The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-03-15 00:00:00

THE LORD CHAMBERLAIN AND "THE

HAPPY LAND."

Considerable Interest has been excited in the thea-
trical world of London by the action of the Lord
Chamberlain in cancelling the license of the above
play at the Court Theatre in London. The circum-
stances under which the cancelling took place, and the
conditions under which the license was restored will be
gleaned from the following communication issued from
the Lord Chamberlain's office :
Lord Chamberlain's Office, St. James's
Palace, SW.
On the 3rd of February a manuscript piece, called" The
Happy Land," was submitted for license from the Court
Theatre to the Reader of Plays. It contained a good many
political allusions ; but as they were generalities, and not
pointed to Individuals, the MS. was sanctioned, and the
Weise for It *ranted on the Bth of February. in the 3rd
Inst. a piece was produced at that theatre purporting to
be the piece licensed by the Lord Chamberlain. It was not
until late on the 6th that the Lord Chamberlain's attention
was directed to the fact that the piece, as acted,
abounded in personalities, avid that three members of
the Government were represented In person on the stage.
On the evening of that day he himself visited the
theatre; and finding on Inquiry that these personal-
ties were not in the MS. submitted, gave orders that the
license should be suspended. On the 6th the manager was
Informed that the license was cancelled. In the afternoon
the manager came to the Lord Chamberlain's Office, and was
informed that, before anything else could be done, the
prompt copy of the piece must be sent for comparison
with the copy licensed and retained at the Lord Chamber-
lain's Office. By a mistake of the theatre messenger the copy
was sent to the private house of the Ressler of Plays instead
of to the office, where that gentleman waited till past four
o'clock. On returning he found the messenger awaiting him
with the prompt copy, but the original MS, was at the Lord
Chamberlain's Office, and he considered it then too late to re•
turn for the purpose ot comparing the two copies. On the Bth
they were compared, and it was found that In the prompter's
copy there were eighteen quarto pages of additions, idter-
poiations, and deviations from tne original licensed text;
and that in the original MS. there was no indication what-
ever of the Intention to point the allusions to Individuals.
This was pointed out to the manager, who called In the course
Of the day, and admitted it to he the case. The manager
expreaged regret at what had occurred, and begged that the
pleeeimlght he allowed to he performed as origin illy licensed,
promising to adhere verhatiin to the text, and to acid any-
thing which should convert the general allusions to per-
eunalitlee. Under those circumstances the Lord Chamber-
lain consented to relicense the piece, and the manager was
is Informed.

The Observer gives the following account of the scene
in the theatre on Saturday night, on the reproduction
of the play:— '

- . .
The theatre was crammed from floor to ceiling. and we
were informed that many hundreds were turned Away. The
lines spoken on Saturday evening were those In the original
text submitted to the licenser of plays, and passed by
him on the distinct underetanoing that they would not be
altered after his license had been granted. Mr Fisher. Mr.
Hill, and Mr. Rlghton acted in the same dresses, but without
the make-up of the faces which has caused so much com-
ment, but disguised or not, the audience fully understood
who the characters were meant to he, and had no difficulty
In detecting the points of the various allusions to matters
sof public interest. Indeed, increased power was given to
the satire by the deferential tone in which the actors touched
dangerous words and awkward subjects, as much as to say,
"Oh I beg pardon, I must not allude to so and no, or talk
about such and such a thing." Before the curtain drew up.
It had been arranged to read out to the audience the passages
cancelled by order of the Lord Chamberdsin, but we are glad
to find this threat was not carried into execution. Every
seat In the house on Saturday night, no matter whether in
stalls, boxes, or pit, was booked before the doors of the
theatre were open. No money was taken In the evening.

[Miss Litton, manageress of the Court Theatre,
writes to the papers to remove • wrong impression
conveyed by the Lord Chamberlain's statement that
18 pages of the manuscript of " Ilappy Land "de
viated from the original as submitted for approvaL
"In the course of rehearsal," Miss Litton explains,
"certain additions and alterations were undoubtedly
made as occasion arose, but a large proportion of them
had no reference whatever to political topics."]