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23 July 1901 — 3 Savile Row | |
Tuesday. 23rd [July 1901]. I left home at 2 & drove to King’s Cross station. There I met the Duncannons, Curtis’, Miss Monk, Mr Luke Fildes, Dr & Mrs Hyslop & we went by 2.30 train to Hatfield to see the Pastoral play acted. The carriages from House fetched us. It was very hot & the place was so sunburnt that the Park was perfectly brown. Lord Salisbury arrived at the station to leave for London just as we arrived. We dismounted from the carriage opposite the armoury entrance to the House—went thro’ the big gate into the Park into the great Avenue– Turned to the left into the garden, & found the place for acting had been prepared under a spreading oak tree & the seats for the audience on slightly rising ground under another tree. A small orchestra of amateur ladies played a symphony led by Monty Alderson on the piano. The play began shortly before 4. & was excellently well performed. Everyone present agreed that the acting was far above the average amateur performances—& that Twelfth Night as a Pastoral Play given thus was well worth seeing. The spot too was well chosen, Hatfield Gardens—the oak trees & Hatfield House as a back ground was very picturesque. Mary & Reginald Alderson as Viola & Sebastian when dressed alike were almost impossible to know apart which added greatly to the success of the play & both looked very handsome. It was very hot all the afternoon & the sky was lowering. At one instant a few drops did fall but it cleared off– Ralph Alderson as Malvolio was as good as any professional actor. He was also stage manager. Nela Du Cane as Maria had a part wh exactly suited her & she had not even to pretend to laugh—but to let her own merry contagious laughter loose. Vere Ponsonby & Mr Val Fildes did their drunken roles to perfection & the Fool Mr Wallace could not have [been] better & sang charmingly. After the piece we had tea in a large tent & then were driven back to the station & with the troupe returned to London. Monty, Mary & Eda Alderson came here for the 2 nights before they go down to act again at Inwood. Nela slept at her brother Dacre’s but dined here. When we woke this morning it was raining heavily here—but there had not been a drop at Hatfield. | |
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