[22 ParadiseHale, Emilyholidays in Charleston;k3 Rd.; forwarded to Mrs James Edgar, 51 Church St., Charleston, S.C.]
One’sSpanish Civil War;a3 firstAnschluss, theresponse to;a1 disturbance and depression over events in Austria and Spain has not subsided, and one hopes to get through the summer without more immediate alarms. Any fresh incident of German aggressiveness is likely, I think, to be very unsettling to our Government. AEden, Anthonyresigns;a1 greatVansittart, Sir Robertremoved from office;a2 dealChamberlain, Nevillehis policy towards Germany and Italy;a3 of disapproval and anxiety was felt in consequence of Chamberlain’s getting rid of Eden and Vansittart. In so far as he succeeds in arriving at a real or apparent understanding of Germany or with Italy, his position will become very strong; if it appears that he has sacrificed a traditional policy for a new but futile one, opposition will grow. ILabour Party, themistrusted on foreign policy;a2 do not think that the opposition is likely to take the form of a return of a Labour Government, as most people consider that that party’s policy and day to day attitude about foreign affairs have been very incompetent and untrustworthy: itChurchill, Sir Winston Leonard Spencercommendable speeches;a2 would more likely take the form of a different kind of Conservative Government, with Eden back and possibly a few outsiders like Churchill – who has been speaking lately, as he often does at times of crisis and when he is in opposition, with great brilliance.
MyBrowne, Elliott Martin1939 production of The Family Reunion;c1criticisms thereof;b3 onlyFamily Reunion, Thecriticised by Martin Browne;d8 news of importance is that I have had a long letter from Martin Browne about the new play – in which his criticisms go so far that I think he has very largely misunderstood what I am trying to do; and I have written to him to say that if I accepted all his criticisms I might as well write a new play with a new situation and new characters.1 Some of his criticisms, of course, I recognise as valid and important: I am now trying to separate out of what he says, what I can make use of and what I can’t. That will take some days of quiet reflexion. As he says he wants to stop on in New York (I suppose for rest and holiday) for a couple of weeks, Itravels, trips and plansTSE's 1938 trip to Lisbon;c9;a2 do not expect to see him until I get back from Lisbon – if, as I suppose, I go there shortly after Easter. Meanwhile, I shall wrangle with Ashley. IMurder in the CathedralMartin Browne's initial response to;d2 am consoled by the recollection that when I showed Martin the first part of ‘Murder in the Cathedral’, essentially as it has remained, but before the second part, he thought that that was going to be unactable. The greatest difficulty in playwriting seems to me to be just at this point: where one is trying to find out just how far author and producer are at cross-purposes. I suspect that Martin hopes that this will be the kind of thing that can be a big West-End success; and it can’t.
My Lent, so far, has not been as quiet and private as I had hoped. It is not that I have made any evening engagements – I have actually had very few: butLewis, WyndhamTSE sitting for;b3 that most of my evenings have been given to Wyndham Lewis. But I could hardly have refused an old friend, especially when he wanted to produce something big to offer to the Academy. And that point has its advantages, because it means that the picture must be finished by the end of this week. And so far as I can judge, it promises to be a very fine portrait. There will be some photographs taken when it is finished.
LastSpender, StephenTrial of a Judge;d8 nightUnity Theatre, LondonSpender's Trial of a Judge;a1 I went to see Spender’s ‘Trial of a Judge’, of which I will send you a copy.2 The play is better on stage than it is to read. ItAuden, Wystan Hugh ('W. H.')and Isherwood's plays versus Spender's;b8 is not wholly successful, but for a first play very commendable, and I think very much more praiseworthy than what Auden and Isherwood have been doing. There is nothing smart or clever about it, no farce or catchpenny devices; he has a large and noble theme and he has gone at it with complete sincerity. It is deficient in suspense, for the most part; and he makes the mistake of spreading the poetry too thick – he tries to be poetic the whole time, so that the ear and mind are fatigued, and there is no reserve force left for high moments: the fault of a beginner, but one not easy to overcome. The little theatre is in an out of the way spot back of St. Pancras’ Station, and was rather sparsely filled, I am sorry to say, though he had a good press. AndDoone, Rupertsurpasses himself with Spender;c1 the play was better produced and acted than I should have expected from Rupert Doone.3
WellChristianitythe Church Year;d8season for meditation and reading;b5, I hope next week will be more leisurely, and I shall try to do some Lenten reading: so far I have nothing to my credit beyond a few small abstinences and attendance at Mass three mornings a week instead of two – not always easy to get up early when one has got home at midnight tired from a sitting. I should like to know what special services etc. you have had in Northampton during Lent – and to change the subject completely, whether you really are going South, as I hope, withKnowles, Sylvia Hathaway;a3 Sylvia Knowles (or with some friend) during the holidays. After Easter, summer will seem very near.
1.See Browne to TSE, 11 Mar. 1938; TSE’s reply, 19 Mar. 1938: Letters 8, 844–7.
2.Trial of a Judge, produced at the Unity Theatre by Rupert Doone for the Group Theatre, opened on 18 Mar.
3.Geoffrey Faber’s diary, Fri. 25 Mar., on SS’s play: ‘Very passionate, & intense; in parts very fine & moving. But it’s a defence of liberalism, whether Stephen meant it so or not.’
10.W. H. AudenAuden, Wystan Hugh ('W. H.') (1907–73), poet, playwright, librettist, translator, essayist, editor: see Biographical Register.
4.E. MartinBrowne, Elliott Martin Browne (1900–80), English director and producer, was to direct the first production of Murder in the Cathedral: see Biographical Register.
2.RupertDoone, Rupert Doone (1903–66), dancer, choreographer and producer, founded the Group Theatre, London, in 1932: see Biographical Register.
1.TheEden, Anthony Rt. Hon. Anthony Eden, MC, MP (1897–1977), Conservative politician; Foreign Secretary, 1940–5; Prime Minister, 1955–7. Appointed to the Order of the Garter, 1954; raised to the peerage as Earl of Avon, 1961.
2.SylviaKnowles, Sylvia Hathaway Hathaway Knowles (1891–1979), of New Bedford, Mass. – a descendant of a long-established merchant and business family based there – was a friend and room-mate of EH from their schooldays at Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Vermont.
7.WyndhamLewis, Wyndham Lewis (1882–1957), painter, novelist, philosopher, critic: see Biographical Register.
12.Stephen SpenderSpender, Stephen (1909–95), poet and critic: see Biographical Register.
2.SirVansittart, Sir Robert Robert Vansittart (1881–1957), diplomat and author: see Biographical Register.