The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Electric Man
Title: The Electric Man
Author: Charles Hannan
Release date: January 10, 2020 [eBook #61142]
Most recently updated: October 17, 2024
Language: English
Credits: Produced by Tim Lindell, David E. Brown, and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
THE ELECTRIC MAN
THE ELECTRIC MAN
BEING THE ONE ACT VERSION OF THE
SUCCESSFUL THREE ACT FARCICAL
COMEDY OF THE SAME NAME
By
CHARLES HANNAN
Author of
“A Cigarette Maker’s Romance,” “Master of the Situation,” “The
Coachman with Yellow Lace,” “Iron Hand and Velvet Glove,”
“The World’s Way,” “United States,” “Sweet Olivia,”
“Richard Wye,” “The New Groom,” “The Setting
of the Sun,” “The Gipsy,” “A Fragment,” “The
Lily of the Field,” etc., etc., and in
collaboration with Wilson Barrett,
“Our Pleasant Sins.”
Copyright, 1910, by Samuel French, Ltd
| New York | London | |
| SAMUEL FRENCH | SAMUEL FRENCH Ltd | |
| Publisher | 26 Southampton Street | |
| 28-30 WEST 38TH STREET | STRAND |
Any costumes, wigs or properties used in the performance of “The Electric Man” may be hired or purchased reasonably from Messrs. C. H. Fox, Ltd., 27, Wellington Street, Strand, London.
THE ELECTRIC MAN.
The three act successful farcical comedy, “The Electric Man,” which may be obtained in manuscript from Messrs. Samuel French, Ltd., was first presented at the King’s Theatre, Hammersmith, with Mr. Harcourt Beatty in the leading rôle, and was subsequently put on for a West End run at the Royalty Theatre on November 10, 1906, with Mr. Harry Nicholls as the Electric Man, the piece being transferred to the Shaftesbury Theatre on Boxing Day of the same year.
The condensed one act form of the play which follows was produced by Mr. Harry Nicholls at the Chelsea Palace and Metropolitan Halls with the greatest success on July 29, 1907, cast thus:—
| Walter Everest and The Electric Man | Mr. Harry Nicholls. |
| Dr. Jack Strange, a young physician, his friend | Mr. Loring Fernie. |
| Stella, Jack’s sister, Walter’s fiancée | Miss Fitzgerald. |
| Mrs. Anderson, his landlady | Miss Nellie Dade. |
| Jobbins, a private detective and inquiry agent | Mr. Thorpe Tracey. |
Period: Present day. Morning.
Time of representation: Twenty-six minutes.
NOTES.
Walter and the automaton are never upon the stage together, so that throughout the play Walter takes the figure’s place by entering the cupboard “off.” A super is required, however, to play “dummy,” but when this happens the figure is seated in the cupboard with its back to audience.
Costume for Walter and for the automaton: Walter wears a brown coat or jacket and trousers of the same, with a white waistcoat. The automaton is dressed exactly the same as to trousers and waistcoat, etc., but wears a black frock coat, and as they both usually keep the coat buttoned, the waistcoat is seldom seen.
“Funeral March of a Marionette” to accompany the automaton’s scenes. The automaton walks very stiffly and jerkily, and moves his arms like a doll.
PLAN OF SET.
D in F indicates the opening leading to hall.
R the entry to drawing-room.
There are curtains at each side of the window recess,
And a Grandfather’s clock against wall, front of china cupboard.