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LORD ARTHUR SAVILE'S CR.1 ME ACT I

Produced at the Royal Court Theatre, London on the 7th Ociul,icr SCENE-The drawing-room of Lord Arthur Savile' s house tn Grosvenor
1952, with the following list of characters: Square, London. An evening in the rBgo's.
(in the order of their appearance) There are double doors in the back wall, another door up R and a
window c of the wall L. The.fireplace is R, The room is elegantly furnished
BAINES, the butler and curtained. A sofa stands LC with a small table behind it. An armchair
LoRD ARTHUR SAVILE stands down L. There is an occasional table, L of the double doors, on
SYBIL MERTON, his fiancee which there are several pieces of silver plate, including an epergne containing
roses. R of the double doors is a sideboard on which stand glasses and more
THE DEAN OF PADDINGTON, his uncle silver ware. On it is also a card stand containing Lord Arthur's visiti11g
LADY WINDERMERE, his aunt cards. There is an armchair RC, with a small table R of it. An upright
LADY CLEMENTINA BEAUCHAMP, his great-aunt chair stands down R. An old-fashioned telephone is fixed to the wall R of
the double doors. A small bookcase stands above the .fireplace. A bell-rope
LADY JULIA MERTON, Sybil's mother hangs above the .fireplace. There is an elegant clock on the mantelpiece,
MR PODGERS, a cheiromantist with a vase offlowers at each end. The empty grate is masked by a beauti­
NELLIE, the maid fully arranged bowl offlowers. Pictures of the period, in gilt frames, hang
HERR WINKELKOPF, an anarchist on the walls, and a mirror hangs over the mantelpiece.
When the CURTAIN rises, the room is empty. The door up R is open, and
someone off R, can be heard playing on a piano, the music of" The Wedding
March". BAINES, Lord Arthur's faithful butler, enters up c. He is aged
about.fifty. He carries a buttonhole on a salver. He moves c, pauses, listens
SYNOPSIS OF SCENES to the music, then gloomily shakes his head, pulls out his handkerchief and
loudly blows his nose. The playing ceases. LORD ARTHUR SAVILE en/en
The action of the Play passes in the drawing-room of Lord Arllwr's how, up R. He is young and pleasant but not overburdened with brains. He is
in Grosvenor Square, London always beautifully dressed, and at the moment is wearing evening dress.
ARTHUR (crossing to R of Baines) Well, did you like my playi1:g,
ACT I Baines?
Evening BAINES. The manner and the execution were beyond praise, my
lord, as with everything your lordship does.
ARTHUR (pleased) Thank you, Baines. (He takes the buttonhole and
ACT II crosses to the .fireplace)
ScENE I The following morning BAINES. But I regret I do not care for the piece, my lord.
SCENE 2 Morning, three days later ARTHUR (turning) But it was The Wedding March!
BAINES (moving slightly down c) I recognized it, my lord. It is a
piece with which most men are regrettably familiar.
ACT III ARTHUR. And I thought you said I played it well.
BAINES. If one may allow for a certain Joie de vivre not generally
SCENE I Early evening, several days later associated with the marriage service, my lord.
SCENE 2 The following morning
(ARTHUR looks in the mirror over the mantelpiece and puts the buttonhole
Time-the 18go's in his lapel)