The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1910-04-22
Great Festival Of an Empire.


OF all the big cities in the world to
brag about its history, that city is as
full OF hstory-and very interesting
history, too-ns an egg Is OF meat. II
Frank Lnsceles Is arranging, called
'the festival OF empire and the pag.
cant OF London" II will be produced
May - and will last during June and
July. Whatever profits accrue from It
are to be given to the kings hospital
fund
This festival OF empire, which will
be produced at the crystal palace, IL
intended to give instruction in the his
tory of London and to show its grad
ual growth and Importance as the heart
of a worldwide empire The Crystal
palace was chosen as the most suit
able center for such n festival.
tremendous stand Is being erected,
from which not only this open air play
can be seen, but also view OF the
rolling hills OF Kent and Surrey. This
look alone Is well worth while going to
the Crystal palace to enjoy.
Naturally the Imagination thrills at
the thought Of a series of London pag-
eants-reproduction OF scenes which
bring home to the citizens Of London
the historic greatness Of their city.
Fifteen Thousand Persons Engaged.
The principle of the pageant will be
the representation OF certain episodes
In the history of London from the
times Of the early Britons to the nine.
teenth century. All this will be too
much TO give in one performance, 80
the story will be divided into three
parts, each part having seven scenes,
and these different parts will be given
alternately on afternoons and even
ings.
Fifteen thousand persons are to be
employed in the pageant. In some of
the scenes nearly 1000 people will ap.
pear.
In part the first scene Is called
1.-The Dawn OF History" 1t shows
prehistoric London, where the Britons
lived on the river which they called
the Fleet. Then come the Romans,
who rebuilt the city of London, and
after that the third shows the spread
of Christianity. Scene Is the Dan.
1sh invasion, showing those fine old
freebooters, the vikings, who push.
ed their queer looking boats up the
Thames. Then the Norman conquest
with King Harold's death and his sub
jects kissing the feet of the conQueror
And 50 1t goes on through the age Of
chivalry, when in the reign of Edward
Ill. there were tournaments in Cheap
side.
Part begins with the Canterbury
pilgrims and the tragedy of Thomas
Beckett. Following that Is the Wat
Tyler affair and Dick Wilmington,
probably with his cat, riding out with
the king. Then we are given the war
of the Roses and another triumph Of
conquest when Henry V. returns after
his defeat of the French
Modern Period Shown.
From this time on the pageant be-
comes practically modern history.
There is the discovery of the new
world, there is "merrie England"
there is the reign OF Queen Bess, and
80 on down to part 3, which has to do
with Shakespeare and his barnlike the,
alter, with the coming of Pocahontas
to England, with Wolfe and Montcalm
in Canada. with Captain Cook, who
had found another new world. and
finally with the collapse Of Napoleon
and the end Of the great continental
struggle for mastery.
The final scene will be the gathering
of the English colonies in London and
Great Britain, typited as the mother
with her children.
The representatives of English colo
MES are quite as enthusiastic about
this empire festival as are the people
who live in the heart of the empire
Canada, Australia, New Zealand, In
dia, South Africa and every other Brit
ish possession has representatives II
London who promise most enthusias
tic support.
Lord Plymouth, the Duke of Mari
borough, Lord Desborough and many
other wealthy and prominent English
men are not only contributing larg,
sums of money to this pageant, bu
also their personal time and attention
1t will be the biggest show that Lon
don has ever had.