[ Percy Burton; theatre history; Russia and Japan ] Typescript of the chapter on the Theatre in Russia and Japan originally intended for the Book Adventures among Immortals but omitted.

Typescript entitled Chapter XIV The Theatre in Russia and Japan, paginated (227)-(247) (as for a chapter in the Book), AND pp. [1]-8 and ((The Theatre in Japan) [1]-12, missing one page, p.(246)/11., total number of pages 19, fair condition. Percy Burton had written at the head of page(227)/[1] ? for inclusion or part of it in ADVENTURES AMONG IMMORTALS. Another hand has added in pencil No room for this, presumably editorial cold water. Burton's biographical Adventures among Immortals, pp.240-1, has the most fleeting of references to his experience of Russia and Japan: "So I withdrew virtually my entire remaining balance from the bank and spent it on a tour around the world. Among the host of other spectacles I saw the curious, conventualized theatre of the Chinese, the strangely different drama of the Japanese [...] the intense art of the Russians.. The text starts as the beginning of a chapter in his book. A. [Russia] He visited Russia before the First World War, investigating and enjoying Russian Theatres in the major cities, finding that theatre [is] in many ways more advanced than in England ad America [..] art first and commerce later. He visits the Mariensky for an extraordinarily simple and fine production of Twelfth Night, also discussing that theatre's production of 'Life of the Tsar'. Other theatres discussed in brief, including back-stage ('even baths in many of the dresing-rooms'). He meets up with 'many of Russia's best-known actors and actresses - all cultivated'. And attended the Jubilee performance of Tolstoi - censored 'in order to obviate to possibility of any socialistic demonstration. | No fewer than one hundred and fifty detectives were said to be that night scattered privately among the spectators.' He went behind the scenes and met the acting A-List. Some details concerning theatres in Petrograd and Moscow, with a section on the Moscow Arts Theatre (scenery for a 'Hamlet' by Edward Gordon Craig). Brief hwords concerning the Russian Theatre, mention of Stanislawsky [sic], theatres in provinces, length of the season, actors touring the provinces, visits by distinguished foreign actors (Duse, Bernhardt, etc). B. Japan, The Theatre in Japan. He had visited Japan with H. Beerbohm-Tree, and re-visited 'towards the close of 1929 [...] and I have lately been able to revise and modernize my impressions besides having a passing peep into the romantic drama of ancient China.' He discusses the Imperial Theatre, meets the leading actors. His first visit there as disappointing (a 'German picture play'). He discusses briefly features of performances, scenery, audience expectation (several plays afternoon and evening), the presence of shops and booths, smoking endemic, other customs, responses to performances, tickets and prices (negotiable except at the Imperial), behind the scenes at the Kabukiza, actors' income. 'The audience squat on their haunches, or recline at their comfort.' He discusses distinguished actors and galnces at the Japanese preference for 'the classic dramas of Old Yeda and Kabuki.' When he returned to Japan in 1929, ownership of the major Theatres was changing - discussed at length.