Shakespeare and the Home Front: Shakespeare and the Home Front: Donald Wolfit’s Donald Wolfit’s King LearKing Lear (1943-4) (1943-4)

Piccadilly Circus 1944

• Donald Wolfit and Shakespearean Donald Wolfit and Shakespearean actor/managementactor/management

• Shakespeare as a wartime Shakespeare as a wartime propaganda figurepropaganda figure

• LearLear in Performance in Performance• ““People’s Shakespeare”People’s Shakespeare”• The Legacy of Wolfit’s The Legacy of Wolfit’s LearLear

Who was Donald Wolfit?Who was Donald Wolfit?

Born in 1902, Donald Born in 1902, Donald Wolfit spent his early Wolfit spent his early career touring with career touring with actor/managers such as actor/managers such as Fred Terry.Fred Terry.

He made his name at He made his name at Stratford-on-Avon in Stratford-on-Avon in 1936 and 1937 as Hamlet1936 and 1937 as Hamlet

He began touring Britain He began touring Britain with his own company in with his own company in 19371937

Wartime Wartime ShakespeareShakespeare

Wolfit performed Wolfit performed Selections Selections from Shakespearefrom Shakespeare at the Strand at the Strand Theatre throughout the Blitz in Theatre throughout the Blitz in London in 1940.London in 1940.

He toured the country throughout He toured the country throughout 1940-44, performing during air 1940-44, performing during air raids, even on his own theatreraids, even on his own theatre

Wolfit inspects bomb damage Oct. 1940

Shakespeare and EnglishnessShakespeare and Englishness Wolfit gave public lectures where he Wolfit gave public lectures where he

emphasized Shakespeare’s importance to the emphasized Shakespeare’s importance to the national culture. The media understood his national culture. The media understood his efforts, as this efforts, as this PunchPunch cartoon from 1941 cartoon from 1941 suggests:suggests:

Wolfit understood Shakespeare’s Wolfit understood Shakespeare’s potential as propagandapotential as propaganda

King Lear program 1943 tour

“Shakespeare represents more than anything else the fighting spirit of our country. Only the best is good enough for people who are starving and enduring as Londoners are today.”

Donald Wolfit, 27 October 1940

Wolfit was inspired Wolfit was inspired by Prime Minster by Prime Minster Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill, , who understood who understood literature’s capacity literature’s capacity to provide moral to provide moral and patriotic and patriotic guidanceguidance

Six Stories from Shakespeare, a 1934 children’s book in which Churchill retold Julius Caesar in modern English. For him the story offered important lessons in leadership and how to command the people’s respect.

And not be eastern windows only,When daylight comes, comes in the light;In front the sun climbs slow, how slowly,But westward, look, the land is bright.Quoted from A. H. Clough, BBC Broadcast, April 27, 1941 We must be

free or die, who speak the tongueThat Shakespeare spoke.

KING LEARKING LEAR

Opened at the Scala Theatre, a 1100-seat Opened at the Scala Theatre, a 1100-seat theatre in London’s Soho in April 1944theatre in London’s Soho in April 1944

Part of a repertory season of eight Part of a repertory season of eight Shakespeare plays that had begun two Shakespeare plays that had begun two months earliermonths earlier

Took place in a bomb-damaged city, two Took place in a bomb-damaged city, two months before the V-1 campaign of flying months before the V-1 campaign of flying bombs beganbombs began

Scala TheatreScala Theatre: built 1905, mostly : built 1905, mostly used for pantomime and revue.used for pantomime and revue.

Wolfit believed in continuing Wolfit believed in continuing the actor/manager tradition. the actor/manager tradition. His Lear was inspired by His Lear was inspired by Henry Irving, Edmund Kean Henry Irving, Edmund Kean and Randle Ayrton …and Randle Ayrton …

Wolfit’s interpretation also Wolfit’s interpretation also reinforced patriotic valuesreinforced patriotic values

THE BEST OF BRITISH

Staging Staging LearLear

Set by Ernest Stern

Act I scene i: “Know that we have divided in three our kingdom.”

Light focuses on Wolfit center stage

Other actors remain in shadow while Wolfit speaks direct to audience

Act V: Lear and Cordelia are captured by Cornwall’s troops: Act V: Lear and Cordelia are captured by Cornwall’s troops: “Let’s away to prison,“Let’s away to prison,

We two alone will sing like birds i’ th’ cage”We two alone will sing like birds i’ th’ cage”

VERSE-SPEAKINGVERSE-SPEAKINGO, reason not the need! Our basest beggarsAre in the poorest thing superfluous.Allow not nature more than nature needs,Man’s life is cheap as beast’s. But for true need –You heavens, give me patience, patience I need.You see me here, you gods, a poor old man,As full of grief as age, wretched in both.If it be you that stirs these daughters’ heartsAgainst their father, fool me not so muchTo bear it tamely. Touch me with noble anger.O, let not women’s weapons, water-drops,Stain my man’s cheeks! No, you unnatural hags,I will have such revenges on you bothThat all the world shall – I will do such things –What they are, yet I know not; but they shall beThe terrors of the earth.

Lear speaks to his daughters

Sing-song delivery with much use of Sing-song delivery with much use of accented stressesaccented stresses

Sliding between vocal registers (“O reason Sliding between vocal registers (“O reason not the need,” “No, you unnatural hags”)not the need,” “No, you unnatural hags”)

Maximum display of conflicting emotions: Maximum display of conflicting emotions: anger, terror, childishnessanger, terror, childishness

Resembling operatic aria where the Resembling operatic aria where the performer shows off their vocal talent.performer shows off their vocal talent.

Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage, blow,Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage, blow,

You cataracts and hurricanoes, spoutYou cataracts and hurricanoes, spout

Till you have drenched our steeples, drowned the cocks!Till you have drenched our steeples, drowned the cocks!

You sulphurous and thought-executing fires,You sulphurous and thought-executing fires,

Vaunt-couriers to oak-cleaving thunderbolts,Vaunt-couriers to oak-cleaving thunderbolts,

Singe this white head; and thou all-shaking thunder,Singe this white head; and thou all-shaking thunder,

Smite flat the thick rotundity o’the world,Smite flat the thick rotundity o’the world,

Crack nature’s mould, all germens spill at onceCrack nature’s mould, all germens spill at once

That make ingrateful man.That make ingrateful man.

Lear rails against the elements in the storm

And my poor fool is hang’d. No, no life.And my poor fool is hang’d. No, no life.

Why should a dog, a horse, a cat have life,Why should a dog, a horse, a cat have life,

And thou no breath at all! O, thou wilt come no And thou no breath at all! O, thou wilt come no more,more,

Never, never, never, never, never – Pray you, Never, never, never, never, never – Pray you, undoundo

This button. Thank you, sir. Do you see this?This button. Thank you, sir. Do you see this?

Look on her lips. Look there. Look there …Look on her lips. Look there. Look there …

Lear’s Death Speech with Cordelia in his arms

James Agate (1877-1947)James Agate (1877-1947)

… the greatest piece of Shakespearean acting I have seen since I have been privileged to write for The Sunday Times.

If I were the Government I should let any bricks-and-mortar National Theatre stew in its own juice, and send Mr. Wolfit round the country …Sunday Times, 16 April 1944

Audience ReactionsAudience Reactions

When the curtain went down on the First Act the storm of applause ended in cheering as vociferous as if it had been the ballet or a soccer match

What a grand audience, too, silent and still. American soldiers in large numbers … other Servicemen too – Poles, French, Czechs, Indians, African-Americans

“Have been to the theatre every night this week …. [I] was stunned into pin-still silence” (Wolfit fan-letter)

Why was Why was LearLear provoke such provoke such reaction?reaction?

The effects of tyranny in a state;The effects of tyranny in a state; The storm/ disorder on stage mirrors The storm/ disorder on stage mirrors

disorder outside the theater;disorder outside the theater; Rulers have to understand the consequences Rulers have to understand the consequences

of their actions;of their actions;

Bomb damage in central London, May 1944

““People’s Shakespeare”People’s Shakespeare”

Donald Wolfit was the only man to bring Shakespeare to London and the provinces throughout the War years, visiting all part of the British Isles.

Wolfit attracted audiences of all classes Wolfit attracted audiences of all classes and all nations by charging popular and all nations by charging popular

prices (5/- (25p) for the cheapest seats)prices (5/- (25p) for the cheapest seats)

Wolfit’s vision of theatre as a social Wolfit’s vision of theatre as a social institution bringing people together institution bringing people together

foreshadowed the new vision of Britain foreshadowed the new vision of Britain embraced by the Labour Party after 1945embraced by the Labour Party after 1945

Wolfit was an actor “of the people.” Here is participates in a pageant in Leeds in 1945

The Legacy of The Legacy of Wolfit’s Wolfit’s LearLear

• Proved that Shakespeare still mattered to all kinds of audience

• Wolfit’s production was old fashioned yet captured the mood of the times.

• Provides greater historical understanding for today’s generation of what their ancestors experienced in wartime

• Vindicates Shakespeare’s reputation as a means to reinforce patriotic values

Shakespearean Stamp produced for the tercentenary of his death, 1966

Wolfit continued to perform his Wolfit continued to perform his Shakespearean repertory until 1953, and Shakespearean repertory until 1953, and subsequently became a character actor in subsequently became a character actor in

films and the theater. He repeated the role of films and the theater. He repeated the role of Lear on several occasions on radio.Lear on several occasions on radio.

Donald Wolfit died in 1968 at the age of 65. His bust is now on show at the Garrick Club, London