Bad press

Sunday, May 4th., Comarques, Thorpe-le-Soken.

Lillah McCarthy as Judith

I never before took so much interest in the production of a play of mine. "Judith" was produced at the Kingsway Theatre, London, last Wednesday, April 30th. It certainly bewildered people. Numerous comic touches were quite lost in the first act. In the second act Lillah McCarthy had put down her dress as low as it was at the first night at Eastbourne (after raising it for later performances at Eastbourne, and for dress rehearsals in London. Above a line drawn about an inch above the 'mont de Venus' she wore nothing except a four inch band of black velvet round the body hiding the breasts, and a similar perpendicular band of velvet strating from between the breats and going down to the skirt and so hiding the navel. Two thin shoulder straps held this contrivance in position. Bracelets and rings of course. the skirt was slit everywhere and showed her legs up to the top of the thigh when she lay down at Holofernes's feet. She looked a magnificent picture thus.

The end of act two might have been spoilt by an untimely descent of the curtain 10 seconds too soon. The performance as a whole was excellent. The disinterested applause was fair. The interested friendly applause was too insistent. House held over £150, the highest first night Kingsway ever had I think. The ordinary first night public was deroute. Common people seemed thoroughly interested and well pleased. The press criticisms next day were without exception unfavourable. The Sunday criticisms I have seen today were not bad though there was much exception taken to Lillah's nudity. In general the Press quite failed to comprehend the play, and said the most ridiculous things about it, showing immense stupidity.