Cymbeline - eTheses Repository - University of Birmingham

170.
casting minor roles. Joseph Knight, in a review of
Phelps's appearance of Falstaff in The Merry Wives of
Windsor (Drury Lane, December 26, 1874) remarked that -
The failure of Shakespeare at Drury lane is
principally assignable to the fact that, while
competent actors were secured for the leading
characters, subordinate parts were allotted to
people fitted for little more than to carry a
flag in a procession. Kr. Hollingshead has
scrutinised carefully the various companies in
London, and has secured for his performances
actors who are, if not qualified in all cases,
the best obtainable. 10
This criticism Knight repeated in his review of As You Like
It (February 27, 1875): even the enterprise and conscientiousness
of Hollingshead could not find an adequate cast for
all the ports of a ^hakespearean play in a connercial
production.
iii. "Cymbeline" at Stratford-upon-Avon, 1884 (April 25,26)
and 1885 (April'287.
Miss Alleyn's company played Cymbeline at the fec-tival
seasons of 1884 and 1885; Miss Alleyn herself playing
Imogen, and Charles Bernard Posthumus. Phelps hau been
invited to pla,: Posthumus to the Imogen of Helen Faucit in
1864, but after disagreeing vith the Festival Committee
over the invitation they had extended to Fechter ( to play
Hamlet) Phelps refused to co-operate. Miss Alleyn's three
performances were the only ones at Stratford before 1909,
when P.ii. •. enson played iosthu.aus. '
The Stratford Herald (April 25, 1884) noted that Kiss
Alleyn "change/d_7 the centre of the action", and made the
play "revolve round the character she performed". lachimo
(J.G-. Bayley) was dull, oloten (Alfred I'ate) was too funny,
and the sets were approved as being "bright and pretty".
By the second performance lachimo had improved - the