Interesting times

Tuesday, January 5th., Cadogan Square, London.

A time of change it seems. I am full of life and anticipation, though also working too hard, by which I mean trying to do too many things. My 'shopkeeper' novel is going well, and I have hopes that it will do something to restore my reputation amongst the literati.

Only three weeks since I moved to this rather noble thing in houses, but already I feel settled and content. I liked Comarques but it was inconvenient, as well as being expensive. This too will be expensive, but a little less so. Really I am glad to be back in London where I am most at home and where the potential for bachelor excitement is considerable.

I went to the first night of "Polly" at the Kingsway, and I ought not to have gone as it gave me a set-back, being out at night. It is the most prodigious success, but as a show it is not equal to "The Beggars's Opera". My niece is threatening to visit and is desirous to see it. She is rather an attractive young woman so I shall not mind. Speaking of attractive young women, I have met a certain Dorothy Cheston who seems much interested in me. She is an actress, blonde, good figure, lively intelligence if a little lightweight, young enough to be my daughter. I feel my blood rising as I write! I shall invite her to accompany me to a private dance to be given by Richmond Temple at the Savoy. That will certainly impress her and who knows where things will then proceed.

Elegant women

Monday, March 8th., 37, Clarendon Road, Putney, London.

We left Paris on Saturday at 8.25, traversing hundreds of miles of snow. We are staying briefly with the Kennerleys on our way to Burslem.

Last thing I did in Paris was to visit the Exposition de la Societe des Aquarellistes at George Petit's. I went to pick up some hints about technique. general level very low. Coming out, I met procession of autos depositing elegant women at the door. I doubt if the auto has yet been properly done from the elegant and the purely romantic qualities it has. Then, similar thought to that caused by  the Debussy singer at Ullman's - all those painters having painted for a year to give, ostensibly, momentary pleasure to a few elegant un-understanding persons. Something fine about the notion somewhere. I thought I could work it up for "The Glimpse".

Two weeks ago, when he wrote to me in Paris, Lee Mathews said he thought he could sell "What the Public Wants" to Lena Ashwell. She is managing the Kingsway as well as appearing herself in the plays. To that end he took me to see Miss Ashwell today and we saw "The Truants", her current production, last evening. It is brightly written, has a splash of melodrama, and makes mild fun of the 'Salome' dance craze. Amusing and rather lightweight I thought for Miss Ashwell who is better suited to playing complex dramatic characters. I hinted this to her and she agreed but confided that the theatre is struggling financially and she needs a popular success. I don't think this will be it.

As at our first meeting I found Miss Ashwell to be in every way extremely attractive. Her voice is pitched low and has a slight vibratory quality which stirs something in me. And her eyes! When conversing with you she looks deeply, and almost without blinking, into your eyes. Hers are large, softly brown, slightly hooded, and entirely captivating. She is in truth a beautiful woman, elegant and understanding. She re-married last year to a medical man, the royal gynaecologist apparently. How much I regret that we did not meet sooner. She seems well-disposed to me, has read my books, and expects "What the Public Wants" to be a great success. What a wife she would have made. I feel quite downcast that her affections lie elsewhere.

First night failure

Tuesday, February 26th., Cadogan Square, London.

First night of "Kate" (or Love will find out the way -Good God!) at Kingsway last night. It fell flat in the audience. The applause exclusively friendly applause. The thing was killed by a perfectly rotten book. The plot was unfollowable and the words terribly dull. No one that I saw in the audience thought other than that the thing was a frost.

Marjorie Gordon

We went behind to Marjorie Gordon's dressing room. Full of flowers and bonbons (costly) and two bottles of champagne which I was asked to open. I opened one. Completely different atmosphere. Marjorie, after her great effort, needing praise and optimism, and getting them from half a dozen people. Difficult to know whether these artists really believe in a success, when any grain of common sense should tell them that the thing was bad and failed to please. A woman saying, "I'm sure the stalls liked it." Me saying, "Delightful, you were splendid Marjorie." (Well, she was, but had nothing to do.) "Beautiful production," and so on. All praise, no criticism. Not a hint as to the badness of the book. On the stairs I meet Donald C. Well, he asks my view. I tell him I like the production (I don't- yet we are very intimate), music, performances (yes, true). I gave a slight hint as to the badness of the book. He likes it all right. But supposing I told him the book was bad enough to bust up any show?

We drove homewards, Dorothy and I, and say again and again that the thing is hopeless. And in scores of cabs and autos radiating from the theatre to all points of the compass people are saying the same thing. But the artists and the aged authors of the book are trying, not successfully I think, to convince themselves that the thing is a success. This is a first night sample of many first nights.

 

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.