[Herbert Whittaker, Canadian theatre critic, designer and director.] Eight long Signed Letters (six typed and two in autograph) to English playwright Christopher Fry, on theatre matters including a reading at the Toronto Arts and Letters Club.

An interesting correspondence on theatre matters, from one of Canada's most influential critics and designers to 'a favourite poet', the English verse dramatist Christopher Fry. Whittaker discusses, among other matters, mutual acquaintances including Sir John Gielgud and Leonard White, past productions of Fry's plays, a 1998 meeting with the playwright at his West Dean home, and a reading he organises of Fry's 'A Ringing of Bells' at the Toronto Arts and Letters Club. The eight letters are in good condition, lightly aged. A total of 14pp, 8vo, nine pages of which are typed and five pages (i.e. the fourth and seventh letters) in autograph. First letter signed 'Herbert'; second 'Herbert Whittaker'; third and fifth to eighth; '”Herbie”', fourth 'H'. In the first letter (11 July 1998) Whittaker states that he has been given Fry's address by 'our mutual friend, Leonard White', and reminds Fry of previous encounters, the first 'a long-ago meeting and a lunch in a pub garden when you picked up a phesant's [sic] feather and handed it to me. It has lived in my Montreal inkwell in my home ever since'. Later on he states: 'The Lady's Not For Burning has long been a favourite of mine, ever since John Gielgud and Pamela Brown brought it to New York. I never like the Messel setting (no sanctuary that) so when I had my chance to stage my own production at a Quebec summer theatre, I leapt at the chance to design a setting that was guaranted [sic] to keep witch-hunters out. Later on, I took further liberty with the design of a Canadian Players production, costuming your creations in Cavalier and Roundhead garb to up-date witch-hunting when it really became fashionable in North America. Can you forgive that?' In the second letter (4 August 1998) he recalls another meeting, perhaps in Cleveland, Ohio: 'The occasion would have be[en] a pre-Broadway tour of The Firstborn. The director, whose name I disremember, was the talkative one. You and I, mute. Do you remember there had been a change in cast and the delicate house-of-cards credits had to be adjusted. Was the new name Wager? | Who won the battle betwe[e]n set designer and costumier? I imagine the designer, if it was Boris Aronsen. I would like to hear more of that battle of the visualizers.' Regarding the performance referred to in the first letter he writes: 'Our T. Mendip was Wm. Hutt now the senior Shakespearean at Stratford in Ontario. My earlier Mendip was the young John Colicos, who had the right melancholy for it. Other Canadian Mendips of note have been Christopher Plummer and Patrick Macnee. Now we have another at Niagara-on-the-Lake. Sir John's [i.e. Gielgud's] idea of “a kind of modern dress” alarms me. Jeans and T-shirts and Nikes? No, not for him. Never. Modern dress has taken so many turns of late.' The third letter (5 November 1998) is written after a meeting at Fry's West Dean home, which Whittaker was 'very pleased to tour […] and see for myself that poets of high quality do not wind up in dismal p[o]verty'. He adds: 'I will squelch any further suggestion I hear that Ben Hur and Messala were not more attracted to each other under your pen than they had been when Francis X Bushman was pressuring Ramon Navarro, back when I first saw their chariots run over a camera, a thrilling effect indeed'. References follow to an 'odd' anecdote told by Fry, to his 'original Jennet Jourdemayne, Pamela Brown', to '[t]he Chichester play and production', to 'the readings at the Actors' Centre', including one by Fry 'of Olivier's letter, in itself a document worthy of any theatre museum', and to a tube journey to Clapham Common. In a final 'ruse to perusade [Fry] into further correspondence', he concludes: 'I have been thinking about your questioning my idea to stage The Lady's Not For Burning to a Cavalier-Roundhead period. It had seemed helpful when I designed that Canadian Players tour in 1961 with William Hutt a Cavalier as Thomas, the rest Roundheads. You questioned that this time. Do you feel strongly about this, I ask? Theatrically, the Mayor and family seemed bett[e]r as restrictive authorities than otherwise.' The fourth letter (15 March 2001) is in Whittaker's somewhat childish hand. Following a revival of The Lady's Not For Burning at the National Theatre, he begins: 'Dear Christopher: | I should have written to you directly – as our mutual friend John Gielgud did, according to biographers. Do pass on my congratulations to the headmaster on his iniative in bringing A Ringing of Bells to us. (I've suggested Leonard might do it with the people at Lewes – perhaps coupling it with Boy With A Card).' He finds it 'satisfying that Chichester is to do The Lady's Not For Burning, directed by the new RSC Hamlet. [Samuel West?]', but is 'confined to Canada'. He 'would have enjoyed that seminar at the National run by that other Hamlet director John Caird, a fellow Canadian'. He notes that the 'Arts and Letters members certainly enjoyed [Fry's] latest play', and asks if he ever did a version of 'that Ibsen saga', Peer Gynt. He notes his dislike of Sheridan Morley's biography of Gielgud, adding: 'I saw John play The Lady's Not for Burning in New York and was encouraged to direct it in Quebec's Eastern Townships with John Colicas as Thomas, a great satisfaction. I run into people here who regard it as a long time favourite. Maybe our Stratford Festival should be doing it after that other Christophe (yclept Plummer) does his King Lear under Jonathan Miller's direction.' After comparing the Toronto weather with that of West Sussex, he concludes with 'many thanks for A Ringing of Bells and your permission to introduce it here'. In a postscript he states that his 'great concern here is getting a Theatre Museum launched'. The fifth and sixth letters (6 September – from 'Your willing Canute' – and 4 October 2001) concerns 'the possibility of the staging a reading' of Fry's 'Ringing of Bells', which Whittaker describes as 'your Bunyanesque delight', for the members of Whittaker's Arts and Letters Club. In the sixth he thanks Fry for repeating the 'nice words' of two compliments: 'I am flattered into almost believing them, always a trap. That Michael Holroyd uttered such praise is likely to make me unbearable for some days'. On 22 February 2002 (the second letter in autograph) he reports that 'A Ringing of Bells' was 'given a most sympathetic and appreciative reading (in costume) by a group of experienced members to a Great Hall full of other attentive members. Your name had drawn a lot of attention and the attendance reflected that with close attention. | “We have honoured the text” said Julian Mulock its director. I acted as dramaturge, introducing the script and your interest in seeing it done here in what Julian announced as “the first North American presentation.”' He feels that Fry 'would have appreciated the simplicity and concentration of your beautiful work'. He ends with his 'warmest wishes to a favourite poet'. The final letter begins with acknowledgment of the receipt of a copy of Fry's 'remarkable translation of Ibsen's Peer Gynt', which 'comes as a delightful surprise […] It is a masterwork that is rarely seen these days'. He compares it with 'a very barebones effort' – a version 'in practical prose' by Frank McGuinness. 'I did once design and directly [sic] a university production of it, so long ago I have forgotten which version we used. It was also conceptualized – to use the current term. It had its actors in their usual wearing apparel with just touches of character costume and was performed with the aid of two of our Canadian snow-fences, large wooden structures used to preak [sic] up heavy snow-drifts. These served a variety of purposes in the Norwegian landscape. We did have some good masks for our trolls, tho''. He assumes that Fry has 'seen a number of elaborate productions, perhaps that with Ralph Richardson as Peer and Laurence Olivier as his Button-Moulder? Sybil Thorndyke the Aase, I seem to recall. Mid-forties, I believe.' He laments that his eyesight 'is so poor now that I can only peer at your Peer', but he does so 'with much appreciation. It is a rare addition to my reduced library.' He has 'moved to the Performing Arts Lodge and sharply confined in living-space so most of my books went to the library of our York University, along with my papers, but I held on to a few favourites which are now enriched by the additon of A Ringing of Bells and this splendid version of the great dramatic poem. Enriched indeed.' He mentions some of the 'other, lesser plays' he gets to see. He concludes with reference to the death of Queen Elizabeth (mother of Elizabeth II): 'I had a call from London this morning from a longtime acquaintance named Iain Dow who related how he felt standing for four house [sic] to pay tribute to the Queen Mother. It moved me with a picture of a nation bereft.' Included with the eight letters is a copy of the photocopied programme of The Arts and Letters Club production of 'A Ringing of Bells', 22 February 2002, with dated and signed autograph inscription to Fry. Thanks are given in the programme to Whittaker, 'who brought us the script and provided the inspiration for the production'.