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The Strange Gentleman
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The Strange Gentleman: A Comic Burletta, in Two Acts (hosted by Connie)
Gretna Green--Famous for WeddingsGretna Green was the first village on the Scottish side of the border when traveling from London to Edinburgh along the old coaching road. Gretna Green was famous for quick weddings, especially for young, couples.
In 1754, the Lord Harwick's Marriage Act took effect in England. The law required that the bride and groom had to be over 21 years old if they wished to marry without parental consent. The laws in Scotland changed over the years, but the age for marriage without parental consent was around the age of 15 in the early 19th Century.
The village blacksmith often was asked to oversee the wedding. At the end of the short ceremony, he would strike his anvil. The Gretna Green blacksmith became known as an "anvil priest."
A Gretna Green wedding at the forge was the 19th Century version of an American Las Vegas elopement. The town is still a popular wedding site.
Wikipedia: Gretna Green
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gretna_...
Historic UK: The History of Gretna Green
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK...
Historic UK image of a couple stopping at the forge for a Gretna Green wedding.
Mod
I'm not sure I would have enjoyed the duet ... I wonder if the audience would sing along once they knew it.
There used to be a TV progamme here which ran for 30 years, an hour every week. It was a mock Victorian music hall. There was a compere called Leonard Sachs, who introduced the acts from a desk at the side of the stage. He was an act in himself as he used very long words to introduce the variety acts, and the audience would goo "ooo" and "ahhh" in the right places. Lots of the acts were (or became) famous names https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Goo...
It was called "The Good Old Days" and everyone in the audience came in Victorian or Edwardian dress, and joined in.
The duet seems sentimental compared with the comic feeling of the play, but it probably was written to fulfill the Lord Chamberlain's requirement for music in the minor theatres.The TV program sounds like fun, Jean. There's a group in my state that has Steampunk events when they dress up in elaborate Victorian clothes. Their events include Victorian dinners and teas, dances, musical events, viewing museum exhibits about Victorian times, and touring Victorian houses. They have picnics in the summer where they play games from the era. They have fun playing the type of character that their costume suggests.
Mod
You must be right about the Duet, of course. Actually, I remember comedy shows on the radio which always had a musical interlude. When you hear old recordings of these now, they always sound out of place. I never knew why, but expect it must have been something to do with the BBC broadcasting license. A bit like US "sponsors" and adverts.
Thanks for including the duet text, Connie. Neither of my kindle versions had it. This section today is definitely getting somewhere with questions about who the strange gentleman could be. We already know he’s supposed to marry a Miss Emily Brown, so I’m not sure these ladies have found the right man! But I’m curious about these sisters.
We're reading this on Valentine's Day, and it's questionable how any of these romantic relationships are going to work out. I guess we will find out later if the Strange Gentleman is Charles or someone else, Lori.
Summary 6-Scene 1 to the endThe Strange Gentleman encounters Mary who thinks he is Charles Tompkins (Fanny's boyfriend). The Strange Gentleman, who is expecting someone from the Mayor's office or the police, assumes that Mary is "a disguised peace officer in petticoats," or a constable's wife.
Mary asks if he is in pursuit of a young lady and wrote a note this afternoon. (She's referring to the note that Charles wrote to Fanny.) The Strange Gentleman confesses that he wrote the note and wants the situation to be kept secret. (He's referring to the note that he wrote to the Mayor.)
He asks if the constable is going to apprehend him, but Mary says he's free to continue his journey tonight. Mary notifies him that the other party is detained by want of funds. She's referring to her boyfriend, John, but the Strange Gentleman thinks she's talking about the man who challenged him to a duel.
The Strange Gentleman is so happy that he hugs Mary just as John comes into the room. John is upset that the Strange Gentleman is hugging his girlfriend. The Strange Gentleman thinks that John is the constable. They start fighting, and are separated by Tom Sparks and two waiters who take them off in separate directions.
Scene 1 ends with many misunderstandings.
That was so much fun! I can see this on stage so well and the audience at the time must have been laughing or maybe even calling out to the actors. Which makes me wonder, did the audiences get so excited that they just had to join in and try to fix the blunder going on on stage? It reminds me of when I try to yell at the people on a tv show to not do something or go somewhere because I know what’s happening and they don’t.
It would be really funny with good actors, Lori! I'm glad that you are able to visualize it in your mind. I really don't know how the audience reacted, but farce was very popular at that time.
Mod
Connie wrote: "It would be really funny with good actors, Lori! I'm glad that you are able to visualize it in your mind. I really don't know how the audience reacted, but farce was very popular at that time."In a setting like Connie described it could be as much fun with bad actors with more reason for audience-participating catcalls.
As the farce becomes more complicated, I am looking foward to how Dickens will dig his gentlrman out of those complications.
I got the impression from my reading that 19th Century audiences were more vocal than they are today, Jean and Sam. The misunderstandings and misidentifications are piling up, and the Strange Gentleman still has to wonder what Mr Tinkles is planning.
I am caught up with the reading schedule now and I am highly enjoying it! Both the reading and the supplemental information provided. Thank you, Connie! The added info has been very helpful to me in understanding all of the little things I may have glossed over simply because I didn't have a modern day reference to them.
Hi Adrian! I'm glad you're enjoying the play. One of the joys of reading Dickens is that he can write comic works like this, and serious works promoting social justice too.
I love this kind of confusion humor. When well-played it can be hilarious. As you all discussed earlier, the asides would serve to bring the audience into the action even more, since they are being addressed directly. It is a charming device.
Sara wrote: "I love this kind of confusion humor. When well-played it can be hilarious. As you all discussed earlier, the asides would serve to bring the audience into the action even more, since they are being..."Dickens is setting up even more confusion in our next section! I like your feelings about the asides, Sara. They make the audience feel like they are immersed in the action since they have more information than any one of the characters.
Act 1, Entire Scene 2Julia Dobbs is conversing with Overton, an attorney and the mayor of the town. Julia is planning on running away with a nobleman, Lord Peter, whom she describes as "young and wild."
Julia has inherited the property of Mr Woolley, an older man who died before they could be married. She wants Mayor Overton to help her get to Gretna to be secretly married to Lord Peter. In return, she will forgive some debts that Overton owed Mr Woolley.
To avoid being followed, Julia is going to pretend to be Lord Peter's aunt. Lord Peter will be pretending to be a lunatic who will be leaving the inn to travel to an asylum at 1:30 am. To avoid suspicion, Julia will not communicate with Lord Peter until they leave.
Lord Peter will be spending the day with his friends. Julia had directed Lord Peter to write a note to Mayor Overton with the number of his room after his arrival at the inn.
Mayor Overton thinks that the note he received from the Strange Gentleman was from Lord Peter. Now Overton and Julia think that Lord Peter is waiting for her in Room #17. The Mayor asks the waiter to show him the room.
Mod
Welcome Adrian! I'm so happy you're reading with us. Do introduce yourself in the welcome thread if you like, LINK HERE so we can get to know you 😊.
"Mistaken Identities" certainly describes it well, Jean. The wait staff has not had many lines yet, but even their reactions are amusing. Like anyone with a job serving the public, they have probably seen a lot of odd things over the years, but seem to be used to dealing with unusual people (and probably hoping that they will leave the next morning).
Mod
But that type of title is more early 20th century ... Charles Dickens's own is far more intriguing 😊
Bionic Jean wrote: "Connie wrote: ""Mistaken Identities" certainly describes it well, Jean ..."But that type of title is more early 20th century ... Charles Dickens's own is far more intriguing 😊"
Yes, there are so many ways to be strange that Dickens' title does grab our interest.
If I was watching this play, this is about the part where I would start squirming in my seat because of the confusion! It's in a fun way though! I like how our Strange Gentleman took care to write his note to the mayor in hopes of inspiring some urgency to handle the matter, but through the lens of our mayor, it only inspired laughter.
This is a bit off topic, but I figure this is a good place to ask. I'm curious about the windows of this time. In this passage, Overton says the letter came through his window - which is not all that unusual I suppose, but I have seen in other writings authors mentioning windows being used like doors. An example that comes to mind is an Agatha Christie novel where she writes that a villager comes up to Miss Marple's window and comes through it to talk to her and later leaves through it. Do they truly mean windows like we think of today? Or could this be a type of door, maybe like a screen door? I know this is not important to the reading, but I've seen the expression used enough from writings of this time period that I wanted to ask!
Adrian, Overton might have either an inside or outside window in a town building since he is the mayor. It might be like an old-fashioned bank or cashier's window with bars at the top, and you slide papers through opening at the bottom. You still see them at older train stations or post offices now. It is not specified in the play so someone else might have a better idea. That's an interesting question.In the Agatha Christie books, could she mean a Dutch door? I'm just guessing since I don't have a text in front of me. A Dutch door can open the top half and bottom half separately:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_door
Act 1, Scene 3 beginsThe Strange Gentleman is relaxing with a glass of wine, thinking that the man who challenged him to a duel is detained due to lack of funds.
Mayor Overton thinks that the Strange Gentleman is Lord Peter. He tells the Strange Gentleman that he is the mayor and shows the letter to him. The mayor says that it is necessary for him to leave at 1:30 am in a postchaise and four at high speed. Overton tells the Strange Gentleman that there is no want of funds, and she gets three thousand a year.
Overton suggests that he send up a guard and put him under some restraint for the sake of appearances. To keep in character, the Strange Gentleman should put up some resistance as he's taken upstairs to his bedroom.
Dickens had an Amazing Timeline in 1836-37Dickens was a very busy man with many other projects while he was writing the three plays for the St James's Theatre. Born in 1812, he was just a young man in his mid-twenties when he accomplished so much. He had an incredible amount of energy and talent to keep up with all his obligations.
1836
Published "Sketches by Boz" (First Series) - Feb
Marries Catherine Hogarth - April
Serialization of "Pickwick Papers" - April 1836-Nov 1837
"The Strange Gentleman" produced at the St James's Theatre - Sept
"The Village Coquettes" produced at the St James's Theatre - Dec
Published "Sketches by Boz" (Second Series) - Dec
Resigns from "The Morning Chronicle" to become editor of "Bentley's Miscellany" - Dec
Meets John Forster who will become a close friend and his first biographer - Dec
1837
First number of "Bentley's Miscellany" - Jan
The first of his ten children (Charles) is born - Jan
"Oliver Twist" serialized in Bentley's Feb 1837-April 1839
"Is She His Wife?" produced at St James's Theatre - March
Moves to 48 Doughty Street -April
Sudden death of Mary Hogarth (Catherine's sister) - May
First family holiday at Broadstairs - summer
"Pickwick Papers" published in one volume - Nov
As busy as Dickens was from the start to the end of his career, I am thinking that he is the type of person who just cannot be idle. Even on his holidays he was working. No wonder he didn’t live as long as we’d have all liked him to.
Lori wrote: "As busy as Dickens was from the start to the end of his career, I am thinking that he is the type of person who just cannot be idle. Even on his holidays he was working. No wonder he didn’t live as..."That's true, Lori. He was writing and performing his public readings even when he was traveling. He was taking long walks during the night in London. He certainly was a very high energy man.
He was, indeed, extraordinary. Few people could keep this pace, manage to have all those children (and be present in their life) and (later of course) entertain a mistress. It might not seem so indomitable in a 20 year old, but he kept the pace and added to it as he grew older.As for the play, it incites me to chuckle and I am not a chuckler.
Sara, I'm chuckling too--and wishing I could see it on the stage.
I am listening to the LibriVox recording as we are reading and enjoying it very much. Next best thing to actually seeing the play staged. When we are finished, I am going to play it straight through and just enjoy it uninterrupted.
Sara wrote: "I am listening to the LibriVox recording as we are reading and enjoying it very much. Next best thing to actually seeing the play staged. When we are finished, I am going to play it straight throug..."That's a great idea, Sara!
Summary 9-Act 1, End of Scene 3The Strange Gentleman thinks that the mayor is either intoxicated or in a hopeless state of incurable insanity.
Tom Sparks, the Boots, is carrying an enormous stick as he enters the room to guard the Strange Gentleman. The gentleman protests about being kept in the room since he's been told to act like a lunatic.
Tom Sparks is worried that the Strange Gentleman might get violent so he tries to frighten him by pointing to his one eye. He tells the Strange Gentleman that if he moves his hand, foot, or eye, he'll never move any of them again.
The Strange Gentleman and Tom each think that the other person is a dangerous madman.
There are a number of illustrations of the Boots guarding the Strange Gentleman that were done for "The Great Winglebury Duel," the short story that was the basis for the play.All five illustrations are from the Victorian Web, but the article is full of spoilers so you may want to wait until we've finished the play.
"The Great Winglebury Duel" by George Cruilshank, 1939
Scanned by Philip V. Allingham
https://victorianweb.org/art/illustra...
"The Great Winglebury Duel" by Fred Barnard, 1876
Scanned by Philip V. Allingham
https://victorianweb.org/art/illustra...
"The Great Winglebury Duel" by Harry Furniss, 1910
Scanned by Philip V. Allingham
https://victorianweb.org/art/illustra...
"The Great Winglebury Duel" by Sol Eytinge, Jr,1867
Scanned by Philip V. Allingham
https://victorianweb.org/art/illustra...
"The Great Winglebury Duel" by Hablot K. Browne (Phiz), 1858
Scanned by Prof. Paul Schlicke
https://victorianweb.org/art/illustra...
Does anyone have a favorite illustration?
I can't really pick a favorite but the added eyepatch really makes the exaggerated real eye stand out in the Phiz illustration.
Sam wrote: "I can't really pick a favorite but the added eyepatch really makes the exaggerated real eye stand out in the Phiz illustration."I liked the Phiz illustration too, Sam. Both the eyepatch and the dark shadow gave the Boots an ominous appearance. But each illustration has something special about it.
Act 2, Scene 1Tom Sparks, the Boots, is still guarding the Strange Gentleman who has fallen asleep. Mrs Noakes, Mayor Overton, and the staff enter. The Strange Gentleman complains to the Mayor that his guard is a madman. The Mayor is delighted that the Strange Gentleman is putting up a protest, and playing the role of a lunatic so well.
The Strange Gentleman asks the Mayor to arrest "the one-eyed Orson." (see next comment)
The Mayor asks the waiters to carry the Strange Gentleman upstairs to the bedroom where the Boots will continue to guard him.
John Johnson witnesses the commotion. The Strange Gentleman thinks that John is the constable and demands that Tom be arrested. John feels pity for the Strange Gentleman and feels he's suffering from delusions.
The Strange Gentleman is struggling as he's carried off.
The Boots is Called a One-Eyed OrsonOrson is a wild, hairy man of the woods who carried a big wooden club. This reference to Orson refers to the medieval folk tale of "Valentine and Orson," about twin brothers who were born in the woods. A mother bear takes Orson into her den and she raises the baby with her cubs. While the twins' mother is searching for Orson, the other twin is found sleeping by King Pepin when he was hunting. This baby was named Valentine, and he later became a knight. There are many versions of the adventures of Valentine and Orson.
I can't give a direct link, but if you google The History of Valentine and Orson, McGill University, you will come to their digital library with a pdf in large print of a charming children's version of the story. It can be read online in about five minutes.
"Valentine and Orson," illustrated by Henry Matthew Brock (1875-1960), 1914, for a children's book.
The New York Public Library Digital Collections
https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/i...
Wikipedia "Valentine and Orson"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valenti...
H. M. Brock was a British illustrator and landscape painter.
Wikipedia H. M. Brock
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._M._B...
I have two illustrations of the Strange Gentleman and the Boots that were made for play, not for the short story.
"Strange Gentleman" by George Cruikshank. Original pencil drawing.
The New York Public Library Digital Collection
https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/i...
"The Strange Gentleman" by F. W. Pailthorpe, 1870s.
Watercolor with pen and gray ink, on paper.
Frontispiece illustration.
The Morgan Library and Museum, New York City
https://www.themorgan.org/drawings/it...
Thanks for all of the illustrations, Connie! Wow! I was also not aware that this play was also written into a short story. That would be interesting to read as well. It’s definitely hard to pick a favorite illustration. I like the one by Phiz that Sam commented about. I also like the one by Furniss because the men he drew look more like who I’m imagining.
I like the illustration by Fred Barnard, for the same reason Lori likes Furniss--these are the men I had in my imagination.Can't stop laughing at how convoluted this has become. The poor Strange Gentleman got more than he bargained for with his letter.
Lori wrote: "Thanks for all of the illustrations, Connie! Wow! I was also not aware that this play was also written into a short story. That would be interesting to read as well. It’s definitely hard to pick ..."
He wrote the short story, "The Great Winglebury Duel" as part of "Sketches by Boz." He quickly turned it into a play when the musician who was writing the music for "The Village Coquettes" needed more time. I haven't reread the short story recently since I didn't want to mix them up in our discussion, but I like the play even more.
Sara wrote: "I like the illustration by Fred Barnard, for the same reason Lori likes Furniss--these are the men I had in my imagination.Can't stop laughing at how convoluted this has become. The poor Strange ..."
The Barnard and Furniss illustrations are good too. The Strange Gentleman is a young man, and he looks the right age in those illustrations.
Convoluted is a good word to describe the situation! The Boots' big stick looks scary!
Summary 11-Act 2, End of Scene 1 Charles Tomkins is shown into a sitting room by a waiter. He will not give his name or his card to the waiter, but he wondered if Fanny had arrived yet.
Charles sees Fanny walking down the hall with a melancholy look on her face. Fanny has been misunderstanding the reports she has been hearing about the Strange Gentleman, and thinks people are talking about her boyfriend, Charles. She's worried that Charles may be having mental health problems.
Fanny enters the room where the Strange Gentleman had been staying earlier, and finds Charles. Charles is alarmed when Fanny shrinks away from him and does not give him a warm welcome. He protests about her coldness and wonders if Fanny has a new lover. This cold welcome was not what Charles was expecting from the woman he was planning to marry. Fanny thinks that Charles' behavior is very odd.
(Dickens was the understudy for the role of Charles Tomkins.)
Street Food Before Attending the TheatreThe theatre locations were a favorite spot for street sellers with portable wagons and carts to sell food during theatre hours. There were vendors for ham sandwiches, eels, fried fish, baked potatoes, pea soup, etc. Coffee stalls were popular with people wanting an after-theatre refreshment.
If a middle-class theatre patron was coming directly from work to the theatre, they might not have time to stop at a restaurant or tavern. In addition to the street vendors, there were small shops with fixed locations that he might pass along the way. They sold "fast food" that could be eaten on the street or taken home such as fried fish and chips, ham, beef, eel pies, oysters, baked potatoes, desserts, and various drinks.
(Street food was also eaten daily by poor people living in crowded conditions with no facility available for cooking meals.)
The Baked Potato Man
From a Daguerreotype by Beard
The London Coffee Stall
From a Daguerreotype by Beard
"A Fast Food Generation" by Dr Bruce Rosen
The Victorian History blog
http://vichist.blogspot.com/search?q=...
Dr Rosen included the illustrations and other references from Henry Mayhew's "London Labour and the London Poor," 1851.
https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/...
Photographer Richard Beard
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard...
Dickensians!
Books mentioned in this topic
The Strange Gentleman (other topics)Noises Off: A Play in Three Acts (other topics)
Noises Off: A Play in Three Acts (other topics)
The Strange Gentleman (other topics)
Oliver Twist (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Michael Frayn (other topics)Michael Frayn (other topics)
Charles Dickens (other topics)
Robert C. Hanna (other topics)
Judith Flanders (other topics)
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Dickens used family names for the characters in this section. Mary was Kate Dickens' sister, Fanny was Dickens' sister, and John was Dickens' father. Dickens used his own first name for Charles Tomkins and played the understudy for that character, going on stage at least once.
Duet
Around the feet of smiling love
In Wanton Gambols Myriads play –
Like Summer Zephyr’s in the Sun
And scatter roses in his way. –
A wreath entwine
Of bays divine
To Crown the boy.
With songs of praise
Our voice we’ll raise
To sing love’s joy.
This is the verse for the Duet submitted to the Lord Chamberlain in 1936. The music has been lost. The Lord Chamberlain's copy is now at the British Library.
https://dickenssearch.com/verse/1836_...