RANK AND RICHES
Rank and Riches: a Play in Four Acts and Five Tableaux was an unsuccessful drama begun in 1880 and produced by Edgar Bruce at the Adelphi Theatre, 9 June 1883. The strong cast was led by George Alexander and Alice Lingard, supported by George Anson playing an Italian 'bird-doctor' and Charles Hawtrey. The plot was supremely complicated with the Lady Calista in love with a lawyer's clerk accused of embezzlement, a consumptive secretary of a Communist club, and peers of the realm revealed as illegitimate offspring of a bigamous marriage. It proved too much for the audience and, despite a direct appeal from Anson, was hooted off the stage. Dutton Cook deftly described how the play 'by no means contented the audience' and 'on such occasions there are always wilder spirits present who stay to ridicule what they came to enjoy.' The play was never published but the manuscript still exists as well as that of an earlier draft headed ' "the Bird-Doctor"...being a re-written version of "Lady Calista" '. [ Cast list ]
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Myra Holme (Mrs A. W. Pinero) who played Alice Rycroft, a lady's maid. |
Mr George Alexander who played Cecil Cassilis, a lawyer's clerk. |
Miss Alice Lingard who played the part of Lady Calista. |
Edgar Bruce, Adelphi manager
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