There is Nothing like a Dame A novel by Bronwen Welsh Copyright© 2017, 2018 & 2019 Bronwen Welsh A sequel to 'The Might-Have-Been Girl' and 'All the World's a Stage'

Chapter 47   Rehearsals begin and a problem develops

Before I went to bed I phoned Reggie as I did without fail every day that I was away and I brought him up to date with the day's events. He accepted the news about Frank now being Frances without comment.

“You don't seem very surprised,” I said.

“Well, it was so obvious. Are you telling me I saw something in her that you didn't see?” he replied.

I was a bit put out. Women are supposed to be more attuned to such things than men, but then Reggie wasn't an ordinary man.

“I've seen her dressed as a woman before, but I thought she was doing it for a bit of fun, and she did look very pretty I must say.”

“Perhaps you are too close to her to see what was staring you in the face?” he said.

It seems he had a point. “Well, you'll be in no doubt that she is Frances when you see her next. She's a very pretty woman; I'll have to take care not to become jealous of her!”

Reggie laughed. “That's women for you, always competing with one another.”

I decided to change the subject and told him the top secret news about the possible film of 'Romeo and Juliet'.

“That's great news. It's about time you were in a film and became known internationally.”

“The only thing is it might not happen for years. In fact, by the time they make it I might be so old I'll have to play Juliet's mother or nurse!”

“Oh, I don't know, they can work wonders with makeup nowadays,” he replied.

“Reginald Staunton, are you suggesting that I only look young because of makeup?” I said outraged, my voice going up a couple of octaves by the end of the sentence.

He laughed: “You're so easy to tease. My darling, you will still look like a teenager for many years to come, and people will still think that I'm a 'cradle-snatcher'.”

We finished our conversation and he said several things which I'm not going to repeat here, but which made me realise how much I missed him every time I went away, it was time for me to go to my lonely bed, promising myself I was going to wear him out the next time we were together.

The following morning I was up early. I confess I was curious to see how Frances looked when dressed to go to the accountancy firm where she worked. She was wearing a trouser suit in charcoal grey, with a white cotton shirt and a padded bra which gave her the look of A cup breasts. I caught a glimpse of black hose and her shoes were black closed toe pumps with a tiny heel. Her makeup was very subtle, just light foundation and lipstick which was very pale pink, about normal lip colour. Her hair, which was now growing quite long was tied up in a pony tail.

She looked at me as though saying 'How do I look?' and I gave her a smile of approval and a 'thumbs up' sign. At the time of their marriage, Frank, as Frances was then, had decided to adopt Dale's surname of Swenson, so now she referred to herself as Mrs Swenson.

We all made our own breakfasts and then Dale gave Frances a quick kiss on the lips, as he had always done when she was Frank and headed off for work. In turn, Frances and I left for work, she to the accountants, and me to the theatre.

I arrived about nine-thirty, early for the first rehearsal which was due to start at ten o'clock. Chairs for all the cast had been arranged in a semi-circle on the stage. I was one of the first there. Gradually the cast drifted in; I knew some of them and exchanged greetings, but some of the cast were new to me. I was amused to find that they all seemed to know my name.

At ten o'clock precisely, Gwynneth, the Artistic Director appeared with a young woman she introduced as Ceridwen Thomas, the play's director. With a name like that she had to be Welsh! It was at that moment that a young woman with flaming red hair and sharpish features rushed onto the stage and sat down on the only free seat which happened to be next to me. If Gwynneth and Cerdiwen were annoyed, they didn't show it.

Ceridwen said she was so pleased to be directing this production, and since some of the cast didn't know each other and she wasn't familiar with everyone, we would start by her calling out our names one by one, at which point we were asked to stand so that everyone knew who we were and what part we were playing. As each person stood and we were told where they had come from, there was a smattering of applause. When it came to my turn, Ceridwen announced that I had just returned from a sellout season playing Juliet in America. In a way, I wished that she hadn't since it would raise everyone's expectations. It turned out that the young redhead was called Pauline Handscomb, she originated from Australia and she was to be my understudy.

Gwynneth left the stage and Ceridwen said she would like to do a read-through before we got down to rehearsals, but first she would like to speak about her interpretation of the play.

“A lot of people see this as a difficult play to view in modern times, even going so far as to say it proves that Shakespeare was a misogynist, but I think we have to view it in terms of the time in which it was written. In those days, women were expected to be subservient to men and the idea of 'women's liberation' would have been totally foreign to them. Don't forget that there was no law that said women couldn't appear on the stage, but in fact, they didn't and all the female rôles were played by boys or young men. This may well have been because no man would like the idea of his wife or sweetheart being ogled by other men as she acted on a stage.

“The principal character, Katherine is an exception to the rule of women being subservient, she is wilful, smart and therefore termed 'shrewish'. When Petruchio meets her and tries to best her in words, she gives back as good as she gets. After she realises that he is her equal and agrees to marry him, he tries to tame her by refusing her food and clothing, claiming that everything he offers is not good enough for her.

“Katherine's apparent complete change of heart at the end of the play and particularly the long speech in which she states the duties of a wife:

'Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper,
Thy head, thy sovereign, one that cares for thee
I am ashamed that women are so simple
To offer war where they should kneel for peace,
Or seek for rule, supremacy, and sway
When they are bound to serve, love, and obey

This is troubling to some modern audiences, but many people, myself included think that she is only pretending wifely compliance in an 'over the top' speech. Whether Petruccio takes her at her word or they have conspired so that he wins a wager, is a matter for conjecture, but there is little doubt that at the end of the play they love each other, so this is the way I chose to interpret it. That, of course, is the wonderful thing about Shakespeare – his plays are so nuanced that they can be interpreted in many different ways.”

I was impressed with her interpretation which matched my own feelings about the play. You could say that Shakespeare was actually implying that women are cleverer than men when it comes to human relationships. While we know that to be true, to say so in Shakespeare's time was so outrageous that he disguised it; that is his genius.

We had each been issued with a copy of the script, or 'the book' as it is usually called. I knew my part already, in fact I knew the entire text of the play, but I didn't want to appear superior to the others, so I opened the script and followed it while the reading was taking place. During the read-through, the understudies couldn't take part, but they would be getting their chance on another occasion. I noticed that Pauline uttered barely supressed expressions of criticism, normally written as 'tsk' when someone stumbled over their words, something she had no cause to do when I read my part, anyway I don't think she would have dared!

We ran through the first three acts and then Ceridwen said we would break for lunch. Most of us went to the theatre café. I decided that rather than sit with the cast members I knew, I should sit with some of the newcomers and try to make them feel at home.

“Hi everyone, I'm Harriet. How are you finding Stratford?” I asked.

“It's just amazing to be in Shakespeare's birthplace and acting in one of his plays,” replied John, who was playing the part of Lucentio.

“I understand how you feel because I felt the same way when I first arrived in Stratford, and to a degree I still feel it,” I said.

“You are one of the company's top performers now, can you give us some advice on the most important things to remember in acting?” asked Susan who had been made understudy for the part of 'Bianca'.

I smiled. “I don't know about a 'top performer' since I am still learning my craft from actors much more experienced than I, but at the risk of sounding flippant, I can only quote these basic rules which were given to me by a very famous actress I know. She said 'work hard, know your lines and always be on time'.”

“I guess that's a black mark against my name,” said a voice behind me in a bitter tone and turning I saw Pauline standng there.

“You were only a couple of minutes late and I don't think doing it once at rehearsal, is going to be held against you,” I said mildly. “However this is an occupation where promptness is important. If we are late for a performance it will be delayed which audiences don't like, and neither does the director because it doesn't look professional. If we are very late then the understudy might have to step in.” This might have sounded like a rebuke but it was something I felt strongly about.

“If you're a big enough star, they just have to wait for you,” said Pauline.

“Maybe, but it won't endear you to them. I'm reminded of that saying by King Lous XVIII of France 'Punctuality is the politeness of kings' We show respect for our audiences by being there when we say we will be.”

Pauline sniffed. I don't think she entirely agreed with me.

It was time to return to the theatre for the last two acts. These passed without incident and Ceridwen expressed her satisfaction with the first run through.

“We'll finish now, even though it's early and you can all be fresh for the first rehearsal tomorrow, starting at nine-thirty,” she said. I hoped Pauline had taken note of the earlier time.

That evening when I spoke to Reggie I told him about my concerns.

“I'm sure Pauline's a good actress or she would never have got the understudy position, but there's just something about her that I can't warm to. I've never had that problem with understudies before.”

“Just make sure she doesn't spike your drink so she can take over the part,” said Reggie. He was joking, but for some reason, I couldn't see the humour in his remark. I told myself that I might be worrying over nothing and that my best option was to get a good night's sleep so that I was fresh for the rehearsal the following day.

The next morning over the breakfast table, Frances asked how things had gone on the first day. She was an avid theatre lover and having someone like myself as a flatmate was seventh heaven for her. I did my best to sound upbeat, but even a good night's sleep hadn't totally washed all my worries away; Frances was smart enough to see this.

“Is something worrying you, Harriet?” she asked.

“Not really, well yes,” I decided to be honest. “There's something about my understudy which disturbs me. I might be worrying over nothing; only time will tell.”

“You'd better tell her to break a leg and mean it,” said Dale who had come into the kitchen and caught the conversation. I managed a smile. He was the second man to imply that I was being a silly woman and worrying over nothing, but I have always been a believer in 'female intuition' and wasnt convinced that I was worrying over nothing.

At the theatre everyone was on time, including Pauline. The understudies sat in the stalls while we rehearsed onstage. They would get their turn in a couple of days' time. Before we started, Ceridwen said she would like everyone to be 'off book' as soon as possible. I decided that while I held onto the book for making notes, I needn't pretend any longer that I needed it. I immediately warmed to her style of direction; she didn't constantly stop us over trivial errors, preferring to let the action flow. After all, that is what happens during a performance if someone makes a mistake. When one of the other actors had a momentary 'dry', I gave them a quiet prompt. I thought Ceridwen didn't notice, but later when we had a break, she took the opportunity to have a word with me.

“I see you are 'off book' already, but would I be mistaken in thinking that you know the whole script?” she asked. I felt slightly embarrassed.

“Well, yes, I've been blessed with a very good memory, but I can't claim credit for it, any more than John can for being six feet tall.”

She laughed. “Well I have no objection to having an extra prompter on stage,” she said.

I was pleased that she was so understanding.

It was a couple of days later that there was a rehearsal for the understudies. I didn't have to be there but I decided that I would see what Pauline's acting was like, so I quietly slipped into a back seat in the stalls where I wouldn't be noticed.. As I suspected, she was good, but when Ceridwen pulled her up over something, she barely concealed her irritation. 'Not a good move' I thought to myself.

One bonus about the rehearsal period was that we had weekends off. For the first one, Reggie came to Stratford. Frances was a little concerned about seeing him but I told her not to worry. As I predicted, when he arrived he said “Hello Frances, it's good to see you,” and kissed her on the cheek. She blushed but smiled at the same time, and there was no awkwardness between them. Indeed why should there be when he was married to me and had seen me in both of my 'lives'? Reggie just accepted her in how she chose to present herself.

It was wonderful to spend time with Reggie again. He asked me how rehearsals were going and especially about Pauline.

“I'm sure I can cope with her, after all the season doesn't go on forever,” I replied.

The following weekend I drove to York which had the advantage that we could visit Emma, David and their family.

--ooOoo---

Time passed quickly and soon it was Opening Night. Reggie had come down from York to see me perform and Dale and Frances were also present. They all came to my dressing room after the performance. Frances was wearing a beautiful green silk gown that I hadn't seen before and was looking really glamorous with full evening makeup. I had changed into a blue and purple shot silk gown; Dale wore a dinner suit to compliment his wife's appearance, and not to be outdone, Reggie did too. Pauline had gone home towards the end of the last act when it was obvious that she would not be required. I expected this to happen and in a way, I was glad she wasn't there. There was a risk that she might have realised that Frances was trans, and it would be too much to hope for that she would keep her mouth shut.

To finish off the evening, we had supper at 'Oppos', and I think we caused quite a sensation when we arrived. We hadn't been there long when Annette Clunes, a photographer and reporter for the local newspaper arrived. I knew her from the times she came to the theatre to take publicity shots and other pictures to accompany the play reviews, so seeing me she came straight over to our table. I introduced her to Reggie, Frances and Dale and she asked if she could take some pictures. The others were happy with the idea so I agreed.

“You were in top form this evening, Harriet,” Annette said. “That look you gave the audience at the end of your closing speech, it spoke volumes to every woman in the audience.”

I laughed. “It sounds like I calculated it just right.”

“Without a doubt,” Annette responded.

One of the photos she took appeared in the next issue of the paper, under the heading “ISC Star Sparkles as Katherine in “The Shrew”.

The article beneath the photo which was captioned with our names, was as follows:

“Rising Imperial Theatre Company star Harriet Stow enjoys supper with her husband and friends following a sensational performance in the opening night of “The Taming of the Shrew”. Taking the lead rôle of Katherine, Harriet sparkled as the feisty heroine and perfectly handled the dramatic conclusion of the play which still has audiences divided, four hundred years after Shakespeare wrote it.”

It was a very flattering report, almost a review of the play, and I was glad that she did not include a 'spoiler' at the end; after all, some people have not seen it.

I admit I was very pleased with the way the performance went, and the official reviews were excellent. Michael Abel, who played my husband Petruchio received well-deserved compliments, as did the rest of the company. Some very nice things were written about my part in the production and that is always good to see. As usual, I cut the reviews out of the newspapers and, together with Annette's picture and article, posted them up to Emma to put in my scrapbooks.

Reviews are important as they have a definite effect on the ticket sales, and when those are good, everyone is happy, including the company's accountants.

The season went well and we were playing to almost full houses. I could tell that Pauline was becoming increasingly frustrated at having to sit in the dressing room during each performance. The fact that there was a monitor on the wall showing the action onstage probably didn't help as it was a constant reminder that I was performing and she wasn't.

I did speak to Ceridwen and suggested that perhaps Pauline could perform in one of the matinées, but her reply was that audiences expected to see me in the rôle and that Pauline was only there in case I couldn't perform for some reason. It was her call, so there was nothing more that I could do.

From my point of view, everything was going well, perhaps too well, since it was during the third Saturday evening performance that one of the most bizarre moments of my career occurred.

To be continued.