgar conducting the orchestra on the first night in a performance of the incidental music he composed for the play. The score has remained unpublished with the exception of the minuet which alone has outlived the play. (Source: http://www.elgar.org/3brummel.htm)
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''[[Beau Brummel]]'' is a play by Bertram P. Matthews (1872?-1930?).  
  
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In 1929 a West End theatre company from London toured South Africa putting on a portfolio of plays. One of these, by Bertram  P. Matthews, incorporated incidental music by Sir Edward Elgar. The tour played in premises owned by [[African Theatres]] Ltd, and was headed by an actor-manager called [[Gerald Lawrence]]. They started in Johannesburg on 1st April 1929 and finished in Cape Town on 3rd October. The section of the tour in which Beau Brummel was performed commenced in Johannesburg on 19th August, played a few days in Pretoria, and ended up in Cape Town. The theatre company's itinerary apparently also included a three-day (four performances) visit to Port Elizabeth (September 19-21)
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== The original text ==
  
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The love of Beau Brummel for Mary Mayne, a passion which flared up suddenly when the Beau rescued Lady Mary from highwaymen. Malice and slander divides the lovers, but in a manner which takes us from the beaten track, Lady Mary gives her hand to another aspirant, and Beau Brummel, in ignorance of what has happened, is left convinced that woman’s name is frailty. When it is too late the fraud is discovered and the two lovers have the tragic satisfaction of dreaming together of what might have been. The villain of the piece, Lord Harding, who is himself in love with Lady Mary, attempts an abduction, which is only foiled by the prompt strategy of Beau Brummel, who again rescues the lady and challenges Harding to mortal combat. In the duel which follows he is successful in wounding his adversary, but, surprised by a party of gentlemen headed by the Regent, he is condemned to banishment.
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A melodramatic play about the ill-fated love of Beau Brummel for Mary Mayne, a passion which flared up suddenly when the Beau rescued Lady Mary from highwaymen.  
  
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[[Madge Compton]] as Miss Mary Mayne
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The play had been commissioned from Matthews by the actor--manager [[Gerald Lawrence]], as was the incidental music by Edward Elgar. (The play also co-credited to [[Ralph Richardson]] by researcher [[Robert Kay]].)
  
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It was first staged at the Theatre Royal, Birmingham in November 1928, with Elgar conducting the orchestra on the first night.
  
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Return to [[ESAT Plays 1 B|B]] in Plays 1 Original SA Plays
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The text was never published and the play has disappeared from memory, with only a single script surviving in the British Library. This was the Lord Chamberlain's (official censor) copy.
  
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Return to [[ESAT Plays 2 B|B]] in Plays 2 Foreign Plays
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The Elgar score too has remained unpublished, and - with the exception of the Minuet which alone has outlived the play - the composer's manuscript (hence the music itself), has vanished without trace.
  
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Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Plays]]
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'''For more on the play and its British production, see the article by Robert Kay, 2011.'''[http://elgar.org/elgarsoc/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Vol.-17-No.-3-December-2011-Compressed.pdf]
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==Translations and adaptations==
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== Performance history in South Africa ==
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In 1929 a West End theatre company from London, led by actor-manager [[Gerald Lawrence]] and including [[Ralph Richardson]], toured South Africa and Rhodesia, putting on a portfolio of plays, including ''[[Beau Brummel]]''.  The tour played in venues owned by [[African Theatres]] Ltd. and started in Johannesburg on 1st April 1929 and finished in Cape Town on 3rd October.
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The section of the tour in which ''[[Beau Brummel]]'' was performed commenced in Johannesburg on 19th August at [[His Majesty's Theatre]], played a few days in Pretoria, and ended up in Cape Town. The theatre company's itinerary apparently also included three-day (four performances) visits to Bloemfontein (14-17 September) and Port Elizabeth (September 19-21 September) respectively. Some cast members were [[Gerald Lawrence]] as Beau Brummel, [[Madge Compton]] as Miss Mary Mayne, [[John Lancaster]] as the villain, [[William Devereux]], [[Wilson Coleman]], [[May Pemberton]], [[Dennis Roberts]], [[Alan Sawford Dye]]. [[Ralph Richardson]] also acted in some of the performances.
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==Sources==
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beau_Brummell
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Robert Kay. 2011. "Gerald Lawrence, Elgar and the missing Beau Brummel Music", ''The Elgar Society Journal'': pp.4-28[http://elgar.org/elgarsoc/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Vol.-17-No.-3-December-2011-Compressed.pdf]
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http://www.elgar.org/3brummel.htm
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https://www.acutamusic.co.uk/
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''The S.A. Merry-Go-Round'', 2(4):28. August 21st, 1929.
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Correspondence from Robert Kay of Acuta Music[http://www.acutamusic.co.uk/], Monday 13 July, 2015.
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Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]]
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== Return to ==
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Return to [[PLAYS I: Original SA plays]]
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Return to [[PLAYS II: Foreign plays]]
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Return to [[PLAYS III: Collections]]
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Return to [[PLAYS IV: Pageants and public performances]]
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Return to [[South_African_Festivals|South African Festivals and Competitions]]
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Return to [[The ESAT Entries]]
  
 
Return to [[Main Page]]
 
Return to [[Main Page]]

Latest revision as of 05:38, 10 April 2024

Beau Brummel is a play by Bertram P. Matthews (1872?-1930?).

The original text

A melodramatic play about the ill-fated love of Beau Brummel for Mary Mayne, a passion which flared up suddenly when the Beau rescued Lady Mary from highwaymen.

The play had been commissioned from Matthews by the actor--manager Gerald Lawrence, as was the incidental music by Edward Elgar. (The play also co-credited to Ralph Richardson by researcher Robert Kay.)

It was first staged at the Theatre Royal, Birmingham in November 1928, with Elgar conducting the orchestra on the first night.

The text was never published and the play has disappeared from memory, with only a single script surviving in the British Library. This was the Lord Chamberlain's (official censor) copy.

The Elgar score too has remained unpublished, and - with the exception of the Minuet which alone has outlived the play - the composer's manuscript (hence the music itself), has vanished without trace.

For more on the play and its British production, see the article by Robert Kay, 2011.[1]

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

In 1929 a West End theatre company from London, led by actor-manager Gerald Lawrence and including Ralph Richardson, toured South Africa and Rhodesia, putting on a portfolio of plays, including Beau Brummel. The tour played in venues owned by African Theatres Ltd. and started in Johannesburg on 1st April 1929 and finished in Cape Town on 3rd October.

The section of the tour in which Beau Brummel was performed commenced in Johannesburg on 19th August at His Majesty's Theatre, played a few days in Pretoria, and ended up in Cape Town. The theatre company's itinerary apparently also included three-day (four performances) visits to Bloemfontein (14-17 September) and Port Elizabeth (September 19-21 September) respectively. Some cast members were Gerald Lawrence as Beau Brummel, Madge Compton as Miss Mary Mayne, John Lancaster as the villain, William Devereux, Wilson Coleman, May Pemberton, Dennis Roberts, Alan Sawford Dye. Ralph Richardson also acted in some of the performances.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beau_Brummell

Robert Kay. 2011. "Gerald Lawrence, Elgar and the missing Beau Brummel Music", The Elgar Society Journal: pp.4-28[2]

http://www.elgar.org/3brummel.htm

https://www.acutamusic.co.uk/

The S.A. Merry-Go-Round, 2(4):28. August 21st, 1929.

Correspondence from Robert Kay of Acuta Music[3], Monday 13 July, 2015.

Go to ESAT Bibliography

Return to

Return to PLAYS I: Original SA plays

Return to PLAYS II: Foreign plays

Return to PLAYS III: Collections

Return to PLAYS IV: Pageants and public performances

Return to South African Festivals and Competitions

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page

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