STAGE

1p, 4to. In fair condition, on lightly aged and creased paper, folded twice. Reads: 'Sir Frank Benson regrets that his departure for South Africa will prevent his having the pleasure of availing himself of the Literary Society's kind invitation to assist at the banquet, on Wednesday, July 16th. -'

It is puzzling that Van Druten, one of the most successful British playwrights of the early 1930s, should not have an entry in the Oxford DNB. The present entertaining and informative letter is written from the A. J. C. Ranch in Coachella Valley, which Van Druten purchased with his then-lover Carter Lodge and the British actress Auriol Lee (it was named after the initals of their first names).

The three items (two letters from Peter Opie to MacQueen-Pope and carbon copy of his reply to the first of these) are in fair condition, on aged and lightly-creased paper, with a slight nick at the head of the first letter. Inspired by the recent publication of MP's 'The Melody Lingers On: The Story of Music Hall' (1950), Opie writes to MP via his publishers W. H. Allen & Co, and signs both letters 'Peter Opie.' MP writes to Opie at Rockbourne House. ONE: TLS from Opie to MP. 20 January 1951. 1p, 4to.

1p, 8vo. On aged and worn paper, with spots of rust staining from paperclip. Folded twice. Addressed to MP at 359 Strand, WC2. Reads: 'Dear Popie, | Children's Theatre | Sound | This is just to acknowledge your rough draft of the article you suggest. I have not had time to look at it yet, but I will do so as soon as I possibly can. Meanwhile, perhaps your secretary will let my secretary know the latest date for returning it.' MP's reason for sending the article to Donat is not immediately apparent. Donat's papers are in the University of Manchester Special Collections.

ONE: Marsh to MP. 19 November 1951. 2pp, 8vo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with light rust spotting from paper clip. Folded twice. Pencil note by MP. Marsh begins his letter: 'My dear Popie. | Very many thanks indeed for the book. It came on Saturday, & I read nothing else till I finished it this morning. Very many congratulations too, your Achievement story is itself a big achievement, & everyone who loved Ivor will be grateful to you for it. You can imagine how many memories it revived in me, & how much it added to my Knowledge.

Contemporary duplicated typescript, from the Christopher Fry papers. 14pp, 8vo. Each page on a separate leaf. In fair condition, lightly aged. Fry's introductory talk is present in its entirety on pp.1-5, this is followed by an unpaginated page, then pp.8-15 with p.[10] also unpaginated. Hence p.6 or p.7, beginning the extracts from the play, would appear to be absent. On the front page, between the heading and transmission details is: 'Rehearsal: Thursday 4th June 1953: 10.00 onwards | Recording: Thursday 4th June 1953: 12.15 - 1.00 p.m. 3A | Recording of Insert: [BLANK]'.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Thin strip of paper from mount adhering to edge on blank reverse. Folded three times. Signed and dated at foot: 'Leman Rede/ | 31. May 1841'. Addressed at bottom left: 'To | Mrs.

Four-page programme on bifolium, stapled into covers of shiny art paper. In fair condition, worn and aged, with rusted staples. Folded once. The covers are printed on the outside only. On the front are two illustrations in Georgian style, with the caption 'George Barnwell's Contrition'. On the back is a drawing of 'Portsmouth Old Theatre', 'Reproduced by kind permission of Arthur Moreland.' The small signature ('Nigel Playfair') is at top right of front cover. The first page of the programme carries five 'Producer's Notes' by 'Lessee & Manager' Playfair.

1p, 8vo. Aged and worn. Four folds. Panel from envelope attached to reverse, with postmark and address to 'Chas. Thompson Esqr. | 34 Bedford Street | Covent Gard.' He has 'already so many unpublished Plays' in which he has 'the right of Representation', that he must 'decline making any further purchases at present'. But even if he were 'inclined to make further purchases, it would most certainly be in Copyright and not in rights to print - which I suppose is what you mean by the term Printing Copyright'. He is however still 'much obliged to you for the offer'.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. The recipient is not named. An interesting letter, indicating the relationship between two major theatrical figures in Victorian London. The main body of the letter reads: 'Dear Sir, | You really must excuse my incurring any such responsibility as that you would impose upon me. I am unable to controul Mr.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Thin strip of paper from mount adhering to edge on blank reverse. Folded three times. Signed and dated at foot: 'Leman Rede/ | 31. May 1841'. Addressed at bottom left: 'To | Mrs.

Four-page programme on bifolium, stapled into covers of shiny art paper. In fair condition, worn and aged, with rusted staples. Folded once. The covers are printed on the outside only. On the front are two illustrations in Georgian style, with the caption 'George Barnwell's Contrition'. On the back is a drawing of 'Portsmouth Old Theatre', 'Reproduced by kind permission of Arthur Moreland.' The small signature ('Nigel Playfair') is at top right of front cover. The first page of the programme carries five 'Producer's Notes' by 'Lessee & Manager' Playfair.

1p, 8vo. Aged and worn. Four folds. Panel from envelope attached to reverse, with postmark and address to 'Chas. Thompson Esqr. | 34 Bedford Street | Covent Gard.' He has 'already so many unpublished Plays' in which he has 'the right of Representation', that he must 'decline making any further purchases at present'. But even if he were 'inclined to make further purchases, it would most certainly be in Copyright and not in rights to print - which I suppose is what you mean by the term Printing Copyright'. He is however still 'much obliged to you for the offer'.

Phelps's entry in the Oxford DNB gives the background to the present letter, stating that Phelps 'married Sarah Cooper (1810/11–1867) on 11 August 1826; she was just sixteen. However, their marriage was very happy: they were a devoted couple, and Sarah later served as Phelps's dresser. Phelps preferred home life with her to clubs or social gatherings. His other delights were angling and shooting, and he purportedly knew every trout stream in England. They had three sons and three daughters, including William Robert (1828–1867), who became chief justice of St Helena, and Edmund (d.

On one side of a slip of laid paper cut from the end of a letter: roughly 4 x 17 cm, the reverse being blank. In good condition, lightly aged. Good neat signature to the valediction of a letter. Reads: 'I am my d [Phippen?] | (in great haste | Yours very truly | Jos: S: Munden'. Munden eas the subject of one of the "Essays of Elia" (Charles Lamb).

The two letters in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Both with contemporary annotation at head of first page. ONE: From 13 North Crescent, and signed 'John M Morton'. 2pp, 12mo. Addressed, with a second signature, to 'J. P. Harley Esq'. Begins: 'Tho' not quite finished, you will see enough of the drift of the piece, to enable you to say whether you fancy it or not. I have written it out without amendments, which are rarely made, if you approve - I began Dainty (you remember the name?) for Mr. [Humby?], but broke down'.

Stanford's study of Fry in the British Council's 'Writers and their Work' series was re-published several times, and the early letters in the present collection refer to the preparation of the fourth edition, published by Longmans in 1971 (the bibliography to which Stanford refers as 'CHRISTOPHER STATE PAPERS'). A total of twenty-six items. The material in good condition, lightly aged. Stanford's nineteen letters total 65pp, 12mo. In an undisciplined hand, in different-coloured ink, on different-coloured paper. Stanford's 19 letters between 17 February 1970 and 31 October 1978.

A nice collection of material, including five letters in which an American actor writes to a London friend while on a visit to England. The recipient of McDonough's letters is John Jabez Stocken (d.1892), head of a leading City of London firm of tobacconists, and an antiquary. (His son Frank Lacy Stocken (1867-1937) was later an actor under the name 'Frank Lacy'.) From the correspondence it is clear that McDonough stayed with Stocken during his stay in England.

4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged, with pin hole to one corner. Folded once. The recipient is not named, but would appear to be a fellow member of the Women's Institute. She apologises for having been 'unable to attend the former meetings, as I am just convalescent from blood-poisoning followed by a bad nervous break down'. She will 'certainly come on Friday at 3-30.

2pp, 16mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. 'Alice' will be 'charmante' if she can let him know when he can see her 'chez vous'. 'Je voudrais vous parler de l'affaire de Deauville pour laquelle Plumkett [sic] a écrit à mon frère.' He asks again to be sent 'un mot' telling him when he can see her, any time other than 4 pm will do. He ends by remarking how long it has been since he last had 'le plaisir de vous serrer la main!'

1p, 16mo. In good condition. He begins by telling her that he will not be travelling anywhere that summer for work, but that he may go and rest at Aix, 'et voilà tout'. He continues: 'On m'a dit que vous etiez charmante dans Andrea, mon premier soir de liberté sera pour vous aller voir . . . . | J'irai vous dire bonsoir et vous raconter l'histoire de mon depart de la Comédie'.

The Times, 16 February 1860, announces 'the new drama, called A TALE OF TWO CITIES', at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, 'Sole Lessee and Directress, Madame Celeste'. ('Madame Céleste' [Céline Céleste-Elliott] (c.1815-1882) was a French dancer and actress.) 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded three times. The recipient is not named. The letter has a large signature ('Henry Betty.') with florid underlining.

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with traces of grey-paper mount on blank reverse, and minor discolouration at one edge from glue used. The actor Henry Leigh Murray (1820-1870) is identified in pencil as the recipient. The letter begins: 'My dear Sir, | You are quite welcome to a P[rivate]. Box if there is one to spare'. He asks him to 'call or send to Mr. Massingham at the Box Office at 1/2 past 4 o'clock who has received instructions to attend to your wishes, if all the Boxes are not let by that time'.

See Meadows' entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient of the letter is not named, but it comes from the album of the actor Henry Leigh Murray, which also contained a letter regarding a theatre box from Charles Kean (offered separately). 1p, 12mo. 1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with traces of grey paper mount on reverse, and slight discolouration at corners from glue. Written with mock-pomposity, and beginning: 'My dear Sir | I hereby give you notice that Mr C. Kean has delivered unto me a Card for a Private Box for to-morrow Augt. 19th.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 12mo bifolium, with the two-page letter on both sides the first leaf, and the list of plays on recto of second leaf. In fair condition, aged and worn, with closed tear. Folded three times. Addressed: 'To/ | Chas. Perkins Esqr. | 2 North Place | Hampstead.' The letter begins: 'My dear Perkins, | I have not been able to reply to your last earlier - having been confined to my bed-room ever since the 31st. of July by a most severe attack of inflammation.' He has been obliged to postpone his 'Cork engagement on account of this unseen misfortune'.

The text is on one side of a 13 x 16 cm piece of laid watermarked paper. The signature 'J. Kemble' is at bottom left, in slightly-darker ink than the fifteen lines of text. Lightly aged and with short closed tears at edges of two folds. Slight traces of brown-paper mount at top corners on reverse, which carries a capable ink drawing of 'the Caducean Trident' mentioned in the text: a dragon with two sets of wings, body stiff as a rod, encircled by two snakes.

Possibly the author's first book (see below), from the Christopher Fry papers (despite the ownership inscription). 54pp, 12mo. Stapled into green printed wraps (title and words '(ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)'). Tiny ownership signature in initials ('R. G.') in top right-hand corner of title-page. No details of publication or date, other than the printers' slug at bottom left of title-page.

From the Christopher Fry papers. PLAY: [1] + 47pp, 12mo. Stapled into buff wraps printed in red, including the statement that it is the 'Friends of Canterbury Cathedral Edition'. In fair condition, lightly aged, in worn wraps, with a trace of rust to staples. This edition of the play (the first?) is uncommon: the only copies on OCLC WorldCat at the British Library and University of British Columbia. COPY LETTER: 4pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Written out in two hands, Recipient not named. With salutation 'Dear Sir,' and valediction 'I am | Yrs truly,'.

Seven items from the Christopher Fry papers, relating to the film 'A Queen Is Crowned', which was a British box office hit in coronation year, and was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. At the time of writing Fry was at the height of his popularity: around this time he had four plays running in the West End at once.

Carbon typescript. 4pp, 4to. Paginated 1-4. In fair condition, aged and worn, with chipping to edges. The text concerns George Moore and Bernard Shaw, but the introduction suggests that this is the start of a longer piece: 'I will give Mr. Mead, who has done such fine work and who has been so energetic in developing the work of the Associacion de Cultura Inglesa, the full particulars of the E. V. S. A., [i.e. English Verse Speaking Association] and I hope that you will all become Members.' | Mr.