Our Boys
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Our Boys is a comedy in three acts written by Henry James Byron, first performed in London in January 1875 at the Vaudeville Theatre. Until it was surpassed by the run of Charley's Aunt in the 1890s, it was the world's longest running play, up to that time, with 1,362 performances until April 1879.[1] Theatre owner David James (1839–93) was Perkyn in the production. The production also toured extensively.[2] The play contains the famous line, "Life’s too short for chess."[3]
The piece played in New York in 1875, at the New Fifth Avenue Theatre,[4] and in 1907 at the Lyric Theatre.[5] It also played in Philadelphia.[6] Arthur Williams appeared in a 1914 London revival of the piece.
Contents |
[edit] Roles
- Sir Geoffrey Champneys (a county magnate) – William Farren
- Talbot Champneys (his son, a washed-out youth) –
- Perkyn Middlewick (a retired butterman) – David James
- Charles Middlewick (his aristocratic-looking son) – Charles Warner
- Poddles (Middlewick's butler) –
- Kempster (Sir Geoffrey's servant) –
- Violet Melrose (an heiress) – Kate Bishop
- Mary Melrose (her poor cousin) – Amy Roselle
- Clarissa Champneys (Sir Geoffrey's sister, an elderly spinster) – Sophie Larkin
- Belinda (a lodging-house slave) – Cicely Richards
[edit] Synopsis
The butterman and Sir Geoffrey are equally wrapped up in their 'boys' and delighted to welcome them after a three-years' sojourn on the Continent. The Baronet — proud and poor — has decided that his son is to marry Violet Melrose, an heiress; but that young lady and Charles Middlewick have already met at Vienna and decided differently. Old Middlewiek has taken a great dislike to Violet, whom he considers ' stuck-up,' and he desires his son to wed Mary. Talbot, however, finds this free-and-easy young lady suits his taste; so fathers and sons fall out, and the latter retire in disgrace to some miserable London lodgings, where they try to earn an independence.
The fathers, after a few months, become so profoundly miserable without their boys that they follow them and find out from Belinda, the 'slavey,' that they are at the point of starving. Miss Champneys also arrives with a chicken and other delicacies, and Violet and Mary come to discover if their lovers are still faithful. After a few more misunderstandings, the boys are forgiven and taken back into favour. Miss Champneys has designs on the butterman's hand and heart.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Booth, Michael R. Review of plays by H. J. Byron including Our Boys in The Modern Language Review, Vol. 82, No. 3, pp. 716-17 (July 1987; Modern Humanities Research Association)
- ^ Pascoe, Charles Eyre. Our actors and actresses. The dramatic list, pp. 47, 61, 78, 133, 209, 244, 285, 289, and 371
- ^ Image of page from the script with the quote
- ^ IBDB listing for the 1875 Broadway production
- ^ IBDB listing for the 1907 Broadway production
- ^ Philadelphia production mentioned
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Long-running play information
- Davis, Jim (ed.) Plays by H.J. Byron: The Babes in the Wood; the Lancashire Lass; Our Boys; the Gaiety Gulliver (Cambridge, 1984).
- Information about a lawsuit over the rights to produce the play in New York
- Drawing of scene from Our Boys
- Information about productions at the Vaudeville Theatre