THE PLAY

A GAY crowd of actresses and their admirers are making jests and conjectures as to the identity of a  young girl, wearing a mask, who occupies the Stage-box each evening to see David Garrick, the celebrated actor, in the role of Romeo.  Although Garrick himself is involved with Peg Woffington, the actress, he is intrigued by the masked stranger.  Another actress, Clorinda, has a temporary attachment with Sir Richard Chivvy, the rake amongst rakes.  But Chivvy announces to everyone’s surprise that he is to marry an heiress.  And he silences Clorinda’s objections by the promise of jewels and a cottage, to be paid for by the fortune of Chivvy’s betrothed.  Into this scene comes the Lady in the Mask (Lucy Castellain).  She is accompanied by her servant, Sarah, who attracts the candle-snuffer, Pettigrew.  The candle-snuffer takes Sarah for a lady; and she is under the false impression that Pettigrew is an actor.  Although David Garrick succeeds in seeing Lucy unmasked, he has a stormy encounter with Captain Adair, who had attempted to unmask Lucy when she was leaving the Stage-box.  But Peg Woffington intervenes and Lucy is allowed to leave, still unknown – and Garrick turns the crowd out of the Green Room.

Lucy’s father, the rich Samuel Castellain, is intent upon arranging the marriage of his heiress-daughter with Sir Richard Chivvy.  But daughter Lucy, being in love with Garrick, refuses to marry Chivvy.  Her father, in desperation, privately offers a bribe for Garrick to leave the country, so his daughter (still unknown by name to Garrick) would forget her love and marry Sir Richard Chivvy.  The bribe is refused.  But, as a friendly act, Garrick (who still does not realise that Castellain’s  daughter is his Lady in the Mask) promises to cure the unknown daughter of her infatuation if Castellain will bring her to the Vauxhall Gardens that evening.  Consequently Garrick takes Peg to Vauxhall in advance of the Castellains, and arranges that Tom, the cellarman, gives him special warning of Castellain’s arrival.  David Garrick then leaves Peg, and happens to meet Lucy, with whom he fixes a rendezvous at the “Chequers” Inn in Chelsea Village for the following day.  When Garrick rejoins Peg, he still does not know that Lucy is Castellain’s daughter whom he is to cure of her infatuation for himself.  When Tom the cellarman gives the signal on the arrival of the Castellains, Garrick and Peg stagger out of the door, apparently hopelessly drunk.  They act the part perfectly to the delight of the onlookers.  But Garrick is taken aback by finding that the girl to be shocked by his drunken act is his  Lady in the Mask.  It is only his promise to Samuel Castellain that enables him to keep up his repulsive role.  Lucy is bewildered at the fall of her idol, and collapses as Garrick leaves with Peg.

At Chelsea the following day, a ballad-monger is selling a ribald rhyme entitled “The Ballad of Davy Garrick” which satirises the drunken episode of the previous evening.  Actress Kitty Clive and her friend, Sir William Banter, are incensed by the ballad, and pin the authorship on Captain Adair.  Then Garrick wearily comes into the Courtyard, reads the slanderous ballad and broodingly takes it with him into the Inn Parlour.  In front of the crowd, Lucy’s maid, Sarah, discloses unthinkingly to her beau, Pettigrew, that she is only a servant; and in return, finds that Pettigrew can snuff candles but cannot act.  Her mistress, Lucy, passing through the village on her way to a nearby Convent, pauses to rest and admire the busy scene.  Amidst the jollity and traditional dances in the Courtyard of the Inn, Peg Woffington relates to Lucy in confidence the truth about the happenings of the evening before, and she tells Lucy that Garrick is in the Inn Parlour.  At Samuel Castellain’s special request, Peg tells the Landlord to call Sir Richard Chivvy.  In response to the call, Chivvy shows his face at a bedroom window of the Inn with a guilty look.  His look turns to complete discomfiture when Clorinda sticks her head out beside him.  Garrick then returns from the Parlour and is welcomed by Lucy, who explains that Peg has now told her the true story of the episode at Vauxhall.  Garrick accuses Captain Adair of insulting Lucy in the slanderous ballad and he strikes Adair, who demands satisfaction in a duel.  Garrick and Adair engage – and Garrick wins by wounding Adair.  Finally, Samuel Castellain gives his consent to the happy couple, and Garrick and Lucy declare their love and face the future happily.

Our hero, David Garrick (1717-1779), son of a half-pay army captain of French descent, was the dominating stage figure of his period – tragedian, comedian, dramatist and business man.  In appearance he was rather below middle height, mercurial in movement, with piercing eyes and commanding gesture.  He did much to reform the theatre of his day, substituting naturalistic acting for the solemn ranting of his predecessors.  He was the first to introduce correct scenery and costumes appropriate to the period and character of the play.  He purged the theatre of much of its grossness, both on stage and off.  Socially he did much to raise the actor from his former status of “rogue and vagabond”; a gentleman of grace and culture, he entertained and was received by the leading figures of his time.

After studying the piano at the Royal Academy of Music, George Posford composed the score of “Good Night, Vienna” for broadcasting by the B.B.C.  His next adventure was “Balalaika” which, after nearly two years’ run, was bought for the screen by Metro-Goldwyn.  In 1937 he wrote the score for “Magyar Melody” in which Binnie Hale appeared at His Majesty’s Theatre.  He has contributed music to many British films including “The Good Companions”, “Invitation to the Waltz” and “Gaiety George”.  His more ambitious orchestral works include “Broadcasting House”, “Transatlantic Rhapsody” (written to celebrate the maiden voyage of the “Queen Mary”) and “Sundown”.

THE AUTHOR

After a varied career as actor, novelist and journalist, Eric Maschwitz joined the B.B.C. in 1926; in 1933 he became Variety Director.  In 1937, in Hollywood, he wrote the screen play of “Good-by, Mr. Chips”.  Since the war he has returned to play-writing, producing two revues, “Between Ourselves” and “Starlight Roof”, and a highly successful operetta, “Carissima”.  As author of such songs as “These Foolish Things” and “A Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square” he has always maintained that in song-writing words are as important as music.