In this episode recorded on Christmas Day, Robert recounts the sad tale Fanny Kelly's disastrous attempt to launch the Royalty Theatre and Dramatic School on Dean Street in Soho between 1840 and 1849. This episode includes an account of Samuel Pepys visit to the nursery theatre of George Jolly in 1668.
In this episode recorded on Christmas Day, Robert recounts the sad tale Fanny Kelly's disastrous attempt to launch the Royalty Theatre and Dramatic School on Dean Street in Soho between 1840 and 1849. This episode includes an account of Samuel Pepys visit to the nursery theatre of George Jolly in 1668.
Robert Price
Sir, I witnessed on Tuesday morning last, the utter demolition of the fixtures, fittings and furniture of my theatre and dramatic school in Dean Street. And now only by courtesy of the sheriff's officer am permitted a day or two to remove and find space for this ponderous and for any other than its original appropriation, useless property. Before I am myself for ever expelled from the building, I have raised for the purist purposes, and towards which I have for the last 15 years, devoted my whole fortune, mind and time.
Hello, and welcome to the history of actor training in the British drama school. This is a special festive edition of the podcast. It's actually...it's actually Christmas night in Wivenhoe. So this is Christmas, Christmas Day, Christmas, Is it called Christmas Day?Whatever it's called: Christmas 2020. in suburban Essex...It's been a very nice day, actually, well it's been nice weather. It's been a nice sunny day. So this podcasterm I'm failing. The reason why I'm doing on Christmas Day is several reasons but partly because I failed to do it a couple of days ago, I really wanted to make a podcast about the origins of the British drama school in the 19th century. So there are two major figures. Sarah Thorne towards the the end of the 19th century really, in Margate, Sarah Thorne runs a pretty successful school in a theatre in Margate, and perhaps I'll do a podcast about Sarah Thorne at some point, and that's a proper pre professional institutional drama training. I'm not sure it's really a drama school in the sense we mean it. It was partly there to replace the kinds of trainings that happened in in stock companies. So you pay Sarah Thorne a few quid and you would go off to to Margate and you would do some fencing and some stuff. And then you would you would take little parts and watch rehearsals and walk on. So it was a very sort of practical thing. But But earlier, much earlier in the 19th century, there was this woman called Frances Maria Kelly, Fanny Kelly. And Fanny Kelly is somebody whose name I came across when I was starting to do some preliminary research about the drama school, and often in people's PhDs and entries in encyclopaedias. There'll be a line about this woman, Fanny Kelly, who opened the first drama school on Dean street in Soho, or sometimes people would say, opened the first drama school in the strand theatre. And, and that was that and I thought, well, that's that's interesting and assumed there would be really nothing to it. Not much to know and, and not much to say and I assumed that this woman Fanny Kelly had just had a school in a theatre and taken few students but But what I found out was that funny Kelly's attempt, and it is alas and perhaps this makes it a good festive story. A completely failed attempt to establish a drama school was much more elaborate and detailed, and much more ambitious than than you might imagine. It was a really serious endeavour and cost her fortune, you'll find out later how much money she lost. But in today's terms, the figure comes out as a number in the millions. So that's going to be our podcast. Tonight, we're going to look at the history of Fanny Kelly's theatre.
Before we do that, I should probably just spend a few moments sketching the history of the first actor trainings in in the British theatre, which actually were in the restoration. So so although we're going to spend most of this podcast talking about Fannie Kelly, I would like to go back and look a little bit at the restoration period. And also just just pausing briefly, I just like to say that I'd like to dedicate this episode to all of those students and artists and actors, and young people who I know are really struggling at the moment with lockdown and the various restrictions around the particular lockdowns. I'd say many people understanding or listening to this podcast will really understand and recognise and either know people themselves or be suffering in this way.
I don't know whether people understand this. Maybe Maybe they do. I think there's lots of different ways to struggle. But I know some people very, very close to my heart, who were finding this period incredibly difficult, incredibly hard, and are full of sadness and anger, and hurt. And the thing that they've lost, I think it is something very close to their, their sense of who they are - their self esteem, the place where they meet people. So for musicians, and actors and performers and dancers of all kinds, I think this is a very, very fierce agony, this time. And I think for people who are also students, and maybe students in those Performing Arts, that's all compounded in a way, which is just horrible and horrifying. And, of course, I broadly support - completely support the attempt to to protect health services and lower death rates. I support it, but I would just like to take a moment to recognise how hard this has been for people. People, I love students, I know students I teach. So thinking about that, and thinking about Fanny Kelly, who had an awful torrid time and yet finished her life, a ripe old age, in dignity, and I'm not sure we'll we'll get to in part one, but But later, there's a wonderful story about how found Fanny Kelly responds to the offer of a grant from the civil list when she was in her 90s. Anyway, we'll get there but but I wanted just to mention, first of all, that there were these restoration nurseries, and probably run by a man named George Jolly, who by all accounts was a man who really shouldn't have been running drama schools. Not the first or, or we'll have who knows, hopefully, he will be the last person completely unqualified to run a drama school! George Jolly sounds like an interesting character. It was survived the interregnum playing with travelling players on the continent, but it was a man who was perfectly capable of, of beating the hell out somebody who got in his way. But in a complex history that I'm not going to go into here, he ended up running the restoration nurseries and the nurseries were were training grounds or training schools to feed the theatres that were around and allowed at the time. I won't spend much time talking about them, but but rather wonderfully, there are some accounts or an account of Samuel Pepys and his wife and their servants, Deb Willets. The famous or infamous Deb Willets, who Pepys is going to have an affair with a little bit later than this. So this is not long after, Samuel Pepys has hired Deb Willets to be his wife's maid servant, and they're having a jolly time going and seeing plays. And, and so one night, they decide that it might be fun to go and see the nursery theatres, the drama school where they've never been before. They tried, I think earlier and failed. So I'm going to read you two accounts on two consecutive nights. So we're back now in the restoration period, going to the drama school with Samuel Pepys. I was so excited about that, that I just spilled a cup of tea in my foot Anyway, I'm fine. So yeah,
...the schools may have been open for something like six years, they may have opened in something like 1662 it's a complex history and I think not very well understood. But but this is well known: so on the night of Monday, the 24th and Tuesday, the 25th of February 1668. Samuel Pepys goes to the nursery. So this is Samuel Pepys at the drama school in 1668. That's, that's a long time ago, isn't it? 350 years ago, whatever it is so, so he was dropping a friend back at the exchange. And we pick it up -so this is Pepys' diary probably somewhere in Hatton gardens, probably,
Hence to the change back again leaving him and took my wife and Deb home, and they're to dinner alone. And after dinner. So we're after it's Pepys had his dinner, I took them to the nursery. (This is the Theatre Company of young actors in training) where none of us ever were before where the house is better, and the music better than we looked for. And the acting not much worse. (Well, that's good. So all going well) And the acting not much worse, because I expected as bad as could be. And I was not much mistaken for it was so. However, I was pleased well, to see it once it'd been worth a man seeing to discover the different ability and understanding of people and the different growth of people's abilities by practice. This rather beautiful phrase that 'the different growth of people's abilities by practice'...it is a completely fascinating question. Their play was a bad one called Geronimo is mad again, a tragedy now there's no play in the English repertoire called Geronimo is mad again there is a play called Hieronimo is mad again, also known as the Spanish Tragedy by, by by Thomas Kyd. So quite an important early Elizabethan tragedy so probably Pepys sees the Spanish tragedy....Here was some good company by us, who did make mighty sport at the folly of acting, which I could not neither refrain from Sometimes, though, I was sorry for it. So they mock the acting, and Samuel Pepys feels guilty. This is a very Pepysian kind of a kind of a thing, he behaves exactly the same way over his affairs. He he's he misbehaves. And then he feels guilty. So they mock the actors and feel guilty. So away, hence home, where to the office, and to business a while, and then home to supper, and to read. And then to bed.
I used to find it completely weird that Samuel Pepys goes to the office after a night out. And now I mean, when I was young, when I was in my 20s when I first read this. Now I find it less weird because of course, it's not at all uncommon for people to come back from the theatre or the cinema or whatever. And before they go to bed to do a few emails, so or even to try and do a bit of bit of something. So I guess that's what Pepys does. A bit later in the account, there's this curious little, little moment he says: I was prettily served this day at the Playhouse door. Where giving six shillings into the fellows hand for us three. So it must have been two shillings per head to go and see the nursery players. The fellow by legerdemain - means sleight of hand doesnt it - did convey one away. And with so much grace faced me down that I did give him but five that they knew. Sorry, just turning the page - that I knew the contrary, yet I was overpowered by his so grave and serious demanding the other shilling that I could not deny him, but was forced by myself to give it to him. So Pepys was ripped off at the door. Fascinating. Anyway, next I had a pretty pretty not a great night, but the next day he goes back, so I buy water with him to the new exchange. And there we parted. And they took my wife and Deb up into the nursery, where I was yesterday. And there saw them act a comedy, a pastoral: the Faithful Shepherd, having the curiosity to see whether they did a comedy better than a tragedy. But they do it both alike in the meanest manner that I was sick of it, but only for to satisfy myself once in seeing the manner of it, but I shall see them no more, I believe. So that was um, that's the beginning of the British drama school two two crappy nights. I mean, maybe maybe it was wonderful and Pepys was just being cruel. There's also a reference in a poem by Dryden a mock heroic satire, attack on on Shadwell called MacFelcknoe. And that also talks about a nursery at drama school at the Barbican. Curiously, we're of course the Guildhall is now more or less. So there's something here it says.
Where once vast courts and mothers trumpets keep and undisturbed by watch in silence sleep near these a nursery erects its head where queens are formed, and future heroes bred where unfledged actors learn to laugh and cry, where infant punks their tender voices try and little Maximins the gods defy. So that's there we go. So they're at the Barbican. So there were these nurseries. That's 1670 so then there's there's nothing for over 150 years until Fanny Kelly starts her projects.
So there's there's so much wonderful stuff to know about Fanny Kelly, she really was cool and this there's quite a lot of material about her there's There are letters. There's lots of stuff in the newspapers, she herself, devises a one woman show called dramatic recollections. So there's a huge amount of material in there. I suppose that the key facts are that she was born in 1790 in Brighton. She was the daughter of an an actor who elopes when she's young. And and he was the brother of Michael Kelly, who's a really important figure of 19th century theatre. In fact, it was in her uncle Michael Kelly's opera Bluebeard, which is a well known piece that she first performed at seven years old. So she starts acting in Drury Lane in 1797. There's an account of that in Dramatic Recollections, which which I think I'll read at some point. Although not today, she performs in all of the major theatres. Of course, she chose the province here she has spent and spent time in Glasgow and, and Dublin in all kinds of other places. But most of our career is a Drury Lane, which is a huge theatre, especially after it's rebuilt a vast theatre. It was rebuilt certainly several several times. But in Fanny Kelly's time, after a huge fire in 1809, the reconstructed theatre was was built in 1812. And Fanny Kelly performs there as one of the leading actors until 1835. So from seven, from seven years old, until until 1835, when she's 45 years old. So that's 37 years acting on the stage of Drury Lane. Over that time, she has all kinds of adventures, two of the most fascinating ones which actually connect are that she was shot at so a man called George Barnett developed a sort of complicated stalkery love affair with with Fanny Kelly, and tries to shoot her that that happened on on the 17th of February 1816. I'll read you a little bit of a story about this: halfway through the first act when little Knight and Fanny were adroitly working the packed house into rules of mirth. There was a sudden commotion in the pit quite near to where Charles and Mary lamb was sitting as Miss Kelly's guests. Before anyone could stop him. Barnett's leapt to his feet brandishing the duelling pistol with which he had challenged Fanny. Taking wild aim he fired and the screams from the audience which follow the flash and report died to a shocked hush as their favourite ( Fanny Kelly) faltered and collapsed on the stage. Knight rushed forward to catch her she fell and half carried half dragged her to the safety of the wings. In a brief struggle, Barnett was disarmed, and quickly taken away by the patrol summoned from bowstreet. In the wings, Fanny, trembling and shaken by her ordeal was quickly revived. The shot had gone high and wide, some of it in fact, ricocheted back into the auditorium, and actually fell into the lap of Mary Lamb. Fanny insisted on going back on stage - of course she does - and finishes the evening.
A few years later, Mary Mary Lamb, by the way, as I'm sure you know, is a fairly important figure...the sister of Charles lamb and together they wrote Tales from Shakespeare, by Charles and Mary Lamb, which you can find him in most bookshops today. I would, I would think, sort of condensed but really clever versions of Shakespeare's stories. Mary lamb had stabbed her mother to death with a knife quite a few years before this in a row induced partly by by by Mary's shouting at an apprentice, knitter in their house. So so she was an interesting character. Charles Lamb was one of the foremost or became considered a foremost literary figure of the time, a famous essayist, wrote essays under the name of Elia, which has a sort of pun in it, think about lying. I think that's controversial or contested, but anyway, that's what some people think. And Charles lamb will write an essay about Fanny Kelly, he calls it the story of Barbara S. But it's a story that Fanny Kelly tells him about her childhood and will propose to Fannie Kelly in a rather sort of curious exchange of, of letters. So that's that's interesting stuff about about Fanny Kelly attempted assassinations and relationships with with with Charles lamb. She also knew Byron, she organises a benefit performance for Grimaldi the clown Jo Grimaldi towards the end of his life, and has a very busy and interesting time she has the normal succession of lovers and suitors she never marries. She has an adopted daughter that sort of pops up that no one quite knows where where she comes from. Most biographers seem to think it probably is a child of Fanny Kelly's. So she was probably raising an illegitimate child in the the time we're about to reach. But anyway, she has this magnificent career and then in 1833, she she retires from Drury lane. I mean, actually, she had her last performances in 1835. But before that, As she takes over the Royal Strand Theatre, which is a new theatre, and starts training actors there and teaching pupils and putting on her one woman show, so she's raising money in the 1830s teaching and performing 'Dramatic Recollections'. The first really long one woman At Home monologue show in history, certainly in the history of English language theatre. I don't know about other other world theatres. You can get Dramatic Recollections. It's It's, it's, it's got some wonderful stuff in it. It's quite like the monologues of Ruth Draper. So Fanny Kelly plays many characters, she often plays people meeting people, the stage is often full of life. And she raises quite a lot of money by doing this. And during the 1830s, starts building a theatre, a model theatre, out of the back of her house on Dean street or two houses, she takes on two properties on Dean street in in Soho, and starts erecting a little model theatre. So so just to put this in context, this is the first attempts to have a sort of a serious institutional, pre professional, drama school in Britain since the restoration nurseries, whatever happened to them in the 1660 - 1670s. She's doing this on her own as an unmarried, entrepreneurial actor. She's also doing it for quite strong political reasons. When you read about Fanny Kelly, and when you listen to the way she speaks, and the things she says, There's clearly a huge sense of mission and purpose. I mentioned a few moments ago that she rejects a proposal from Charles lamb. So Charles lamb is in love with Fanny Kelly. He He invites her to come and be his wife to give up acting, and to move in with him and Mary, interestingly, and Fanny Kelly writes this very terse response, I'll just read a tiny bit of Fanny Kelly's letter to Charles lamb, this was several years before the drama school, but it will give you a sense of the kind of person she is. So in his proposal, Charles lamb is 1819 Charles Lamb says: Would to God, you were released from this way of life, that you could bring your mind to consent to take your lot with us (him and Mary) and throw off forever, the whole burden of your profession. I neither expect or wish you to take notice of this which I am writing in your present over occupied and hurried state. But to think of it at your leisure, I have quite an income enough. And then he makes a nice marriage proposal for a man at the beginning of the of the 19th century. I mean, funny thing he'd he'd seen Fanny Kelly shot at in Covent Garden. And he talks in the letter about her being in a distressed state. I don't think anyone knows quite quite what was going on. Anyway, Fanny Kelly, brilliantly says this. She was living at the time on Henrietta streets. So she writes on the 20th of July 1819. This is it, this is the letter, it starts like this. An early and deep rooted attachment has fixed my heart on one from whom no worldly prospect can well induce me to withdraw it. But while I thus frankly, and decidedly decline your proposal, believe me, I'm not insensible to the high honour etc. So she says nice, soothing things to, to Charles Lamb, but I really, again, it's, it's a brilliant thought snare to say. She's talking about the theatre. She's talking about the drama: an early and deep rooted attachment has fixed my heart on one from whom no worldly prospect can will induce me to withdraw it. That's painful, isn't it, just the agony of that were being committed to a life in the theatre. And Fanny Kelly's commitment extends to teaching...some of this is has a very particular morality to it. Fanny Kelly often refers to the hazard to young women, of trying to begin as actors. And there was sort of a mid 20th century tradition of being a bit cross with 19th century actors with trying to sort of gentrify their profession to make it proper and respectable, I think, I mean, I remember reading Stella Adler, railing against this period, and sort of, I suppose, connecting in that the roots of some kind of repression or English acting style, which he disliked. That's very understandable from from a mid 20th century perspective, but I think if Stella Adler spent some time reading accounts of what life was actually like in the in the 18th and early 19th century theatre, she maybe would have felt differently because because clearly they're there. Huge amounts of, of abuse. I mean, some of it looks quite fun. There's lots of drinking and naughtiness, but but I read the biography of Grimaldi. There was one published a few years ago and in that in that biography, it becomes clear that what's going on in these theatres is something which is very close to sexual abuse and and really sort of paedophilia are certainly on the on the boundary of that. So if Fanny Kelly's desire to protect young women and I think indeed young men from that experience is not some kind of moralistic puritanical sort of uptightness I think it's different.
Anyway, so we should probably move towards the drama school itself - so the projects in the Strand does I think it does fine. I think she breaks even - there are accounts. I think Fanny Kelly is surviving, but it's not quite what she wants. So she starts building this theatre out the back of her home on Dean Street. So let's imagine if you will imagine with me that it's it's Sunday, May the 24th 1840. And you open the paper and you read this, you read Oh, that's what we do. Fancy going to a show on Monday and you read Miss Kelly's theatre and dramatic school 73 Dean street Soho square licenced by the Lord Chamberlain and under the patronage of His grace, the Duke of Devonshire will be open to the public on Monday, May the 25th - Oh tomorrow we can go and see a show! The performances will commence with an appropriate address to be spoken by Miss Kelly. I'll read you that address in a moment. After which a piece in one act translated from the French to be called...and then there's a list of the shows it's Summer and Winter - The sergeant's wife which was one of |Fanny Kelly's best things and conclude with the admired drama of the Midnight Hour - so three shows they used to do long nights in the theatre, which is not unusual in this at this time. Doors to be open to half past seven got to get to Dean Street by half past seven, Commence at Eight. Tickets to the first tier of boxes and stalls seven shillings each to the public seats and family boxes five shillings each private boxes to be had nightly of Mr. Mitchell Old Bond Street and at the office of the theatre - oo we could we could get a private box. Do you fancy going with me to see Miss Kelly's new theatre and dramatic school? No-one makes much of a deal of this. But if you look at the actual playbills. You'll see the name Lee Morton is in those shows. Lee Morton is the stage name of Dion Boucicault, who's going to become of course a huge figure in the 19th century, Fanny Kelly gives him one of his first gigs in London. That winter, he's going to write London Assurance which was still being still performed occasionally today was performed at the National I dont know...15 years ago. Boucicault makes and loses and makes squillions and eventually himself opens a drama school in a Theatre in America. His son, who is also called Dion Boucicault is going to be involved in the setting up of ADA of the Academy of Dramatic Art. 64 years after the Knights, I'm going to tell you about try to see if if Lee Morton Dion Boucicault wrote anything about this, this experience but I can't find anything, which is really frustrating. I wonder if somewhere in a box there's some kind of an account. So anyway, an interesting night you would have seen if you had gone to the theatre that night. A young Dion Boucicault. So I can read you now two things, which are fun so so as Monday nights we've gone to we've gone to see the show. One is I'd like to read you Fanny Kelly's address from the stage that night before the show starts. And then I'll read you an account that kind of a long review really, of of that evening. And then I'll I'll things will get sad. So before things get sad. Let's be happy. So Fanny Kelly has spent years years and years and years saving. She says somewhere that she had about 20,000 pounds at this point. That's millions, that's a million or two stashed away from acting and teaching. So she's built this this really bijou, cool little theatre you'll hear about in a sec. It's not just a barn. This is a really serious enterprise. I was wondering earlier when's the next time somebody purpose builds an institution for training actors? I mean, Lamda has recently splashed 28 point whatever million on building a space. The Royal Welsh college I think, isn't it especially built space. I've never been there. I think the Bristol Old Vic moved. Maybe there are others. I'm not sure. When was the first time somebody built actually built an entire brand spanking new institution. Well, Fannie Kelly did during the 1830s and it's about to open.
So here we go. Last night, this new and beautiful little theatre was open to the public. And previous to the commencement of the entertainments the strength of the company came forward and sang God Save the Queen. I guess Lee Morton would have been there singing God Save the Queen, after which Miss Kelly appeared, led forward by the stage manager, Mr. G Bennett. And as soon as the enthusiastic welcome she experienced allowed her to proceed, delivered the following address in her own simple, graceful and most expressive manner. She was known for being a simple, graceful and truthful actor says really interesting things in other places about about truth in acting. talks about Sarah Siddons weeping on her shoulder in KingJjohn, I think I'll do that another time. Anyway, this is this is Fanny Kelly on this Monday night, she says:
My friends, after innumerable delays and difficulties, all at length, overcome by intrepid, perseverance and patience, I at last present myself before you in this little Theatre of my own, with the fervent hope, of doing some service yet in the cause of the English drama, and still devoting myself to an art in which you have kindly welcomed me on from my very childhood, upwards (40 odd years of it). I trust you like the mode in which you find me at home, it's her home, her little house was at the back. Well, the theatre is at the back. It's built in her yard. I mean, at home is also sort of a metaphor, but for her, it's literal, that you will think the portion of my house which is devoted to your comfort and reception is so arranged as to unite elegance with ease, and fitted for audiences whose minds and hearts are in the drama. The stage and its appointments, are such as will afford us the means of giving dialogue, a fair chance of being heard, and scenic effects, a power of being properly produced, some machinery has been introduced, for the ordering of the scenery, which I shall hope will from its merits, receive your approbation. I am now only taking my first step on the path I trust successfully to tread. The little fortunes of my long and not un-laboured life are all in this venture. And I will not easily relax in my endeavours to form a dramatic School for Good acting within the walls of this little theatre.
And she goes on to say a few more, a few more things, but she's she's giving us quite a lot there. During the delivery of this address, this is how it was described. Miss Kelly's feelings frequently overpowered her the earnest plaudits of her auditory as people are listening as often cheered her on to the conclusion. So there she is giving a speech. So this little theatre that's cost her maybe, in today's terms, millions of pounds, has opened the press that weekend is, is pretty good. There's a few kind of sniping comments, somebody talks about the midnight hour, starting at midnight, so they couldn't be there. And the first thing is not very good. There's a bit there. There's the you know, it's mixed, but pretty good. This is a fairly typical, fairly lengthy example. So I'm about to read you something. So what I'm going to read now is from the morning post on the second of June 1840. It's a sort of more of a feature piece than a review. So this gives a fairly detailed account of this of this theatre. You what you're going to hear next contains some really important information the article does it well but But Miss Kelly's theatre was was not owned, it was small and theatres at the time are often huge, Drury Lane where Kanika Elliot made her name and fortune was vast, it was a vast theatre. This is a small theatre, it's a little model theatre. So anyway, this is this is the account. It's quite it's quite long. The Pretty Little Theatre, which Miss Kelly is so successfully opened on Monday night contains something more to interest the public in its favour than the generality of theatres can pretend to it is not merely thrown open as a place of amusement. It is also intended to be rendered instrumental to the cultivation of professional talent, according to a plan which Miss Kelly has long and enthusiastically devoted herself to mature and which she has now happily brought to a practical commencement and a very distinguished patronage. This dramatic school is we believe the uppermost idea in Miss Kelly's mind. And we can fully appreciate the advantages which thus aided she possesses for discovering whatever capabilities may be found amongst the youthful aspirants who present themselves eager to develop their powers, and win wreaths and plaudits, fame and wealth at the hands of an admiring public. Well, that's still why people currently go to drama school isn't it? We pretend it isn't. But anyway, a little bit of that going on. Around style of acting is so free from mannerism, artifice or affectation In short, so natural, so natural that pupils must if they have a spark of Kindred genius within them feel it elicited by sympathy. So just being around Miss Kelly is going to teach you how to act, as successful experience to in her profession renders her an authority on whose tact and discrimination every reliance may be placed. But in fact, Miss Kelly has in her educational perspectives, now lying before us so plainly and fairly stated the case that we cannot better illustrate the subject than in her own words. Look, we're about to open, you still get prospectus, then you do send off or you do you send off for a perspective. So if you had sent off, for perspectives to Miss Kelly's theatre, in 1840, you would have got this. It's written in a strange way. But anyway, it reads, Miss Kelly has embarked considerable capital in erecting a small but commodious theatre attached to her own residence, in which talents may be cultivated and practical knowledge advanced by courses of lectures, daily readings, and stage studies. Those who have an intention to adopt the theatrical profession will be directed in that line of arts to which their talents may incline them. And it is proposed that in the gradual introduction of candidates for public notice, merit alone shall take the lead, the best adapted powers being brought to bear upon the best productions of our established dramatists. There is one point to which Miss Kelly has directed the most anxious consideration, and in the accomplishment of which she still is, and must continue to be most actively engaged, namely, the necessity of providing resources for those who whilst preparing for the profession are without the means of subsistence. To many this...this is so amazing this is remember this is the first prospectus for the first proper institutional - we'll ignore the strand and we'll ignore the nursery theatres -drama schools in Britain, and she's worried about people who don't have enough cash. Too many possessing considerable talent, urged by necessity rush into humble and even disreputable positions in the profession from which they never rise for one of those advantages, which time and cultivation would have afforded them. You wonder how much she's seen that people who, who had talent - people who had facility - people who would have gone far - being sort of forced to do terrible, sleazy, perhaps things in order to to get by, so she doesn't want that to happen. She says: others through some path which affords a temporary footing, monopolise the station, they have not talents to adorn, and in either case, the results to female candidates is at least dangerous, if not pernicious in there after after course through life. To avoid this evil, Miss Kelly has devoted a branch of the establishment to the intellectual improvement and the industrious occupation of the youthful pupils of both sexes, affording to each a fair proportion of the funds arising from their own exertions. Not quite sure what this means. But she's got a scheme anyway. Thus, everyone will possess the power to provide against the chance of failure in the Dramatic Art by the exercise of some ability, which in another walk of life, maybe esteemed, both useful and respectable...so she's got a whole plan...to teach them a sort of a second skill while they're studying to be actors? Wish I understood this, something like that, isn't it? Thus, Miss Kelly ventures once again before the public as a humble but faithful labourer in the dramatic art with those who would recall the stage from a state of degradation to all its intellectual and moral usefulness, and we heartily wish her success.
So there you go, that's going on. And then there's more though. So now the the article is going to talk about the stage machinery. So this is the thing about Miss Kelly's theatre. Not only is it the first, fully self built institutional space for training young actors, but it's also really funky. It's got incredible stage machinery. So now we're going to hear about this would have been a really cool theatre. Listen to this. So far for the system on which this admirable undertaking has been matured. We must now in justice say a few words of the improved machinery by which the stage business is conducted with a degree of dispatch, precision, economy, silence, safety and efficiency never before attained in any theatre. It is beautifully simple and its plan is constructed, almost entirely of wrought and cast iron and brass, which offers considerable additional security in the building against the risk of fire. Don't forget theatres were always burning down. In fact, they all burned down. So the oldest theatres in Britain now are the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmonds and there's one up in Richmond, Yorkshire and they're both, actually from around this time, I think - just slightly earlier slightly earlier. But there's nothing from the 18th centuries and nothing from the 17th century they all burn down. So this is a big deal. And is works by one third of the hands required on a stage in the old construction. so smooth and harmonious is the action of all the parts that two children might, instead of the men whose stand at the wheel, if sets to turn the winches, one at each side of the stage change - so children may do this - change in a few seconds, all the scenes, lower a new drop, raise the old one, adjust the wings and borders to match and simultaneously turn away the old wings and bring new ones into their places, all by the same motion. The single turn of the winch - sounds amazing! You turn a winch and this, this stuff happens the theatre spins around. Unless the spectator watch narrowly, the whole movement will take place like magic before he is aware. When these wings at the same time, retire or advance, expanding or contracting the space of the stage so as to suit the dimensions of the scene. Whether it be a palace or a cottage, the old lumbering flats or rather half flat scenes, which slid in grooves and slapped against each other, sometimes in the middle of a window or portrait are altogether done away with and the ordinary accompaniment of bustle blunders and murmurs or got rid of in their train. Some beautiful sunlight effects are produced by a new disposition of the gaslights and truly, the scenes are worthy of them. And then, talks about some stage painting stuff and just skipping on will read, we must not forget the mechanism of the stage itself, which may be fairly pronounced reformed. This tiny new theatre of Fanny Kelly's is reforming the stage - there are no props beneath to break up the plasticity of its surface, and the traps are no longer so in the dangerous sense of the word, ingenious, and even comfortable little carriages slide in a railroad beneath each and send forth or receive the supernatural visitors whose exits or entrances take place through these awful apertures. And when these minor openings to the lower world are insufficient, the whole stage can sink deep enough, as it would appear to swallow down a fairy palace and rise again in a moment with a power sufficient to throw up a mountain. We feel that our readers would not be much the wiser if we were to attempt to describe how all these new and beautiful effects are accomplished, and how so many mechanical advantages are brought about. We can well believe that they have been the fruit of much patient consideration on the part of the ingenious inventor, Mr. MacDonald Stevenson (I think related to a later Stevenson is going to do things with with steam trains) who appears to have bestowed as much scientific calculation on the movements as a watchmaker word upon a favourite repeater. As a beautiful and unique piece of mechanism, we can confidently say that its construction will cause as much admiration in the practical mechanic as the stage effective producers excites the dramatic amateur. Our readers will have ample opportunity of appreciating all these points of dramatic reform, after the cessation of the bustle of racing and driving incidents to the present a week, during which Miss Kelly has closed her house, judiciously determining that it would be folly to rival the attractions of Epsom. And this is this is this is there's something going wrong here.
So after five nights, Fanny Kelly closes her dramatic school. It opens again a year later and it opens again. She tries reviving her dramatic recollections. She does a few other bits and pieces. She teaches students she struggles on there are rumours that she's gone abroad she gets ill she gets so ill that she actually puts out a sick note she she she releases attached to the bill that was meant to invade audiences and account of how how well she is so Fanny Kelly's 50 at this point, I'm going to tell you perhaps what what went wrong in a moment but but this is rather poignant. This is a copy of certificate from 1840. In December. She was trying to do her famous one woman show again it can be to raise money and she can't so she published this. She She puts it in a in a special edition of her playbill, she releases her doctor's note. This is what he said: Dear madam, since seeing you I think it right again to urge you upon the necessity of postponing The opening of your theatre, the continuance of your indisposition and the violence of your cough, together with great exertion have so weakened you that I'm confident you greatly overate your powers. If you think it possible to perform the task you have proposed for yourself, and your appearance upon the stage, under present circumstances, would not only be attended by personal risk to yourself, but would be painfully witnessed by the public. I therefore, strongly advise you're closing the theatre for a short period. And by care and attention, I have no doubt you will, in a few days, be able to undertake your duties with advantage to yourself, and pleasure to your friends. So that's in 1840. So the question is, is what's happened? So what's going wrong? Why does Fanny Kelly's theatre which opens with such excitement in 1840, with this extraordinary stage machinery and a young Dion Boucicault, in the in the cast and, and all kinds of wonderful people supporting her, what goes wrong? Now what I'm about to read you is called the legend of the horse. And the legend of the horse is, is to some degree, an accepted account and it's also contested. So there's a scholar and I think actor and historian, who's now I think, at Central called Gilly Bush Bailey. And she thinks this probably isn't true, but the accounts start in the 19th century, and they're picked up by various biographers. So let's just decide there's probably at least some truth in this. So what went wrong in that first week?
Well this is an account from L. E. Holman's book about Fanny Kelly called Lamb's Barbara S because Lamb wrote this essay about her. The theatre opened on the 25th of March 1840, with a drama by Maurice Barnett called summer and winter, in which the manager s and the author sustained the principal parts. But the wonderful stage machinery utterly failed to justify the claims of the inventor. A distracting clamour behind the scenes reached the ears of the audience, and eventually it transpired that instead of one man being able to operate the arrangement, as had been predicted, in fact, what was predicted as a child instead of one man. The services of a horse were required to set the cog wheels in motion in the small Theatre of two private boxes, 59 stalls, and 150 Circle seats, the trampling of the horse and the accompanying groans and squeaks of the machinery so irritated successive audiences that at the end of the fifth night, the actors outnumbered the spectators. The house was then closed, and for several months, efforts were made to remove the iron bars and bolts, and stanchions, which had been embedded in the walls to secure the fittings of this earliest contrivance for mechanical scene shifting. It seemed as if the theatre would have to be pulled down. But eventually, at great cost, the apparatus was removed. The expense, delay, and loss of prestige occasioned by this unfortunate experiment seriously affected the progress of Miss Kelly's School of Dramatic Art. It goes on to talk about what happens. So maybe that's what happened. It seems like a believable story. It's a disaster. A complete disaster. And interesting, that Fanny Kelly, rips it all out. She's not giving up, she keeps going. And the theatre limps on, as I say, for about 10 more years. And then, and then this letter appears in The Times. This is sad. This is a this is a weeping song. This is a sad story for for Christmas evening. So I'm going to read you Fanny Kelly's letter, sad letter. This is from winter 1849 from the 17th of November 1849. Fanny Kelly writes to the times, sir, as I have not, I hope at any time - she's moving towards 60. No, sir, as I have not, I hope at any time impertenently thrust myself before the public, either in my professional or private character. I trust I may be excused if unconsciously, I now appear to do so by indulging an irresistible desire to draw through the powerful medium of your columns, the attention of my friends to the peculiar hardship of my present position, as I can in no other way so well extend the statement to those who beyond the immediate circle of my intimate acquaintances, I flatter myself may take some interest in my welfare, and the conviction of that integrity I have had credit for through a long and arduous professional life.
Sir. I witnessed on Tuesday morning last, the utter demolition of the fixtures, fittings and furniture of my theatre and dramatic school in Dean street, and now only by courtesy of the sheriff's officer, and permitted a day or two to remove and find space for this ponderous and for any other than its original appropriation, useless property, before I am myself, for ever expelled from the building, I have raised for the purist purposes, and towards which I have for the last 15 years, devoted my whole fortune, mind and time. Now, sir, as it would deeply wound my proud hearts to be pitied or blamed as a rash enthusiast or idle speculator, I wish to arrest at once conjecture and misrepresentation to which all seeming failure is liable by stating that my whole property has been arrested from me by my ground landlord on default of the instalment of 160 pounds due to him in June last upon arrear of rent, for which I had signed to him an all powerful document. She goes on to explain in some detail, what happened, she owes the money, she admits she owes the money but she she says she can get it in a few weeks, and the when she signed the document, she made a verbal oral agreement that that will be adhered to. Now is this 160 pounds that Fanny Kelly is is short of remember this, this property has absorbed? Well, she's going to tell us in a minute about 16,000. That's millions, I won't give you the full detail. But she goes on to say:
The peculiar feature of the case and the hardship of which I complain is this. That when I signed this fearful document, I distinctly stated in presence of his solicitor and my own, that I could not fulfil my promise as to the first instalment having no dependable resources until the end of November, the present month, and that therefore, I signed depending on the fact that I was perfectly understood, and should be treated with the same consideration, as on a former occasion when I placed myself equally in his power... and the result, however, is that on default of the said instalment of 160 pound, he has only 18 days before the time prayed for siezed the property to which in the cost for building and the operation of the purposes for which it was designed. I have sacrificed from first to last 16,000 pounds. Should you sir, feel kindly disposed and think it well - that's what my thumb was over that page - to gratify my wish in allowing space in any form for the substance of my letter, I shall consider myself infinitely obliged. I am Sir, your obedient servant, FM Kelly. Well, she loses her her theatre, she's forced to move out to Bayswater with her daughter. She takes private students for a while, and then eventually she moves out to to Surrey, and lives in genteel poverty until she's in her 90s. When Henry Irving comes to offer her money from the civil list, she rejects it saying she doesn't she doesn't need charity, she asked them to bring her a cow. She says she's been told if she drinks milk, she'll live forever. And then she dies. She dies later, a few weeks later, and she's buried in Brompton cemetery. bizarrely, the same cemetery that Sarah Thorne the other great drama school teacher, manager, actor, director of the 19th century, is also buried there. So if you want to you can go to Brompton cemetery. And you could see Fanny Kelly's gravestone - what's written on the grave was written by was penned by Henry Irving, and he didn't know if any Kelly until the end of her life, but he wrote, he wrote this on her grave. And I'll put a picture of the gravestone that I took on the podcast on the podcast thing, so if you want to look you can see but it's a it's hard to read, but it says:
Frances Maria Kelly, born 15th of October 1790, died sixth of December 1882 aged 92 years. The world recognised the great artist, those who knew her loved the true and noble woman. So there we go. That's the story kind of of the first two British Drama schools: The nurseries of the restoration, and then Fanny Kelly's school, on the disastrous Drama School on Dean Street. Maybe what went on there wasn't disastrous, I don't know. As I say it's hard to know. There's a few accounts of the Strand, lecturers come and do things but um...offered to all of us who are struggling in this difficult Time also offered to all my friends and colleagues. Those of you who know me a bit know that I used to work at a drama school called Lamda. And Lamda went through huge changes this year. And large numbers of staff who I think were, were brilliant people were really forced out of that institution. And when I was reading Fanny Kelly's story there, I was kind of picturing what it was like to pick up stuff in the staff room in Lamda and head off into an unknown and unknown future. So So there you go, that that account, if any Kelly is for us, where everyone is struggling at the moment, and my former colleagues at Lamda, hope you're all keeping well, Happy Christmas. If you want to drop me a line you always can at robertprice1869@gmail.com - it would be lovely to hear from anyone who has anything to say people have written me emails, which is which is fantastic. I look forward to podcasting. Is that a... anyway with you all all next year. Hope is a better year. Really hope it's a better year. Take care. Bye
Transcribed by https://otter.ai