London at the End of the Century:A Book of Gossip
a Beckett, Arthur William
1900
THE TURF IN THE FRENCH THEATRES.
The mention of that most clever and of singer-actresses, Mdme. Hortense Schneider, reminds me that the great French public have never cared for the racing drama. Only a year or so ago a Drury Lane drama dealing with the Grand National was transplanted to , and although staged to perfection under the direction of the late Sir Augustus Harris, failed to prove very attractive. I have been told by the author of the piece that the manager of the theatre insisted upon the introduction into this play of of a of clowns! And quite recently there was a French produced at the Princess's, in which a (presumably a ) was a very prominent character. The wore a long light coat, a pair of field-glasses and a straw hat. He was pressing in his attentions upon the unprotected but virtuous heroine, to that lady's | |
134 | indignation. However, upon the noble-minded maiden stamping her foot and in dumb show the politely lifted his straw hat and made himself scarce. Beyond this I do not think that there has been any very modern French drama treating of the turf. Some years since I remember seeing a play in (I fancy it must have been at the Ambigu) in which there was a scene laid on a racecourse. I have rather an indistinct recollection of what it was all about, but I remember that the course was kept by mounted British soldiers (presumably Life Guards), and there was only one policeman-and he an avowedly comic character. A horse was brought across the stage, and received with cheers and laughter. The play ended by the hero, who was also a sailor, receiving a free pardon (for something he had been accused of doing but had not done), and the vote of the House of Commons. This was accorded him by a General, who was called in the bills and I supposed must have been intended for the Victor of Waterloo. I knew that it was a very wonderful performance altogether, but fancy that the least effective part of the piece was that which dealt with the racing. |