acting

The item would appear to relate to William Gaskill's 1984 Chichester Festival production of Congreve's 'Way of the World', in which Joan Plowright played Lady Wishford, and John Moffatt played Witwoud, although it is not clear why Fry should have been making directorial suggestions in this case. 2pp, 8vo. Written in pencil. In fair condition, aged and worn. Folded twice. From the Fry papers, and so possibly either a draft or not sent. The identity of the recipient is not clear.

Both items in good condition, but the postcard (of a Viennese street scene) with stamp torn off. ONE: ALS. Signed 'Walter (Rilla)'. Vienna; 7 November 1966. 1p, 8vo. Twenty-six lines of text, in a neat close hand.

1p, 12m. In good condition, lightly aged. Linklater writes that he is enclosing, as requested, his own copy of 'The Devil's in the News'. He asks Ashmore to 'consider the play your own property for the next six months', and to 'take any profit you can from it'. He does not expect royalties. Ashmore is 'at liberty to make any minor alterations, additions, or subtractions' that he may 'consider advisable'. The letter concludes: 'This is my only copy, and I shall be glad if some day you will return it.'

2pp, 12mo. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with binder holes in one margin. Folded once. He apologises for not answering her letter sooner, but he has been 'buried in a film studio for the past four months'. She will know that the film he is working on is 'Green for Danger'. The film has a planned autumn release.

2pp, 16mo. Bifolium, with the letter on the recto of the first leaf, and a long postscript on the recto of the second. In good condition, lightly aged, folded twice. A friend of Charles Dickens and his circle, and physician to Queen Victoria's uncle Prince Leopold, Quin founded the London Homeopathic Hospital in 1849. The letter invites Quin to 'dine with us on Tuesday the 23rd. Inst at a quarter before seven o' clock'. The pith is in the two postscripts: 'P.S.

On one side of 8 x 13.5 cm leaf of cream paper. In good condition, lightly aged and worn, with slight creasing to one corner. A good, firm underlined signature. Reads: 'Good luck to Enid! | Max Wall | 1951'. On the reverse is the autograph of an unknown signatory: 'To Enid | [Sister? Lister?] [J?] Ferguson'.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with slight damp staining. Addressed to 'Mr Brooks'. She is sending 'the script for you. It can, of course, be knocked about how you like. It is just a peg on which to hang things.' She reports that 'Collie' (i.e. Collie Knox) was pleased with Brooks's message, 'and sent most cordial ones back to you'. She concludes: 'We had an extremely pleasant lunch, and I shall look forward very much to meeting you again'.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with slight rust staining at head from paperclip. Reads: 'Dear C. B/ | Choice of two photographs with pleasure that you so flatter me as to want one. | Thought the enclosed cuttings from the NY Daily Mirror would interest you. Dont trouble to retain them. | Yours | George.' Wood was a screen and stage actor and comedian. A dwarf, he usually performed as a child. He wrote a weekly column in The Stage, and was a stalwart of the Savage Club. He is mentioned by John Lennon in the Beatles song 'Dig It'.

Sequeira was born in Aldgate. In the years following his service in the London Regiment during the First World War, he acted in Shakespeare at the Old Vic, and he would continue as an actor into the age of film and television. In addition to acting Sequeira taught (including a youthful Peter Cushing) at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, painted, and in 1953 published a book on stage make-up. The present four items, all undated, are in good condition, lightly aged. ONE: Autograph duologue titled 'Seeing the Coronation'. 5pp., foolscap 8vo. With revised conclusion, 1p., 12mo.

4pp., 16mo. Bifolium with mourning border, on paper embossed with the Macready crest. In fair condition, lightly aged, with torn hole to one corner of the first leaf (not affecting text), presumably caused by removal from mount. The recipient is clearly a member of the Hawtrey family (and presumably a relation of Edward Craven Hawtrey of Eton), as the letter concludes with the Macready family's best wishes 'to Mrs. Hawtrey'. It must date from before Macready's departure for Cheltenham in 1860.

1p., 4to. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. The letter reads: 'Sir | Having mislaid your letter of 14th. March last, you have doubtless considered me a very discourteous person - this day, in turning over a parcel of letters which had been put aside as answered, I fortunately discovered yours among the rest, requesting my Autograph, which I hasten to send you; and with many apologies for the delay, I am, Sir, | Your obedient servant | C. Kemble'.

1p., 12mo. On grey paper. In fair condition, lightly aged. He writes to enquire whether the recipient 'can undertake the publication of the novel I submitted to you – In the World of Mimes – as I am leaving town at the end of the week', and he hopes to 'settle the matter one way or the other (preferably one way & not the other)' before he leaves. 'In the World of Mimes' was published in London by Greening & Co. in 1902.

4pp., 16mo. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Achurch's entry in the Oxford DNB explains the context: 'In 1889, when she was still only twenty-three, she undertook the management of the Novelty Theatre, London, where on 7 June she appeared as Nora in the first English production of Ibsen's A Doll's House.

1p., 8vo. On aged and worn paper. Reads: 'One of the extraordinary things in this world is heredity. I occasionally met on the golf links at Thurlestone, a very delightful well-favoured young lady, of whom I saw too little. She told me she was your daughter. Is it possible? and such charming manners too. Well! its a wonderful world.' Finck's song 'In the Shadows' was one of the last to be played as RMS Titanic went down.

All three items in good condition, lightly aged and worn, and all in envelopes addressed by him to her at 48 Hogarth Road, South Kensington (the third 'Earls Court'). ONE: 10 June 1916. 3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. He begins by expressing a desire to visit the family, and then gives directions for the use of field glasses which he is sending his father. 'They are German I am sorry to say, but the best.' TWO: 28 December 1917. 2pp., 12mo. He found her 'beautiful drawing' on his return home, and 'Auntie Gertrude will see it today. - I was thirteen days at sea, the ship having to go up to Halifax.

It is safe to say that no Shakespearian actor travelled as widely as Allan Wilkie, and few can surely match the number of his performances. Although born in Liverpool, Wilkie considered himself Scottish ('a young Scots boy'). Inspired by Osmond Tearle, he took to the stage, learning his craft with Ben Greet's company. The Times obituary of 'Mr. Allan Wilkie | Shakespearian actor-manager', 8 January 1970, describes how, after six years as a touring actor-manager in England, Wilkie took his troupe to India, China and Japan, 1911-1913.

The material is in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. ONE: Set of 16 black and white 'Leichner Make-Up Charts', each on a loose 22 x 13.5 cm piece of art paper. Complete with covering leaf. Illustration and instructions on how to prepare make-up for characters including 'Haggard Man', 'Villain', 'Stage Butler', 'Italian', 'Arab', 'Clown', 'Red Indian', 'Oriental', 'Jovial Woman' and 'Ballet'. TWO: Duplicated Typescript titled 'Casualty Faking'. 6pp., 4to.

Nine items. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. Heavily annotated by Duncan. The letters (each 1p. long, two in 4to and two in 8vo) concern her orders and wants'. On 23 April 1945 she writes: 'I find on looking through the Play Pictorial bound volumes that No. 28 His Highness My Husband is missing. It is not a very important one, in fact I don't remember hearing of the play before, but if you happen to have a copy among your single numbers, I should be glad to have it, in order to complete the volume.

Gray - who in addition to her acting career was a crime novelist and lepidopterist - has an excellent entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, which also carries details of Denison. ONE: Typescript of 'Four Years | By | Dulcie Gray'. [2] + 63pp., 4to. Stapled. With front brown-paper cover with red label bearing title, with stamp of typewriting agency Ethel Christian, 36-38 Southampton Street, Strand. Signature of 'Michael Denison' at head of title-page. On aged and worn paper, and lacking the last couple of leaves and back cover.

On one side of 6 x 10 cm piece cut from the end of a letter. In fair condition, aged, ruckled and a little faded. Reads: '<...> kindly pass | Very soon | If convenient | & oblige - | E. A. Sothern | Haymarket Theatre.'

On one side of a 7 x 9 cm piece of laid paper. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn; apparently cut down. Reads: 'Adelphi | Admit 2 boxes | Wed. Dec 23 | Ch. Fechter'. Good bold signature.

2pp., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. In a difficult hand. He hopes there is 'no misunderstanding about the box for tonight', which is reserved in the recipient's name at the theatre: '& you have only to ask for your box'. He ends: 'We shall meet tonight I hope after the play.'

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with slight rust spotting around date at head. He explains that it is 'under a mistake' that he has been 'proposed as an Associate of the Central Committee of the British Archaeological Association', and he declines the 'honor intended' with 'sincere thanks'.

The collection is in fair condition, with rusted staples, and slight age and wear to the covers of most of the numbers, with a handful in not such good condition, the covers of one of them being almost detached. All 4to, and ranging in length between 20pp. and 64pp. Well-illustrated, with coloured covers, biographies, news and gossip, relating to actors, plays, the chain and its theatres, as well as wider topics such as 'Russian Ballet in London', 'A Few Toilet Hints. By Phyllis Monkman', 'The Grenadier Guards Band. Shortly to Tour Australia', and 'Modern Make-Up'. By Miss May Murray.

2pp., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed to 'Arthur C. Blunt, Esq', with salutation to 'My dear Cecil'. With regard to 'Mr. Wigram's letter' he writes that he 'would rather not dramatize a novel, and did I feel an inclination to do so I don't think I am at all a good man for the work'. He nevertheless asks the recipient to inform Wigram that he is 'complimented by his and Lord Desart's proposal'. The postscript is mildly amusing: 'P.S. I hope I am not liable to misconstruction in enquiring after your Housemaid's Knee'.

1p., 8vo. In fair condition, aged and worn, with slight loss to one corner and creasing to another. Strengthened on reverse with a small piece of tape. Letterhead in red, with Tempest writing in green ink. She writes warmly: 'I've read your Play, and I think it charming up to the point of the two people who are crooks! It suffers from the same thing that our present Play suffers from. Too sudden a jump!' She invites him to go and see the play, 'and you will gather what I mean'. She ends by describing his play as 'amusing and witty'.

2pp., 12mo. On bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Gracefully declining an invitation.

The eight items are in good condition, with light signs of age and wear. Maude's six letters (all signed 'Cyril Maude') total 8pp., and his wife's two (both signed 'Winifred Emery') total 3pp. In the typed letter the recipient is named as 'Mrs. Whitley, | 78 Alexandra Rd., | St. John's Wood, | N.W.' All eight items deal with interviews conducted by her with the couple. On 20 December Maude writes, 'as I told you I fear there will be nothing in particular for me to tell you, as it is very necessary for me to avoid telling anyone anything just yet awhile.

Letter: 1p., 8vo. With mourning border. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased, with small pin-hole to one corner. Reads: 'Dear Sir | I suppose the finest part I ever played and one I am always hoping to play again someday [sic] was Sir Peter Teazle. Grumpy was a fine part too though. | Yours truly | Cyril Maude'. Funeral Service: 4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and with one vertical fold. Slug: 'Vacher - 32959'. Cover reads: 'St.

On 4 x 9.5 strip of paper. In good condition, with light signs of age. Reads 'Truly Yours | Jno. B Buckstone | T. Q. H'. Presumably cut from a letter in response to a request for an autograph.