[Donovan Maule, English actor and theatre director.] Autograph Letter Signed to W. Macqueen-Pope, describing difficulties in establishing ‘the first professional theatre’ in Kenya, and discussing MP’s book on the Haymarket. With carbon of reply.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. (See his entry in the Oxford DNB.) Both items in fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Pinned together. ONE: DM to MP. Signed ‘Mollie and Donovan Maule. / (Mollie Shiells)’, but the husband is clearly the author. 1p, 4to. Folded twice for postage. He thanks him for his ‘inspiring book’ on the Haymarket Theatre. ‘My wife and I (both ex-Haymarket artists) feel inseminated ith fresh optimism and jope while battling with the municipal authorities and Kenya Government to establish the first professional theatre ever known here. To read of the early struggles and ultimate triumphs of many of The Little Theatre in the Hay’s determined pioneers - people like the two Colmans, Webster, and Buckstone - has lifted our hearts and spurred us to fresh endeavour. A copy of this book shall be our daughter Annabel’s Christmas-present this year.’ He asks him to make a reference to the play ‘Havoc’ in future editions (‘& it deserves to run into several’): ‘I noticed its unintentional omission particularly because it was in that play that I made my first appearance at the Haymarket, where incidentally my wife beat me to it with “The Blue Bird” in 1910.’ He ends with renewed thanks for ‘a fine book’. TWO: MP to DM. 1p, 4to. Although the book has ‘received a magnificent press it has done the least well of all my books, which I attribute to the fact that people today, if slightly interested in the Theatre as a whole have little interest in individual theatres - unless it is Drury Lane, for my history of that is a best seller. The next i[s] “Gaiety” - due next month, so we shall see. But “Carriages at Eleven” and “Twenty Shillings in the Pound” have sold like smoke.’ He will take up DM’s request with the publishers.