The Red Pen
Encyclopedia
The Red Pen is a two-act operetta
composed by Geoffrey Toye
to a libretto by A. P. Herbert
. The piece, described by its creators as "a sort of opera" was written for the BBC, following Herbert's successful Riverside Nights, and had a running time of about 90 minutes. It was first broadcast on the radio on 24 March 1925. It was broadcast again in 1927.
The performers for the second broadcast were Gladys Palmer, Vivienne Chatterton, John Buckley, Harold Kimberley, John Tanner, and Sydney Granville
. The composer conducted the Wireless Orchestra.
and the second in the Ministry of Verse at St. James's Park
. The story is set "in the near future" (the late 1920s), and opens with the whimsical premise that the "General Federation of Poets and Writers", a trade-union for authors, is agitating for the nationalisation of their industry. "The Red Pen", from which the play takes its title, is their march, a play on The Red Flag
. In Act II, set six months later, the newly-established Ministry of Verse is run in a comically bureaucratic civil service style.
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
composed by Geoffrey Toye
Geoffrey Toye
Edward Geoffrey Toye , better known as Geoffrey Toye, was an English conductor, composer and opera producer....
to a libretto by A. P. Herbert
A. P. Herbert
Sir Alan Patrick Herbert, CH was an English humorist, novelist, playwright and law reform activist...
. The piece, described by its creators as "a sort of opera" was written for the BBC, following Herbert's successful Riverside Nights, and had a running time of about 90 minutes. It was first broadcast on the radio on 24 March 1925. It was broadcast again in 1927.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 24 March 1925 (Conductor: I. Stanton Jefferies ) |
|---|---|---|
| Sir Robert Quint, a cabinet minister | Bertram Ayrton | |
| The Hon. Michael Gray, a private secretary | Edward Lear | |
| Henry Wordsworth, a general secretary | Stuart Robertson | |
| Samuel Slate, a pressman, and Captain Danby, a military officer | John Buckley | |
| Mary Jane Blake, assistant private secretary | Gladys Palmer | |
| Mary Palmer, leader of the Consumers' Deputation | Geoffrey Stanton | |
| Daffodil Smith, assistant general secretary | Vivienne Chatterton | |
The performers for the second broadcast were Gladys Palmer, Vivienne Chatterton, John Buckley, Harold Kimberley, John Tanner, and Sydney Granville
Sydney Granville
Sydney Granville was an English singer and actor, best known for his performances in the Savoy Operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company....
. The composer conducted the Wireless Orchestra.
Synopsis
The first act is set in Hyde ParkHyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
and the second in the Ministry of Verse at St. James's Park
St. James's Park
St. James's Park is a 23 hectare park in the City of Westminster, central London - the oldest of the Royal Parks of London. The park lies at the southernmost tip of the St. James's area, which was named after a leper hospital dedicated to St. James the Less.- Geographical location :St. James's...
. The story is set "in the near future" (the late 1920s), and opens with the whimsical premise that the "General Federation of Poets and Writers", a trade-union for authors, is agitating for the nationalisation of their industry. "The Red Pen", from which the play takes its title, is their march, a play on The Red Flag
The Red Flag
The Red Flag is a protest song associated with left-wing politics, in particular with socialism. It is the semi-official anthem of the British Labour Party, sung at the end of conference. It is the official anthem of the Irish Labour Party and sung at the close of national conference.-History:The...
. In Act II, set six months later, the newly-established Ministry of Verse is run in a comically bureaucratic civil service style.