THE SCHOOL MAGAZINE

Summer 1956

THE LADY WITH A LAMP

The School presented at Christmas "The Lady with a Lamp" by Reginald Berkeley. Although written as a play in four acts, this work is really a chronicle of the remarkable career of Florence Nightingale from 1848 to 1907. Florence is not presented by Mr. Berkeley as a sympathetic character; we are given a glimpse of her cutting wit, impatience with officialdom and red tape and ruthless over-riding of obstacles. She is revealed as having driven to their deaths her admirer Lord Herbert and the only man she loved, Henry Tremayne. And yet the last word remains with Herbert's widow Elizabeth who says that the purgatory of some people may be to live on after their senses have departed "unable to work, unable to die." In the final scene the tragic truth is brought home to us when we see Florence, old and helpless, being presented with honours she has earned but unable to appreciate their significance.

This production was a joint effort of the Old Scholars' Association and the School. It is extremely difficult for young people to present mature characters, particularly where these characters have to age during the performance, and all acquitted themselves creditably, especially so when we bear in mind the size of the stage where three steps taken in anger are sufficient to land an actor in the wings!

In the leading part of Florence, which she took on at five weeks' notice, Miss Preston put across with conviction her ruthless character. On stage for all but a small part of the two-and-a-half-hour performance, she earned the admiration and praise of the audience. Pat Bevis as Elizabeth Herbert, friend, obstructor, rival and finally antagonist of Florence, gave a performance which was noteworthy; it will be a long time before we forget the pathos of the moment when she came in with the news of her husband's death. This was a part which required moods, the flippant, businesslike, ruthless, mourning and contemplative; they were all conveyed with conviction.

As Lord Palmerston, John Meachen conveyed the elder statesman to the life. We felt that he was completely master of the situation and really lived the part. Malcolm Fry as the Scots Doctor Sutherland provided the needed touch of humour and evoked admiration for his accent. Thomas Bradford as Lord Herbert was very natural as the rising politician at the beginning and very moving as the rich man who would be dead in a few weeks. Raymond Wright was particularly "lifelike" as the fatally injured admirer of Florence brought in to die at her feet. Marion Godfrey as Mrs. Nightingale gave us a convincing performance as the mother of genius, impatient at first, then disbelieving and finally proud but ashamed of her original doubts.

Terence Nunn as the Corporal, a character whose purpose is the same as the Porter in Macbeth, provided the much-needed comedy at the appropriate moment.

Other parts were played by Carol Beard, John Brown, John Cunningham, Sylvia Goodwin, Peter Hough, Rosemary Kitchen, Susan Laban, Geoffrey Lane, Eileen Pratt, Margaret Puttock, Barbara Reeves, Norman Rigo, Winnie Russell and Robert Williams.

The backcloth, which was provided by the Parent-Teacher Association, was designed and painted by Miss Brooker, Tony Brace and Malcolm Fry. It was difficult to believe that it was not a professional job. The beauty of the opening scene, in which the backcloth figured, was enhanced by the properties made under the direction of Mr. Cole, the masterpiece being a fountain that worked! Make-up was in the hands of Mrs. Denman, Mrs Jenner, Mrs. Parker and Miss Stern. We are grateful to Mrs. Denman and Miss Stern for taking this on at short notice. Many properties were loaned by the Thermads, the Dramatic Society of the Eastern Gas Board, to whom we owe thanks. Mrs Denman and Mrs. Godfrey altered the costumes. Thanks are also due to the noble band of scene shifters who dealt capably with the great amount of scene shifting which had to be done.

The play ran for three nights. The producer and those taking part were disappointed by the small audiences and the poor support given by the parents and old scholars. This was a difficult production which received high praise from those well entitled to judge; it is discouraging to feel that such efforts are not sufficiently appreciated.

Note - A photo of this play appears in the Productions section of this site, where this article is repeated. Click here

LETTER FROM MADEMOISELLE RICOIS

There are many who will remember Mademoiselle Ricois who was at this School. We have received the following letter from her.

September.

Dear Downhills,

Sous le beau ciel de France, enfin radieux, pour faire repretter la fin des vacances, ma pensée des ailes pour vous rejoindre de l'autre cote de la Manche.

I know I should carry on writing in French to keep up your standard, but I imagine this letter will be read not only by those staying at Downhills, but also by those who have left last year or the year before. As I have not forgotten any of you, I would like to remain in touch with all of you, and so, it is perhaps safer to use your language. . . . What has become of your French, dear boys and girls? I bet you hurried to forget all about it, as soon as you walked out of Downhills' gates. Could you have done what French students do, you would have rushed to the first bookshop, with all your French books, hastily tied together, under your arm, to sell the whole lot second-hand and go "on the razzle" with the few shillings you could get for them. Unfortunately, or rather fortunately, you were not able to do so, for, unlike French children, you did not have to buy your own books. This is one of the things which struck me when I first arrived at an English school.

To line up other differences between England and France, would become tedious and is not exactly what I intend to do in this letter. My wish is to thank you all for the kind welcome you gave me in your school, and to tell you how happy I was, living with you for over a year. It was a pleasure to me to meet not only our ordinary group for conversation but also to have contact with the whole of your forms and the whole of the School. Although you were quite a big number, we could feel a good and pleasant spirit uniting you all. Perhaps you realise more deeply now that you have left and have to fight your own way about how much you were part of a whole at Downhills, and how much your staff formed a team wishing to help each of you. I do think this is the very reason why I was so happy with you. I quickly and easily became one of "your big family." I think you nearly turned me into an English girl while I was there.

I was saying at the beginning of this letter that I am writing in English to be more easily understood, but I must also tell you it is a real pleasure to me to think in another language than my own. I do hope that some of you will keep up your French to experience this pleasure one day. I also wish you will be able to live abroad and to find in every country as kind a welcome as I found in yours. It is a wonderful experience which prevents you from narrowing your thoughts to your own country. Once again thank you very much to all of you and best wishes.

Mademoiselle Ricois.