A Theatrical Marriage

Examiner of Plays' Summary:

This long but very strong play tells, after the manner of the dramatized novel, the story of the marriage of a simple-minded honest wealthy young country-gentleman to an actress, who nearly ruins him by her snobbish extravagances when he takes her from the stage and allows her to revel in unwonted luxury in the society of her declasses friends. Her fast aimless life in places like Monte Carlo (just before the war) leads to her nearly becoming the prey of an adventurer to whom, more from idleness than anything else, she has given a compromising assignation, interrupted by the appearance of the husband, who tells her of their financial troubles and, after a painful scene of quarrelling, forcibly takes her back home for another start in life. His relations prove very kind in trying to keep the shiftless ménage going, and of course the impossible wife contrives to grow jealous of her most valuable helper, her husband’s devoted cousin. Then once again the wretched creature meditates, and even attempts, elopement with her wastrel admirer, from whom she is once more saved, partly by her long-suffering spouse and partly by his loyal friends. Finally the outbreak of war, with the wounding of her husband and the general bouleversement of social life clears the air for the heroine’s undeserved rehabilitation and the hero's improbable matrimonial happiness. Recommended for license Ernest A. Bendall.

Researcher's Summary:

The only reference to a play of this name is a notice in The Globe of 13 December 1915: ‘Mrs. Willie Allen, wife of the theatrical printer, once Miss Cissie Grahame, the actress, has written a play called 'A Theatrical Marriage', which will shortly be done at the West End’. No evidence that the play was performed has been found. Cissie Grahame was the stage name of Sarah Collett Gibson (1862-1944). As regards the licensing of 'A Theatrical Marriage' in 1917: the Yorkshire Evening Post shows that performances at the Theatre Royal, Leeds between 28 May and 2 June 1917 were shared between 'A Cigarette Maker’s Romance' on Thursday 31 May and Friday 1 June and 'The Love of the Princess' on the other days. Both plays were performed by C Watson Mill’s repertory company which was billed as an ‘enormous Whitsuntide attraction’ and whose visit - and presumably their programme - must have been planned for some time. None of the plays performed at the Theatre Royal, Leeds in May and June 1917 was entitled 'A Theatrical Marriage' and notices about them show that none had a plot resembling that of 'A Theatrical Marriage'. Nor was 'A Theatrical Marriage' performed at any other theatre in Leeds in May and June 1917. No mention has been found of the play being performed anywhere else at another time.