The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-03-14
: Ensland,s Play.Reader.

The Lord Chamberlain's play-reader
rcvises plays, exercises an autocratio
authority over theaters, bullyrags man.
ayers, and is decent or not as the spirit
moves him. Let me say he is usually
decent. His name is Pigot, an ex-bar-
rister. He has an Office down near St.
James Palace. His duties are to license
plays, and when he has said play
cannot go on that settles it; there is no
appeal. Not that the Lord Chamber
lain ever NEEDLES with plays; he is too
important an official for that, and the
supervision of this part of his duties is
perfunctory quite. He has charge of
public buildings and palaces, has an
office at Westminster, and is very
high and mighty man all around; but
the play-reader is a retiring little chap,
with literary turn of mind and stern
sense of duty.
Whenever a play is to be produced it
is sent to him with fee of one guinea
for each act He Immediately sends a
receipt for the guineas, and that is the
last you hear of them. Within week
you get notice of whether you can play
the piece or not, or if anything has got
to be expurgated. 1t is not necessary
for him to indicate why he will not
allow any play or part of it; he only
says yes or no and there's an end. A
short time ago a Canadian friend of
mine sent in melodrama, in seven
acts, to put before London manager.
The manager jumped at it and made
preparation for its production, saving,
"Oh. the license is all right; he won't in
terfere." But he did. The play was
sent around to him as soon as the
parts were copied, and with them
the necessary seven guineas. In a
few days notice was sent to the man.
ager that the piece could not be played.
We went to see him and asked to make
alterations. He said that he didn't
mind telling us that the Irish scene was
the Objectionable feature. and if we had
mind to cut that out and change the
time of action so that it would not deal
with the Government OF to-day, he
would permit its production. Now the
play had only the Irish scene, and it
dealt with peaceful village where there
was comparative prosperity, but out of
which there subsequently came the
thread of plot. In London the trou-
bles of the hero led to an appeal being
made to the Home Secretary, who, by
the way, is not represented. only re-
ferred to, and then not by name, and
his refusal to interfere calls forth the
effort to escape, and naturally leads to
his being "a hard-hearted man." Be-
yOnd this there is no reference 10 him,
but that was the ground upon which the
time of the action must be shifted.
"Can put it into the period of the Bea-
constield Government" said the man.
ager.
THAT can't say until 1 have seen
what you make it there
''Can take it to a time when the
Home Secretary was an unpopular
man?"
Il can't tell you. This you can do.
however. You can take it out of the
reign of Queen Victoria"
"But, bless me, that would spoil the
play altogether. 1t of a necessity deals
with the present"
Well. the play was not produced. and
won't be. Why, at the pantomime at
Drury Lane they had a cut made in the
procession. 1t was arranged to have a
taubleau vivant of 1000 years of English
history, beginning with William the
Conqueror. all the Kings and their
Queens TO march down the stage with
something typical of their reign, and
so on. Well, they did not come further
than William w., because to proceed
further would be to deal with public af-
fairs, and, in the minds of some, to Gre
ate possibly spirit of ridlcule. SO even
the representation of Lord Beaconsfield
was not permitted. The offense under
the law in n case of this kind is one OF
the most serious. Treason-no less.