The Invisible Woman

Our boys' curriculum is very wide.

They perform a short play at the end of every term.

Theater's an abiding interest of my wife.

- Mary, tea if you please. - Yes, sir.

Through the open door.

Nelly, where were you?

Mr. Benham has been here since 3:00.

I'm so sorry.

Mr. Lambourne has been organizing the boys best he can.

I lost all sense of time.

Careful with those corners, boys.

- Yes, ma'am. - Yes, ma'am.

Thank you, Mary.

Mrs. Wharton Robinson. At last.

I'm so sorry, Mr. Benham.

I just kept walking. Forgive me.

Dear boys, let's go from the third act.

Everyone get into positions.

- Yes, ma'am. - Thank you, Mr. Lambourne.

Mr. Benham must not see all our tricks quite yet

or there'll be nothing left to show him tomorrow.

- It is cold outside? -It is, but it clears the mind.

It would be good to decide on the readings before the end of term.

Of course. Perhaps later.

- Laurenson and Tanner, are you ready? - Yes, ma'am.

Geoffrey dear,

don't forget, you come in on the final line.

Sit there.

Coates, Watson, take those.

- Thank you, ma'am. - Thank you, ma'am.

I recall no lion in Mr. Dickens and Mr. Collins' play, Mrs. Wharton Robinson.

A little dramatic license.

I'm confident that Mr. Dickens would have let it pass.

Yates, if you could drop the backing.

Yes, ma'am.

Musicians.

- Is everyone ready? - I think so.

Yes, ma'am.

Boys, remember your positions.

Let's begin.

Well, my lads, the day is breaking at last.

"Has broken," Hadley. Mr. Dickens was very particular.

Well, my lads, the day has broken at last.

What do you say to the weather now?

I am ready to cross the mountain with the gentleman, if the others will go with me.

I can see for myself there's a storm coming.

I smell the snow. I feel the hurricane in the air.

No money those gentlemen can offer

will tempt me to cross the mountain with them today.

Tanner, your cue.

Well, are you ready at last?

My patience is at an end.

I'm sick and weary of all this doubt and delay.

I'm your man. I will guide you to your journey's end.

- Say when. - Now.

- Are you ready? - I'm ready.

Come along.

Pull it taut.

Upright like a brigadier.

And thread it through.

Thank you.

Were you on the beach again today?

Miss Brooke thought she saw you.

Yes.

- Look. See? it is signed. - Really?

Apparently he modeled the character of Lucie Manette on Nelly.

The families were very close when Nelly was a child.

I'm sure he drew inspiration from many people.

My wife adores his novels.

Of course, he's often very funny, but I find a little bleak.

One wonders what demons raged in his mind.

Indeed.

Thackeray, there's a writer.

George, you cannot compare them.

I agree. I am for Mr. Dickens.

There are times that I have envied Mrs. Wharton Robinson

to have known him even as a child.

A writer.

Yes, at times bleak, but one who makes us laugh at our own absurdity.

We see ourselves clearly in all our folly.

He's been dead for some years, but yes, he is still with us.

Thank you, Mr. Benham.

It is a subject in which I sometimes run away with myself,

as Mrs. Wharton Robinson knows only too well.

Run away. Run away.

I, for one, am determined to revisit him immediately.

- Where would you suggest I begin? - Martin Chuzzlewit.

Any novel, but for brief pleasure,

I would suggest browsing through a copy of Dickens' weekly literary magazine.

Household Words.

A collection of many of his writings, and indeed, chapters of his novels.

And I'm sure Mrs. Wharton Robinson would not mind if you cared to borrow.

Of course.

My wife has nearly every edition. We have run out of shelves.

- Sir. - Good. Thank you, Mary.

- You have the text of Mr. Collins' play? - Yes. it is not a good play.

But I shall find you one.

- David Copperfield. -David Copperfield?

- For our readings. - Yes.

Will you walk again tomorrow?

Perhaps.

May I join you?

I walk at quite a pace.

- Welcome. Welcome, Mrs. Ternan. - Thank you, Charley.

Oh, dear.

Yes, do be careful now.

Oh, my!

- Miss Maria. Come inside. - Thank you.

- Come inside. - Thank you.

Miss Ellen, welcome.

- Your glove. - Thank you.

I'm Charley Dickens. Welcome to Manchester.

It's so wet.

My father is waiting. The others are already here.

- Nelly, look. See? - There we are.

Come on.

Look, Nelly.

Father.

At last we have a full company.

Mrs. Ternan, welcome.

- What a beautiful theater you've built. - Thank you. I'm glad, we have tried.

- Miss Maria, welcome. - Thank you.

- You had a good journey, I hope. - Yes, thank you, Mr. Dickens.

- Quite comfortable. - Good. Good. Good.

- And you must be Miss Ellen Ternan? - I am.

You've met my eldest son, Charley, of course?

He kindly rescued my glove, yes.

The gallant chevalier.

Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce Miss Ellen

who is helping us in our hour of need.

We wish your sister, Fanny, well.

Is it the Haymarket or the Phoenix Theater we've lost her to?

The Haymarket. She's so sad not to be here.

No, Nelly will give you a wonderful performance.

I have no doubt.

Now, Mrs. Ternan, Maria, you've met everyone on our previous rehearsals.

Miss Ellen, may I introduce our family of actors?

- We have Mr. Lemon. - Delighted.

- And Mr. Egg. - Welcome.

- And our composer, Mr. Berger. - Hello.

And Mr. Pigott. Miss Sabine. Mr. Charles.

And I'd like to introduce our author, Mr. Collins, but as ever, he is late.

But here are some of my own family.

My daughters, Mamey, Katey.

My sister-in-law, Miss Georgina Hogarth.

Assorted sons, Frank, Alfred, Sydney, Henry.

And where is youngest boy?

Don't hide there, Plorn. Come here.

And that is it, I think.

Yes, of course, and my wife.

And half an hour.

Is that time enough, ladies, for you to settle your bonnets?

I'd like to rehearse, but without our author, Mr. Collins, who is at last here.

Why am I always waiting, Wilkie? Why must you always be late?

Because it irritates you, Charles. And it amuses me to see you in bad temper.

Charles, I don't think we can afford to cut it.

But it's too long. It'll bore if it's too long.

It was too long in London, it'll be too long in Manchester.

Though it pains, Wilkie. Cut, cut, cut.

It is done. You can tell Mr. Egg he's lost his last soliloquy.

No, you must do it as author. I shall not deny you that.

- You are insufferable. And this? - And here and here.

Now, everyone, please be careful. Our little theater's not yet complete.

Remember, we are rehearsing Miss Ellen in today, so let's be considerate.

Now I'm keen to review the last act, just the final entry of Wardour and Aldersly.

So places, friends.

- Now, Maria. Maria. - Yes.

We should have you just here, I think.

Then Mrs. Ternan and the girls. And Miss Ellen...

Mr. Dickens, may I suggest that the ladies are slightly further upstage?

Yes. Of course.

Have your officers trimmed to your satisfaction?

Yes, excellent, excellent. Very good.

Do you think I ought to stand a little wider for the entrance?

Yes, but not too much for it's your face and nof mine

that'll be holding the attention of our audience, I feel sure.

Wilkie, are you ready?

I need you standing at the back if I'm to carry you in.

- Are you ready? - No.

- Yes, come on, come on. - Yes, yes.

Charley. Just relax the arms.

Just a little less stiff.

Yeah?

That's good, yes.

- Should you not come? I cannot carry myself. - Yes, yes, of course.

Do I speak after the gun?

After the gun and you move downstage to the middle.

Frank! Frank!

Then my line, "Saved, saved for you."

- Then you've put me down here. - Yes, I have.

And I am footsore and weary, Clara, but I have saved him.

Yes. That's good. Then your line, Wilkie.

Where is Wardour? Help him. Never mind me.

Mark, that's when you come down.

Wardour. Dear Wardour.

Old friend whom I have wronged, remember and forgive me.

Very good, you're forgiven.

Don't be afraid to project. We have nearly a thousand seats.

Catherine, do say if you cannot hear us.

- What? - We can hear you very well, Charles.