FFRANGCON-DAVIES

consisting of 16 long chatty autograph letters from various places, not all are dated, the tone is very friendly and almost intimate I was so sorry that the evening whey you came round there were so many people in my room... did I dream it or did you say you had been in Russia and if so I wonder whether you've been to the Moscow Art Theatre. I've just had a fascinating book on the Russian theatre movement given me which is absolutely thrilling in its vitality... at present I am playing the unhappy Queen of Scots in Drinkwater's Mary Stuart - a great change..., 3 sides 4to., Birmingham Rep, 20th May, in another she says she feels guilty that she hasn't written before - was it really in August that your long letter came... I did mean... to tell you about Methuselah but as you can guess I have been fearfully busy... I too did not want to be a 'burdensome obligation'! However as I enjoy getting a letter from you I shall assume from now on that you will only write when the spirit moves you... I did a performance of Edward II by Marlowe for the Phoenix Society. I wonder if you saw any notices - I loved doing it tho' playing it.... at night after a heavy emotional part in the afternoon, necessitating blood curdling screams & sobs was rather a heavy day's work! The critics were lovely..., 8 sides 4to., Regent Theatre, 21st December, the next is signed Etain accepting a supper invitation, 2 sides 4to., Orchard Street, no date, the next talks about his splendid holiday - I too came away stored and stuffed with memories of lovely things..., 2 sides 4to., with envelope, Birmingham Rep, 20th September 1924 Programme for Birmingham Rep, with her crosses on the plays she is in, 1 side 8vo., with accompanying letter, 1 side 4to., Repertory Theatre, 12th October, the next is sorry he missed The Master Builder, but do try & come for 'mine Hostess', it is really rather fun tho completely frivolous. However the setting & costumes are delicious..., 2 sides 4to., Birmingham Rep, 30th October 1924, with envelope, the next thanks him for that heavenly basket. They are too delicious both to look at & to taste..., 2 sides 8vo., with autograph envelope, 2 New Street, 17th January 1925, in the next she says that she understands what it is to be too busy to do what you want to & see whom you'd like to... I expect you will have seen that I am now playing Cleopatra in Shaw's play... you must really make the effort & escape from your regiment some evening & come & see it... I wish I wasn't always so overwhelmed with things to do, I should like to feel for once that I had nothing to do..., 4 sides 8vo., and 2 sides 4to., 3 New Street, 27th April, the next is again signed Etain and says that she is still homeless but hope to move in to my new flat in about a month... perhaps we could have supper after the show one evening..., 2 sides 4to., with envelope, Orchard Street, 1st February 1926, the next says she is busy arranging my new home, of which the above is the address... if you are back from your two weeks in France I hope you'll come and see Methuselah... I had a wonderful holiday..., 4 sides 8vo., 45a Upper Gloucester Road, the 11th says that it was I who must have seemed ungrateful in insisting on dragging you straight home - but I was so tired after rushing about all day, and I knew you would understand. I am in the throes of packing... I will write to you from Bellagio (if I ever get there!)..., 2 sides 8vo., Three Arts Club, the 12th says she meant to write before but your letter came first... I am ever so glad you liked the Etain pictures & only wish they were better ones. An artist lady has done a very exquisite statuette which you would like I think. It is not really like me but very 'Etain-ish' in atmosphere and feeling - you must see it next year. I did not after all go to Berlin partly because it is a female prerogative to change one's mind and partly because as I had to come and meet a friend in Italy the journey seemed so very far, so I went to Vienna instead... I don't think the theatres there are as progressive & experimental as they seem to be in Berlin... continuing at length about her theatre visits the illusion was complete until one looked at the audience, composed largely of nouveau riches & Jews, Hardly any real Viennese can afford to go to the theatres now & it does rather make one's heart ache to see no trace of the real elegance & charm which made Vienna so famous once, just the rabble drifting in & out of the Hofburg... I suppose the old regime was bad but it did have a sort of glamour... The Austrians themselves feel it very much, those I've met all hope for an Emperor again... thank you so much for telling me about Col. Spencer Smith... I should love to meet him... it is more than kind of the Public to take and interest in my well being..., 5 sides 4to., Lake Como, Italy, 29th June, the next says she feels he has been very shamefully neglected of late but I can honestly say that never in a long varied career have I been so busy! I have snatched 3 days from the theatre... before starting rehearsals for 'Romeo & Juliet'... it has been my life long ambition to play Juliet.... I cannot promise that it will still be on should you manage to achieve leave by the 1st July as you hope - Shakespeare is not as a rule a paying concern... except at the Old Vic. May we prove the glorious exception! You certainly lead an adventurous life in your part of the world, being frozen to death in aeroplanes and so on. I doubt you'll find London very tame by comparison! and certainly from an artistic point of view i should think you have little to gain, tho' 'St Joan' will be worth the trip... continuing at length for 10 sides 4to., 17th April, the 14th says that the thought of you going twice a day to look for those pictures was too much for me and galvanised my into instant action! I posted them to you yesterday & hope they will reach you safely... I am in a continual state of trying to catch up with my work... E. V. Lucas to whom I was talking about it yesterday in my dressing room says that the only happy people are those who are half a day behind!... Methuselah has not been quite the success we hoped tho' many people love it. It is not so universally popular as the 'Hour'. How strange that Isabella was a relative of yours... I am glad you are not pure Saxon, just as I'm glad I'm not pure Celt..., 8 sides 8vo., Three Arts Club, 4th January, the next says she is sad you missed 'Juliet' I was so hoping you would get here in time. I went to N. Wales for a week's rest... but have been hauled off here to broadcast a new play after only 4 days... I'm going to Salzburg, Munich, perhaps Vienna & home via Switzerland... My own future plans are vague... I'm under contract to play in London... 6 sides 8vo., with autograph envelope, Royal Hotel Cardiff paper, 27th July 1924 and finally she says she is glad you are having such a good time - you boys must be rather fun to have it with! Bellagio is heavenly - contrary to my expectations and I am at the moment sitting on the top of the point, overlooking the three arms of the lake which is gleaming blue & green in the sunshine about 200 ft below us. It is so lovely to wake up to find clear blue sky & sunshine every morning... she restarts her letter from Switzerland and remarks that he is not far from Glastonbury..... why don't you go over for the festival one day. It is on during August. I forget the exact date but if you wrote to Rutland Boughton at Glastonbury he would send you all particulars. You could hear his new opera a setting of Thomas Hardy's 'Queen of Cornwall'... Glastonbury is a darling little place, well worth a visit... the Festival is a sort of baby Bayreuth... continuing about her holiday, 7 sides 8vo., Italy and Switzerland with envelope, 11th August 1924 with 2 other unallocated envelopes