The Quaker Girl

Performed at the Adelphi Theatre, London.
Musical play by J.Y. Tanner, music by Lionel Monckton.
Opened 5th November, 1910 - ran for 536 Performances.

Starring: Gertie Millar.

Editorial and Photos all as published in 'The Play Pictorial' No. 104 (1910).

Cast		The principal players in this production.
Review		Review of the play.
Frocks and Frills		Descriptions of the costumes worn in the play.
Scenes from the Play		A selection of scenes the play

THE CAST

REVIEW

IT is a long time since the Adelphi was the home of such an unqualified success as "The Quaker Girl," which has already stood the test of five months' public appreciation and criticism, and which seems only on the threshold of its career. But Mr. George Edwardes has a perfect genius for managing these "shows"; he knows his public, he knows how to engage capable lieutenants who have the quickness of insight and the ability to put his ideas to practical purpose, and he has a discriminating eye in selecting his artists and making the best possible use of their talent.

One has only to turn to the programme of "The Quaker Girl" to realize how cleverly the cast has been selected, how each personality has been used to the best purpose, and how each stands forth glowing with the strength of its own particular temperament and individuality. 1 can do no more than casually direct attention to this especial feature, muuch as I should like to descant on the characteristics of each of the popular personages who appear with such unqualified success throughout the evening.

I have, however, a story to tell, and to supplement our illustrations and excerpts from the "book" with a summary of the story. At the same time I always approach the plot of a musical comedy with the dire apprehension that what afforded me three hours of unqualified amusement may appear trite and commonplace in my method of narrating it.

Take Prudence, the heroine, for example. She is a fascinating damsel (is she not represented by Miss Gertie Millar?) who chafes under the stern repression of Quaker life, and endeavours to mitigate the dullness of her daily routine by surreptitiously reading novels such as "The Reflections of Ambrosine," and lamenting in song :

And the days are very sad And the world is very grey, For theres not a Quaker lad Who will come to me and say: 'Thee loves me, and I love thee'- None to woo a maiden and take her Nobody seems to care about me; Life is very dull for a Quaker.

It is the last time, however, she has occasion to utter that piteous complaint, inasmuch as there comes upon the scene the mercurial Mr. Joseph Coyne, representing Tony Chute, of the American Embassy at Paris, who quickly instructs her in the lightning process of making love. Tony has arrived with his friend Captain Charteris (Mr. C. Hayden Coffin, youthful and dlbonnaire as ever) to be present at the runaway marriage of the latter with Mathilde, an exiled Bonapartist Princess (Miss Elsie Spain, with the charming voice), and when the wedding ceremony has been concluded the gallant lover and his lovely bride, defying the French law, speed away to Brabazon, a quiet retreat some little distance out of Paris. Here the story might have ended I with "and they lived happily ever after", but it is only 9 p.m. by the clock, and that is much too early to conclude a musical comedy.

Mr. Tanner has surmounted this difficulty by bringing over a one-time confidential servant of the Princess' family, who is now the head of a highly fashionable dressmaking establishment in Paris. Madame Blum (Mlle. Caumont, a Gallic Connie Ediss) is ravished with the originality of the Quaker dress, and as Prudence, according to her prim relatives, has overstepped the bounds of discretion, she agrees to accompany Madame to Paris and set the Parisians a new style, which she does all the more willingly because Tony will be her compagnon de voyage.

In the second act we find ourselves in a series of complications. Captain Charteris, being a King's messenger, has been summoned away after three days' honeymoon, and the Princess is lying perdu at Mdme. Blum's, where she escapes the inquisitorial attentions of the Chief of Police by disguising herself as one of Madame's mannequins. The Chief of Police (capitally played by that sound actor, Mr. D.J. Williams) appears in many disguises, but he cannot disguise Nature's handiwork, in the shape of a very obvious limp, and each of his efforts ends in discomfiture. There is no doubt but that he would have won after a close finish, had it not been for the good services of Prudence, who has become quite the rage.

Prudence has a rival in Tony's affections in Diane, a Parisian actress whose jealousy is admirably portrayed by Miss Phyllis Le Grand, and Diane, seeking to wound her feelings and injure Tony in her good opinion, places his letters, as she imagines, in the pocket of Prudence's dress, but the lady in her haste and rage has brought with her the wrong packet, and as these are the letters of the elderly Minister of the Interior he is so grateful to Prudence for returning them to him without a condition that he cancels the decree of banishment, declares the Princess's marriage to be perfectly valid, whereupon the mortified Chief of Police retires in high dudgeon, and the merry throng who are enjoying themselves at the Prince Carlo's ball at the Pre-Catalin Restaurant indulge in song and dance, and the curtain falls on a happy denouement.

Even Tony is made thoroughly happy by realizing that Prudence had been actuated by the best of motives in accepting the Prince's invitation to the ball, which he had expressly asked her not to attend on account of the well-known character of the Prince, and she had given her consent. But when it came to the point of saving the Princess or risking her personal happiness she chose the former and trusted to luck for the rest.

The broader humours of the piece are safe in the hands of those two excellent comedians, Miss Gracie Leigh and Mr. James Blakeley. Mr. Herbert Ross gives distinction to the rOle of the Minister, and Mr. G. Carvey uses an admirable baritone voice to good purpose as the Prince. Tbe scenery is beautiful, the music is in Mr. Lionel Monckton's brightest vein, and Mr. J.A.E. Malone is to be congratulated on the mise-en-scene and the ensemble in general.

B.W. FINDON.

Frocks and Frills

THE title of the charming Musical Play, "The Quaker Girl," would not lead you to expect much in the way of fashionable gowns. Yet Madame Blum, with her eye to effect, managed to introduce to her Parisian clientele this simple style, which, with infinite variations of colour and materials, set the world of fashion agoing. In the first Act we see the young exiled Princess Mathilde awaiting the arrival of her bridegroom. She wears a simple, yet very pretty, gown of white, with front and back panels of white silk embroidery. Bands of pale blue silk outline the panels and the hem of the skirt, which is quite straight and short. A large white Tagal hat lined with blue and round the crown pale blue tulle and a mixed garland of flowers. Both the hat and the dress suit Miss Elsie Spain admirably.

Miss Gracie Leigh, as the Princess' maid, Phoebe,looks very dainty in her little pink cotton frock, white collar and cuffs and apron, and the pert little sun-bonnet, that gives an additional charm to the piquante little face. With the entrance of Mdme. Blum, of the Maison Blum, Paris, Mdlle. Caumont immediately makes her atmosphere felt. Clad in one of her own creations in grey charmeuse, with a front panel of very handsome dull gold embroidered lace trimming, which is continued round the hem of the skirt and finished with heavy fringe of gold, she makes an imposing first appearance, although she is not tall.

She wears also a very lovely mantle of grey panne. This is lined throughout with the new cerise; it has a large sailor collar at the back with long tassels at each point. A toque of grey panne, turned up widely back and front with waving ostrich feathers at the back that fall over the crown.

The Quaker Girl, Miss Gertie Millar, first appears in company with Rachel Pym and her followers. The dress is exceedingly pretty and quaint.

The straight dress of a pretty shade of brown makes a pleasing contrast with the white Quaker kerchief and bodice laced across the front. White turned-back cuffs and apron and white Quaker bonnet. White lace mittens and brown silk stockings and suede shoes complete this quaint picture. Miss Elsie Spain's wedding gown is also a creation of Mdme. Blum, which the worthy woman has brought with her from her Atelier. This dress is of white satin and mousseline de soie, and has two insertions of silver embroidery and long fringe of silver bugles---forming a tunic skirt effect. A silver girdle encircles the waist, and the corsage has a mitred panel of silver embroidery; a very effective headdress of silver embroidery is worn, finished at one side with silver cords and at the other with a bunch of orange blossoms. The villagers make a pretty background in their fresh mauve and green striped frocks and sunbonnets, and large Romney hats. What pretty seaside and country millinery these would make, and for motoring the sunbonnets would be delightful, and so picturesque.

Act 2 introduces us to Mdme. Blum's dressmaking establishment, where the mannequins in gowns, one more lovely than the other, show the newest models. About a dozen of these are dressed in the Parisian Quaker Costume, as created by Mdme. Blum, introducing a variety of dainty innovations, yet keeping the character of the gown. These are all shown in a soft shade of grey. Miss Gertie Millar, Prudence, who has turned the heads of the Parisiennes with her innocence and natural charm, returns from the Races to Mdme. Blum's, where she is Mannequin in a Quaker dress with lace fichu and longlace apron. The pretty little cap of embroidered lace tied under the chin with narrow black velvet. A grey crepe de chine scarf embroidered with long fringed ends and a drawn silk muff edged with swansdown.

This dress she afterwards changes for a model gown in white mousseline de soie and crepe de chine, the front and back tunic effect in diamante net with silver fringe and green embroideries. A green velvet swathed cap placed well on the head looks bewitching.

Miss Phyllis Le Grand, as Diane, looks very lovely in a gown of grande nil charmeuse, the train falling in tasselled points. The corsage elaborately enbroidered and girdled at the waist. A large picture hat and the Aumoniere bag finished the charming ensemble. Mathilde, as a Mannequin, also looked delightful. Her dress of soft blue, with touches of Turkish embroidered motifs, was very pretty.

Phoebe again captivated everyone in her neat black silk maid's dress, with embroidered lawn collar and cuffs and a touch of blue at the waist.

Mdme. Blum in an apricot satin veiled with black mousseline de soie, embroidered in panels with old rose silk.

The scene of the Prince's ball was brilliant, as the beautiful gowns were so many and disappeared so quickly from the scene that it was almost impossible to grasp the details of them all.

The colour scheme impressed me most --- daringly bright tones, yet they did not seem to clasb.

I must content myself with describing Prudence's gown and two or three others. The lighting was so effective that it was difficult to be accurate in the colour, but Miss Millar's dress looked a lovely shade of blue grey satin messaline. The skirt of this had a decided air of the jupe culotte, but try as I would I could not discern it for certain. The satin bonnet worn over a lace cap was most charming.

Miss Phyllis Le Grand looked again to advantage in a glorious gown of olive green, veiled ninon, and trimmed with jewelled embroideries and a large spray of mauve orchids. Mdme. Blum was resplendent in old gold satin and white lace, veiled with embroidered ninon, and her Princess Mathilde in white crepe de chine with lower panels of satin and silver embroidery and a large black velvet hat.

Phoebe, this time in green with corsage of silver mail.

RITA DETMOLD.

SCENES FROM THE PLAY

Click any image for a larger view
Gertie Millar as Prudence	Prudence meets Tony Chute	Captain Charteris with Princess Mathilde	Jeremiah and Phoebe	Finale of Act I
Principal Ladies	Principal Men	Other Ladies	At the Ball (1)	Tony professes his love for Prudence
At the Ball (2)	Tony confronts prudence/Prudence hands Minister his letters	Tony and Prudence together	Prudence