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First Plays By: A. A. Milne (1882-1956) |
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By A. A. Milne
TO MY MOTHER
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION
WURZEL FLUMMERY
THE LUCKY ONE
THE BOY COMES HOME
BELINDA
THE RED FEATHERS
INTRODUCTION These five plays were written, in the order in which they appear now,
during the years 1916 and 1917. They would hardly have been written had
it not been for the war, although only one of them is concerned with
that subject. To his other responsibilities the Kaiser now adds this
volume. For these plays were not the work of a professional writer, but the
recreation of a (temporary) professional soldier. Play writing is a
luxury to a journalist, as insidious as golf and much more expensive in
time and money. When an article is written, the financial reward (and we
may as well live as not) is a matter of certainty. A novelist, too,
even if he is not in "the front rank" but I never heard of one who
wasn't can at least be sure of publication. But when a play is written,
there is no certainty of anything save disillusionment. To write a play, then, while I was a journalist seemed to me a depraved
proceeding, almost as bad as going to Lord's in the morning. I thought
I could write one (we all think we can), but I could not afford so
unpromising a gamble. But once in the Army the case was altered. No duty
now urged me to write. My job was soldiering, and my spare time was my
own affair. Other subalterns played bridge and golf; that was one way of
amusing oneself. Another way was why not? to write plays. So we began with Wurzel Flummery. I say "we," because another is mixed
up in this business even more seriously than the Kaiser. She wrote;
I dictated. And if a particularly fine evening drew us out for a walk
along the byways where there was no saluting, and one could smoke a
pipe without shocking the Duke of Cambridge then it was to discuss
the last scene and to wonder what would happen in the next. We did not
estimate the money or publicity which might come from this new
venture; there has never been any serious thought of making money by my
bridge playing, nor desire for publicity when I am trying to play golf.
But secretly, of course, we hoped. It was that which made it so much
more exciting than any other game. Our hopes were realized to the following extent: Wurzel Flummery was produced by Mr. Dion Boucicault at the New Theatre
in April, 1917. It was originally written in three acts, in which form
it was shown to one or two managers. At the beginning of 1917 I was
offered the chance of production in a triple bill if I cut it down into
a two act play. To cut even a line is painful, but to cut thirty pages
of one's first comedy, slaughtering whole characters on the way, has at
least a certain morbid fascination. It appeared, therefore, in two acts;
and one kindly critic embarrassed us by saying that a lesser artist
would have written it in three acts, and most of the other critics
annoyed us by saying that a greater artist would have written it in
one act. However, I amused myself some months later by slaying another
character the office boy, no less thereby getting it down to one act,
and was surprised to find that the one act version was, after all, the
best... At least I think it is.... At any rate, that is the version I am
printing here; but, as can be imagined, I am rather tired of the whole
business by now, and I am beginning to wonder if anyone ever did take
the name of Wurzel Flummery at all. Probably the whole thing is an
invention. The Lucky One was doomed from the start with a name like that. And the
girl marries the wrong man. I see no hope of its being produced. But
if any critic wishes to endear himself to me (though I don't see why he
should) he will agree with me that it is the best play of the five. The Boy Comes Home was produced by Mr. Owen Nares at the Victoria Palace
in September, 1918, introduced afterwards into Hallo, America! at
the Palace, and played by Mr. Godfrey Tearle at the Coliseum in the
following April... Continue reading book >>
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