Add MS 83110

Eleanor Farjeon Papers. Vol. xxxiv (ff. 155). ‘The Two Bouquets’; 29 March 1929-12 May 1953. Mostly typewritten. Light Opera by Eleanor and Herbert Farjeon with music arranged and orchestrated by Ernest Irving. First broadcast on the radio, in a shortened form, on 3 May 1936 under the title ‘The Wrong Bouquet’. Theatrical premiere at the Ambassadors Theatre on 9 Aug. 1936, and revived in London at the St. Martin’s Theatre in 1953. For the copy of the play submitted to the Lord Chamberlain’s Office and related correspondence, see LCP. 1936/35 and LC Corr. 1936/15236. In March 1938 Eleanor Farjeon travelled to New York City to oversee a production directed by Marc Connolly at the Windsor Theatre. For the background to this visit, see Morning Has Broken, pp. 183-207. For Eleanor’s autobiographical account of her American visit, see ‘The American Adventure’, Add. 83151. For correspondence between Eleanor and Herbert Farjeon concerning the New York production of ‘The Two Bouquets’, see Add. 83135. For Eleanor Farjeon’s pocket diary for 1938, which includes entries relating to the New York production, see Add. 83159. For sheet music for songs from the play, see Add. 83130. For programmes, photographs and other ephemera relating to London, regional and the New York productions, see the University of Bristol Theatre Collection. Published as The Two Bouquets: A Victorian Comedy with Music (1936) and later as The Two Bouquets: A Novelette by Eleanor Farjeon Based on the Operetta by Eleanor and Herbert Farjeon (1948).

1. ff. 1-101. Draft; [circa 1932].

2. ff. 102-130. Partly autograph correspondence relating to the original Ambassadors production; 29 March 1929-27 Dec. 1936. Includes correspondence of Eleanor and Herbert Farjeon with theatre owners and producers (ff. 102-107), letters from Sydney Carroll, who eventually agreed to stage the play, to the authors (passim), correspondence with Ernest Irving (ff. 108-111) and letters from members of the cast (ff. 114-116, 124-126). With printed pages from Theatre World (January 1937) including photographs of the performance (ff. 127-130).

3. ff. 131-134. Correspondence relating to the 1938 New York production; 25 March 1938, 31 May 1938.

4. ff. 135-136. Cast list for the New York production and poem received from the cast; [May 1938] .

5. ff. 137-139. Partly autograph correspondence relating to the Oxford Repertory Players’ production in May 1940; 23 April 1940-3 June 1940. Includes a letter from Leslie French, who had played the part of Edward in New York and who was producer at the Playhouse Oxford (f. 139).

6. ff. 140-155. Partly autograph letters and telegrams with best wishes for the 1953 revivals in Southport and London; 16 Feb. 1953-12 May 1953. Includes telegrams from many of the cast of the original 1936 production.