''The White Heather'' is an 1897 melodrama by playwrights

Cecil Raleigh Cecil Raleigh was the pseudonym of Abraham Cecil Francis Fothergill Rowlands (27 January 1856 – 10 November 1914), an English actor and playwright. Personal life Abraham Cecil Francis Fothergill Rowlands was born on 27 January 1856 in Monmo ...

and Henry Hamilton. The climactic scene of the play portrays a fight between two underwater divers.

Background

The play debuted at

Drury Lane Drury Lane is a street on the boundary between the Covent Garden and Holborn areas of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of London Borough of Camden, Camden and the southern part in the City o ...

on 16 September 1897, the first produced by new managing director Arthur Collins. Typical of Drury Lane shows of the period, the elaborate production ran for four hours, and included scenes set at the Stock Exchange,

Battersea Park Battersea Park is a 200-acre (83-hectare) green space at Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth in London. It is situated on the south bank of the River Thames opposite Chelsea, London, Chelsea and was opened in 1858. The park occupies ...

, Boulter's Lock, and the

Devonshire House Ball of 1897 The Devonshire House Ball or the Devonshire House Fancy Dress Ball was an elaborate fancy dress ball, hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, held on 2 July 1897 at Devonshire House in Piccadilly to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Vi ...

.Liggera, Lanayre D
The Life of Robert Loraine: The Stage, the Sky, and George Bernard Shaw
pp. 19-20 (2013)(2 October 1897)
The New Drama at Old Drury (review)
'' Punch'', pp. 155-56(19 September 1897)
Review of London show
''

New York Tribune The ''New-York Tribune'' (from 1914: ''New York Tribune'') was an American newspaper founded in 1841 by editor Horace Greeley. It bore the moniker ''New-York Daily Tribune'' from 1842 to 1866 before returning to its original name. From the 1840s ...

'', p. 2, col. 1(27 April 1898)
The Secrets of Stage Mechanism
''The Sketch'', p. 38 (photographs of stage machinery) It had an initial run of 91 performances until 15 December 1897 and returned for 43 more performances from 12 May to 25 June 1898.Wearing, J.P
The London Stage 1890-1899: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel
(2013), p. 355 (1897 debut production), p. 379 (1898 Drury Lane production), p. 404 (1899 Princess's production) The

Princess's Theatre The Princess's Theatre or Princess Theatre was a theatre in Oxford Street, London. The building opened in 1828 as the "Queen's Bazaar" and housed a diorama by Clarkson Stanfield and David Roberts. It was converted into a theatre and opened in 18 ...

revived the play in 1899 with

Eily Malyon Eily Malyon (born Eily Sophie Lees-Craston; 30 October 1879 – 26 September 1961) was an English character actress from about 1900 to the 1940s. She had a stage career in Britain, Australia and America before moving to Hollywood to perfo ...

in the cast for 31 performances.Nissen, Axel
Accustomed to Her Face: Thirty-Five Character Actresses of Golden Age Hollywood
p. 122 (2016) Upon its debut in London,

Charles Frohman Charles Frohman (July 15, 1856 – May 7, 1915) was an American theater manager and producer, who discovered and promoted many stars of the American stage. Frohman produced over 700 shows, and among his biggest hits was '' Peter Pan'', both ...

's London representative

William Lestocq William Lestocq (born Lestock Boileau Wooldridge; 1852 – 16 October 1920) was a British theatre manager, playwright, and actor.(20 October 1920)William Lestocq (obituary) ''New York Tribune''(20 October 1920)William Lestocq is Dead ''The Evenin ...

immediately acquired the American rights. (3 November 1897). A Chat With Mr. W. Lestocq, ''The Sketch'', p. 82 (paywalled at britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) The play had a successful 184-performance New York run at the Academy of Music from 22 November 1897 to 30 April 1898.At Gotham's Playhouses
''The Opera Glass'', p. 188 (November 1897, Vol. 4, No. 11)(23 November 1897)
In Melodrama and Farce (review)
''New York Sun'', p. 7, col. 1Brown, T. Allston
A History of the New York Stage from the First Performance in 1732 ..., Volume 2
p. 113 (1903)(30 April 1897)
Advertisement
''New York Tribune'' (rightmost column has theatre listings for April 30, 1897 and notes "last day" of the play) The play had its

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

debut at the Academy of Music on November 22, 1897. It ran at that theatre for 187 performances; closing on April 30, 1898. The production was directed by Joseph Humphreys and used sets by the painter Ernest Albert. It was adapted into a silent film of the same name in 1919.

Original London cast

The primary cast included Mrs. John Wood,

Henry Neville Henry Neville or Nevile may refer to: * Henry Neville (died c.1415), MP for Leicestershire *Henry Neville, 5th Earl of Westmorland (1525–1564), English peer *Henry Neville (Gentleman of the Privy Chamber) (c. 1520–1593) * Henry Neville (died 1 ...

, Beatrice Lamb, Patti Browne, Kate Rorke, Dawson Milward, and

Robert Loraine Robert Bilcliffe Loraine (14 January 1876 – 23 December 1935) was a successful London and Broadway British stage actor, actor-manager, and soldier who later enjoyed a side career as a pioneer aviator. Born in New Brighton, his father was Hen ...

. *Lord Angus Cameron by

*Edgar Trefusis by Herman de Lange *Captain Alec MacLintock by Dawson Milward *Dick Beach by

*James Hume by J.B. Gordon *Captain Dewar Gay by C.M. Lowne *Horace Saxonby by Ernest Lawford *Jack Sadler by Albert Mayer *Duke of Shetland by Rosier *Jackson by Howard Russell *Dr. Blake by Akerman May *Mr. Craven by Edwin Palmer *Hudson by Edward Shrimpton *Turner by Frank Damer *Max Leclare by Alfred Balfour *William Smart by R.A. Lyons *Lady Janet MacLintock by Mrs. John Wood *Marion Hume by Kate Rorke *Lady Molly Fanshaw by Pattie Browne *Lady Hermione de Vaux by Beatrice Lamb *Hon. Blanche Rossiter by Lillian Menelly *Donald by Valli Valli *Lady Lumley by Mary Brough *Mrs. Andrews by Mrs. E. Palmer

Original New York cast

Rose Coghlan as Lady Janet in The White Heather 1897

The White Heather NYC 1897 Battersea Park scene

*Lady Janet Maclintock by

Rose Coghlan Rosamond Marie Coghlan (March 18, 1851 – April 2, 1932) was an English actress. Biography Rosamond Marie Coghlan was born in Peterborough, England, to author Francis Coghlan, and Anna Marie, ''née'' Kirby. Her elder brother (or half-brot ...

*Marion Hume by

Amelia Bingham Amelia Swilley Bingham (March 20, 1869 – September 1, 1927) was an American actress from Hicksville, Ohio.''Amelia Bingham, Actress Is Dead'', New York Times, September 2, 1927, pg. 17. Her Broadway career extended from 1896 until 1926.

*Lady Mollie Fanshawe by

Olive May Olive May (November 17, 1871 – July 24, 1938) was an American stage actress. She appeared in the popular play ''Arizona'' and appeared in Maude Adams's company. Personal life May was married to playwright Henry Guy Carleton from 1894 to 1898.( ...

*Lady Hermonie de Vaux by Madeline Bouton *Mrs. Andrew by

Annie Adams Asaneth Ann Adams Kiskadden (November 9, 1848 – March 17, 1916), credited as Annie Adams, was an American actress who performed in Salt Lake City and later on Broadway. Early and personal life Adams was born near Salt Lake City, the daught ...

*Lord Angus Cameron by Francis Carlyle *Edgar Trefusis by Robert Cotton *Captain Alec Maclintock by Miller Kent *Dick Beach by Richard Bennett *James Hume by Harry Harwood *Captain Dewar Gay by Lewis Baker *The Duke of Shetland by Frank Burbeck *Dr. Blake by Robert Jenkins *Mr. Craven by Douglas Lloyd *Hudson by E.Y. Backus(23 November 1897)
A Fight Under the Sea (review)
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''Austin, Henry (8 January 1898)
"The White Heather" (review)
''

The Illustrated American ''The Illustrated American'' was a weekly American periodical published from 1890 until 1900. It primarily covered current events (with illustrations), but also contained other miscellaneous content and some fiction.

'', pp. 63-64The Catalogue of the American Play Co., with Original Casts, Volume 2
p. 293 (1911)(cast and scene list)

References

External links

*
Photographs from 1897 London production
at

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (abbreviated V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen ...

(search "White Heather" for many photographs) {{DEFAULTSORT:White Heather, The 1897 plays Melodramas Plays set in London