To Ada Cavendish, 2 August 1884


 

 

 

 

90, GLOUCESTER PLACE,

PORTMAN SQUARE. W.

London

2nd August 1884

 

 

 

Dear Miss Cavendish,

 

I have the pleasure of

 

hereby granting to you

 

— on the same /pecuniary/ terms

 

as those already arranged

 

between us — the sole

 

authority to perform

 

my play, called

 

 

The New Magdalen,

 

during the period

 

occupied by your autumn

 

tour of the present year

 

— such authority to extend

be only exercised by yourself personally

 

and to extend over Gt Britain and

Ireland, but not to

 

include London.

 

I remain

 

yours

 

W.C

 

NOTES
This interesting letter gives Ada Cavendish the exclusive right to perform The New Magdalen throughout the United Kingdom outside London in 1884.

Ada Cavendish (1839-1895) was an actress and theatre manager who produced the play when it was first performed in 1873 at the Olympic Theatre playing Mercy Merrick opposite Frank Archer as Julian Gray. She revived it a decade later and toured The New Magdalen in many provincial towns in 1883 and 1884. On 23 June 1883 Collins he wrote to Ada Cavendish to specify that she should pay £3 for each representation. Earlier on 9 June 1883 he thanked her for £50 'in part payment of the author's fees for the right of performing "The New Magdalen" in the provinces -- during your previous tours.' She later revived it in London at the Novelty in January 1884.

 

Ada Cavendish as Mercy Merrick in The New Magdalen taken by Napoleon Sarony in New York. She played the part in Augustin Daly's production and Wilkie Collins was involved in the production and present during its opening on 10 November 1873 when this photograph was taken.



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