THEATRE REVIEWS

Buchanan’s Short Plays

1. Only A Vagabond (1881)

The Graphic (19 February, 1881 - Issue 586)

     Mr. Robert Buchanan’s historical drama, The Nine Days’ Queen, of which we gave some account on the occasion of its recent production at a matinée at the Gaiety, has been reproduced at the ROYAL CONNAUGHT Theatre. Miss Harriet Jay, the author of that clever novel, “The Queen of Connaught,” again sustains the character of the heroine. By way of introduction to the evening’s entertainment the management have produced a comic drama in two acts, entitled Only a Vagabond, founded on one of Mr. Robert Buchanan’s “London Poems.” The story of this little piece is somewhat extravagant. It represents a solicitor of position conspiring with his father, who is a tramp and a mendicant, to coerce a young lady into a marriage, while concealing from her the circumstance that she is an heiress under a will, which is to be fraudulently hidden for the purpose. The old tramp proves a marplot; and finally, his sympathies being aroused by the young lady’s appeal to his generosity, he declines to be a party to the deception, and assists in exposing the nefarious scheme. The moral seems to be that a generous ne’er-do-weel is morally superior to a smug solicitor of crafty and designing habits; but this is a thesis hardly worth maintaining in two acts. The story, such as it is, however, is skilfully set forth, and the dialogues and incidents amuse the audience; though Mr. Wood plays the part of the father with annoying exaggeration; and the representative of the young heroine is too manifestly a manifest novice. The best piece of acting in the play is Mr. Beaumont’s performance of the part of the wicked solicitor.

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The Era (19 February, 1881 - Issue 2213)

CONNAUGHT THEATRE.

     Mr Robert Buchanan’s historical play A Nine Days’ Queen, recently produced at the Gaiety, and fully noticed in these columns, has now taken the place of La Fille du Tambour Major here, and seems likely to attract considerable attention, and to win deserved favour. Miss Harriet Jay resumes her original character as Lady Jane Grey, and is well supported by Mr F. H. Macklin as Lord Dudley, Mr H. St. Maur as Earl of Hertford, and other competent artists. The drama is preceded by a two-act piece called Only a Vagabond, also from the pen of Mr Buchanan. It is not very original, but it is thoroughly interesting; and, having in Mr Arthur Wood a most competent exponent of the most prominent and most important part, it should command success. The part referred to is that of Elijah Sleek, a man who returns to England from America very poor and very shabby, and, in a word, a vagabond. Elijah has a son—a highly respectable son—Thomas, who is by no means proud of him. Indeed, he has given him money to keep at a distance. He has, however, returned, and Thomas must put up with him as best he can. Soon the vagabond father becomes the instrument for the frustrating of the rascally scheme of the son. He is once more disgusted with respectability, and back he goes to his wandering, shiftless, vagabond life. Mr Wood’s acting throughout is admirable, and he gets good support at the hands of Messrs Beaumont (as the son Thomas), Bauer, and Bindloss; and Misses Letty Lind, and Clifton.

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2. A Dark Night’s Bridal (1887)

Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper (10 April, 1887 - Issue 2316)

VAUDEVILLE.

     Mr. Robert Buchanan’s new one-act poetical comedy, called A Dark Night’s Bridal, is a far-fetched, romantic little piece that is not long enough to be tedious, but fails to interest to any extent, for the reason that the issue can be perceived almost from the outset. An aged old tyrant living in the Middle Ages mistakes a knight who has sought shelter in his castle from a storm for a particularly ardent lover of his niece. The Sire de Chassaloup refuses to listen to any explanation, and offers him the hand of the lady or a noose, giving him half an hour to decide. The thought of being married on compulsion is at first repellant to both the young people, but in a short time they grow fond of each other and proceed to their bridal as the curtain falls. The dialogue is the best feature of the flimsy trifle, which is avowedly founded on a prose sketch by Mr. R. L. Stevenson. The piece was ably acted by Miss Kate Rorke and Messrs. Fuller Mellish and Royce Carleton; but the attitude of the audience was rather that of graceful toleration than of satisfaction.

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The Times (11 April, 1887 - p.8)

     As a lever de rideau to Sophia there was produced at the Vaudeville on Saturday night a short one act piece in blank verse by Mr. Robert Buchanan, called A Dark Night’s Bridal. For the story of this the author confesses himself indebted to a “prose sketch” by Mr. R. L. Stevenson. The acknowledgment is well-meant, but, unfortunately, it associates a probably innocent writer with a very incoherent, not to say nonsensical, piece of work. The scene is laid at the Castle Chasseloup, in Burgundy in the 15th century, and the personages are three—Le Sire de Chasseloup (who is nameless), his niece Blanche, and a casual visitor, Henri de St. Valery. Le Sire de Chasseloup has intercepted some amorous correspondence between his niece and a certain captain of archers, who, it appears, has arranged a secret meeting with the young lady. As luck has it, Henri de St. Valery, a total stranger to the household, enters the castle about the time appointed for the rendezvous to seek shelter from a storm, and is mistaken by the irate châtelain for his niece’s lover. Explanations and protests are unavailing; Blanche’s uncle has resolved that she shall wed the intruder then and there, an altar and a priest being provided for the occasion, and the visitor is given a quarter of an hour to decide whether he shall marry the young lady or be hanged. After some haggling, the match is agreed upon and the curtain falls. There is not a glimmer of truth or common sense in the story, the absurdity of which, as here told, is accentuated by the conscientious and careful acting of Mr. Royce Carleton as the châtelain, and Miss Kate Rorke and Mr. Fuller Mellish as the lovers.

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The Theatre (1 May, 1887)

     A new poetical comedy, in one act, entitled “A Dark Night’s Bridal,” founded by Robert Buchanan on a story of R. L. Stevenson’s in “The New Arabian Nights,” was produced at the Vaudeville on 9th April. Henri de St. Valery, a young soldier, drawn in the romantic lines of mediævalism, finds himself overtaken by a storm in the neighbourhood of an old Burgundian castle, and seeks shelter there. The owner of the castle. Sire de Chasseloup, mistakes his guest for a lover of his niece, and very angrily demands that St. Valery shall marry the lady immediately, or submit to the ignominious process of strangulation. As only one course can be adopted, a lovemaking consequently ensues, at first of a rather stormy character, but ultimately maturing into a placid acceptance of the old sire’s requirements. As a book for the study, Mr. Buchanan’s little comedy would be most acceptable, but it seems rather out of place upon the stage. Miss Kate Rorke played the wayward Blanche in pretty, mock-coquettish manner. The Sire de Chasseloup of Mr. Royce Carleton was a somewhat stiff performance, and Mr. Wheatman and Mr. Fuller Mellish did not achieve any considerable measure of success.

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3. The Night Watch
(First performed April, 1902)

The Stage (10 April, 1902 - p.10)

     SOUTHEND—EMPIRE.—The Southend Dramatic Society on Tuesday night gave a performance in aid of the Fund to provide a Permanent Memorial to the late Robert Buchanan, who had resided at Southend for a long period, and now rests in “God’s little acre by the sea,” beneath the sheltering wall of the Church of St. John. The local society decided to give performances on two nights—Tuesday and Wednesday—in aid of the Memorial Fund, and for such an occasion could not have presented a more attractive programme. Indeed, the curtain raiser was produced for the first time by permission of the author’s sister-in-law, Miss Harriett Jay. This was a poetical drama in one act, by Robert Buchanan, entitled:—

The Night Watch.

Heinrich von Auerbach    . . . . Mr. Reginald Sewell
Vicomte de Lisle    . . . . . . . .  Mr. J. K. F. Picken
Hubert    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. G. W. Taylor
Dr. Marton     . . . . . . . . . . . . Mr. Reveirs-Hopkins
Irene de Grandfief     . . . . . . . Mrs. Reveirs-Hopkins

This drama was admirably acted by a quintet of well-known amateurs; but it was not a cheerful opening for an evening’s entertainment. It was tragedy, as a contrast to the comedy to follow. Mrs. Reveirs-Hopkins cleverly interpreted the character of Irene de Grandfief, and Mr. Reginald Sewell appeared as Heinrich von Auerbach, who is supposed to have witnessed the death of the Vicomte de Lisle, to whom Irene is betrothed, and who, by a freak of fortune, is brought wounded to the chateau of which Irene is mistress. The participation of Heinrich in the events which led to the supposed death of her lover leads Irene to be tempted to allow Heinrich to die by neglect, but her better feelings hold sway, and as the curtain falls her lover returns well, and the scene closes with the usual conquest of meaner feelings with virtue triumphant. Buchanan’s Sweet Nancy was the chief feature of the programme. Mrs. Reveirs-Hopkins decidedly scored a success as an amateur in the part of Nancy; Mrs. Cardy Bluck made a charming Barbara, and the other sister, Teresa, became an admirable juvenile part in the hands of Miss Dora Seal. Mr. William Gray looked the character as Sir Roger Tempest, and acted admirably. Mr. Donald Gray was a very fair Frank Musgrave.

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