Knowledge (XXG)

Passion, Poison, and Petrifaction

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living statue. A doctor arrives as a violent storm breaks. Lightning fatally strikes the doctor, the policeman and the landlord. The FitzTollemaches raise the statue upright and kneel before it, as the heavenly choir again sings "Bill Bailey". The statue raises its hands in benediction, the band plays the national anthem and attendants pass through the auditorium ejecting the audience.
160:, which they can get from the plaster of the ceiling. They throw boots up to bring pieces of the ceiling down. Adolphus cannot force the plaster down this throat, and instead Magnesia reaches for a plaster bust of herself, which she bids Phyllis dissolve in hot water. Adolphus drinks the mixture, and with the poison neutralised he sinks into a deep sleep. 149:". A murderous figure enters, brandishing a dagger. Before he can stab Magnesia she wakes, and recognises her husband. Her admirer, Adolphus, demands admittance so that he can show her his new suit of evening clothes made of bright yellow and black cloth with a silver-spangled waistcoat and red kerchief. 163:
The FitzTollemaches' landlord appears, complaining at the noise from the room. He believes that the recumbent Adolphus is dead, accuses the others of murdering him, and summons the police. The constable cannot rouse Adolphus, and discovers that the plaster has set inside him, turning him into a
22: 156:(soda-siphon) contains poison and Adolphus is soon writhing on the floor. Magnesia declares that with Adolphus dead she will have to devote all her energies to doting on her husband. Finding this prospect overwhelming, Fitz reveals that there is an antidote to the poison, namely 144:
Late at night, Phyllis, the maid, is combing the hair of her employer, Lady Magnesia FitzTollemache. Phyllis expresses foreboding and the fear that she will never see her beloved mistress again. Magnesia retires to sleep, serenaded by a heavenly choir singing
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Shaw began writing the play in May 1905 and finished it on 4 June. It was published in Harry Furniss's Christmas Annual 1905, and was privately printed for copyright purposes in the US in the same year. It first appeared in book form in
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Shaw wrote of the piece, "This tragedy was written at the request of Mr Cyril Maude, under whose direction it was performed repeatedly, with colossal success, in a booth in Regent's Park, for the benefit of
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broadcast a radio version of the play in 1926, and the early BBC television service transmitted another in 1939. The play was staged in London in 1945, and again as part of a Shaw Festival at the
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at his most surrealist. The piece was revived again at the Arts the following year in a triple bill with short comedies by
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in 1951. This was the last production in London during Shaw's lifetime. Later productions included one at the
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Period: "Not for an age but for all time". Scene: A bed sitting-room in a fashionable quarter of London.
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The original performers, from left to right: Vanbrugh, Price, Lewis, Maude, Pawle, Williams and Huntley
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stationed themselves outside the tent drumming up custom for the show.
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Choir of Invisible Angels – Messrs Mason, Tucker, Maney, Humphreys
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Billington, Michael. "Triple bill given broad treatment",
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The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism and Capitalism
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The Fatal Gazogene: a Brief Tragedy for Barns and Booths
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The Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for God
1057: 1025: 1005: 964: 517: 188:observed that Shaw's plot and punning anticipated 822:A Glimpse of the Domesticity of Franklyn Barnabas 208:The play was adapted in 1975 for a comic opera, 308:, 20 January 1926, p. 10; and "Broadcasting", 486: 8: 152:Fitz offers Adolphus a whisky and soda. The 374:Griffel, Margaret Ross (21 December 2012). 493: 479: 471: 1110:SHAW: The Annual of Bernard Shaw Studies 443:. Harmondsworth and New York: Penguin. 239: 400:Stanford University Libraries (2019). 222:112). It was also made into operas by 878:The Simpleton of the Unexpected Isles 25:Notice for the first production, 1905 7: 857:How These Doctors Love One Another! 920:In Good King Charles's Golden Days 437:"Passion, Poison and Petrifaction" 420:The Complete Plays of Bernard Shaw 184:in 1967, of which the reviewer in 14: 801:Annajanska, the Bolshevik Empress 654:Passion, Poison, and Petrifaction 214:, by the Polish-Russian composer 31:Passion, Poison, and Petrifaction 1065:Charlotte Payne-Townshend (wife) 682:The Shewing-Up of Blanco Posnet 612:Captain Brassbound's Conversion 377:Operas in English: A Dictionary 147:Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey 90:Lady Magnesia FitzTollemache – 1096:George Bernard Shaw: His Plays 668:The Interlude at the Playhouse 255:"The Actors' Orphanage Fund", 1: 55:Translations and Tomfooleries 1144:Plays by George Bernard Shaw 717:The Dark Lady of the Sonnets 439:. In Dan H Laurence (ed.). 16:Play by George Bernard Shaw 1170: 640:How He Lied to Her Husband 347:"Lively trifles by Shaw", 295:Shaw (1934), pp. 1118–1119 286:Shaw (1930), pp. 1115–1117 277:Shaw (1934), pp. 1114–1115 65:, on the 14th July 1905". 1154:Plays adapted into operas 989:Cashel Byron's Profession 696:The Fascinating Foundling 508: 404:, accessed 14 April 2019. 390:– via Google Books. 1048:Quintessence of Ibsenism 927:The British Party System 633:John Bull's Other Island 556:Mrs. Warren's Profession 364:, 23 February 1968, p. 7 338:, 22 February 1951, p. 8 102:George FitzTollemache – 1117:Twain and Shaw Do Lunch 619:The Admirable Bashville 351:, 1 February 1967, p. 5 321:"Chanticleer Theatre", 982:Love Among the Artists 899:Arthur and the Acetone 731:Androcles and the Lion 703:The Glimpse of Reality 435:Bernard, Shaw (1987). 418:Shaw, Bernard (1934). 86: 26: 1034:The Perfect Wagnerite 996:An Unsocial Socialist 787:Augustus Does His Bit 780:The Inca of Perusalem 312:, 15 June 1939, p. 12 84: 63:The Actors' Orphanage 24: 1103:Great Contemporaries 906:Cymbeline Refinished 661:The Doctor's Dilemma 605:Caesar and Cleopatra 591:The Devil's Disciple 441:Selected Short Plays 325:, 26 July 1945, p. 8 268:Shaw (1934), p. 1113 259:, 15 July 1905, p. 8 194:Michel de Ghelderode 108:Adolphus Bastaple – 96:Phyllis, her maid – 1149:Plays set in London 850:Too True to Be Good 502:George Bernard Shaw 380:. Scarecrow Press. 334:"A Shaw Festival", 304:"Wirelessed Shaw", 216:Mieczysław Weinberg 120:Police Constable – 34:is a short play by 1089:production history 948:Shakes versus Shav 815:Back to Methuselah 724:Fanny's First Play 584:You Never Can Tell 577:The Man of Destiny 422:. London: Odhams. 87: 27: 1126: 1125: 955:Why She Would Not 941:Farfetched Fables 892:The Millionairess 885:The Six of Calais 829:Jitta's Atonement 204:Opera adaptations 168:Later productions 1161: 1080:Shavian alphabet 934:Buoyant Billions 808:Heartbreak House 626:Man and Superman 563:Arms and the Man 542:Widowers' Houses 495: 488: 481: 472: 462: 431: 405: 398: 392: 391: 371: 365: 358: 352: 345: 339: 332: 326: 319: 313: 302: 296: 293: 287: 284: 278: 275: 269: 266: 260: 253: 247: 244: 1169: 1168: 1164: 1163: 1162: 1160: 1159: 1158: 1129: 1128: 1127: 1122: 1053: 1021: 1001: 960: 773:O'Flaherty V.C. 759:Great Catherine 675:Getting Married 549:The Philanderer 513: 504: 499: 469: 451: 434: 417: 414: 409: 408: 399: 395: 388: 373: 372: 368: 359: 355: 346: 342: 333: 329: 320: 316: 303: 299: 294: 290: 285: 281: 276: 272: 267: 263: 254: 250: 245: 241: 236: 228:Philip Hagemann 206: 182:Mermaid Theatre 170: 139: 122:Arthur Williams 114:The Landlord – 79: 50: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1167: 1165: 1157: 1156: 1151: 1146: 1141: 1131: 1130: 1124: 1123: 1121: 1120: 1113: 1106: 1099: 1092: 1082: 1077: 1072: 1067: 1061: 1059: 1055: 1054: 1052: 1051: 1044: 1037: 1029: 1027: 1023: 1022: 1020: 1019: 1011: 1009: 1003: 1002: 1000: 999: 992: 985: 978: 970: 968: 962: 961: 959: 958: 951: 944: 937: 930: 923: 916: 909: 902: 895: 888: 881: 874: 867: 864:Village Wooing 860: 853: 846: 843:The Apple Cart 839: 832: 825: 818: 811: 804: 797: 790: 783: 776: 769: 766:The Music Cure 762: 755: 748: 741: 734: 727: 720: 713: 706: 699: 692: 689:Press Cuttings 685: 678: 671: 664: 657: 650: 643: 636: 629: 622: 615: 608: 601: 594: 587: 580: 573: 566: 559: 552: 545: 538: 535:Un Petit Drame 531: 523: 521: 515: 514: 509: 506: 505: 500: 498: 497: 490: 483: 475: 468: 467:External links 465: 464: 463: 449: 432: 413: 410: 407: 406: 393: 386: 366: 353: 340: 327: 314: 297: 288: 279: 270: 261: 248: 238: 237: 235: 232: 205: 202: 190:Spike Milligan 169: 166: 138: 135: 134: 133: 130: 124: 118: 112: 106: 100: 94: 92:Irene Vanbrugh 78: 75: 67:Brandon Thomas 49: 46: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1166: 1155: 1152: 1150: 1147: 1145: 1142: 1140: 1137: 1136: 1134: 1119: 1118: 1114: 1112: 1111: 1107: 1105: 1104: 1100: 1098: 1097: 1093: 1090: 1086: 1085:Shaw Festival 1083: 1081: 1078: 1076: 1073: 1071: 1070:Shaw's Corner 1068: 1066: 1063: 1062: 1060: 1056: 1050: 1049: 1045: 1043: 1042: 1038: 1036: 1035: 1031: 1030: 1028: 1024: 1018: 1017: 1013: 1012: 1010: 1008: 1007:Short stories 1004: 998: 997: 993: 991: 990: 986: 984: 983: 979: 977: 976: 972: 971: 969: 967: 963: 957: 956: 952: 950: 949: 945: 943: 942: 938: 936: 935: 931: 929: 928: 924: 922: 921: 917: 915: 914: 910: 908: 907: 903: 901: 900: 896: 894: 893: 889: 887: 886: 882: 880: 879: 875: 873: 872: 868: 866: 865: 861: 859: 858: 854: 852: 851: 847: 845: 844: 840: 838: 837: 833: 831: 830: 826: 824: 823: 819: 817: 816: 812: 810: 809: 805: 803: 802: 798: 796: 795: 791: 789: 788: 784: 782: 781: 777: 775: 774: 770: 768: 767: 763: 761: 760: 756: 754: 753: 749: 747: 746: 745:Beauty's Duty 742: 740: 739: 735: 733: 732: 728: 726: 725: 721: 719: 718: 714: 712: 711: 707: 705: 704: 700: 698: 697: 693: 691: 690: 686: 684: 683: 679: 677: 676: 672: 670: 669: 665: 663: 662: 658: 656: 655: 651: 649: 648: 647:Major Barbara 644: 642: 641: 637: 635: 634: 630: 628: 627: 623: 621: 620: 616: 614: 613: 609: 607: 606: 602: 600: 599: 595: 593: 592: 588: 586: 585: 581: 579: 578: 574: 572: 571: 567: 565: 564: 560: 558: 557: 553: 551: 550: 546: 544: 543: 539: 537: 536: 532: 530: 529: 525: 524: 522: 520: 516: 512: 507: 503: 496: 491: 489: 484: 482: 477: 476: 473: 466: 460: 456: 452: 450:9780141963686 446: 442: 438: 433: 429: 425: 421: 416: 415: 411: 403: 397: 394: 389: 387:9780810883253 383: 379: 378: 370: 367: 363: 357: 354: 350: 344: 341: 337: 331: 328: 324: 318: 315: 311: 307: 301: 298: 292: 289: 283: 280: 274: 271: 265: 262: 258: 252: 249: 243: 240: 233: 231: 229: 225: 221: 217: 213: 212: 211:Lady Magnesia 203: 201: 199: 195: 191: 187: 183: 179: 175: 167: 165: 161: 159: 155: 150: 148: 142: 136: 131: 129: 128:G. P. 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Index


Bernard Shaw
The Actors' Orphanage
Brandon Thomas
Lionel Brough

Irene Vanbrugh
Nancy Price
Eric Lewis
Cyril Maude
Lennox Pawle
Arthur Williams
G. P. Huntley
Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey
gazogene
lime
BBC
Arts Theatre
Mermaid Theatre
Spike Milligan
Michel de Ghelderode
Chekhov
Lady Magnesia
Mieczysław Weinberg
Opus
Bruce Taub
Philip Hagemann
Operas in English: A Dictionary
ISBN
9780810883253

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